benellibill

I am new to Iowa and will be hunting whitetail this year with a SBEII slug barrel. Question: I have three alternatives for sights -- 1. open sights, 2. red dot sight, or 3. scope. Any opinion on what is the best way to go? Any specific setup?

Just purchased a 26". Gives some comfort that you had the same conclusion. Thanks

Threeshot: I'll be doing mostly upland, perhaps some waterfowl. Also intend to do turkey and deer. I'm a pretty average shot with a scattergun and have never felt totally at home with the fit. I shot an 870 my whole life and bought a beretta onyx o/u a while back. The o/u fit and felt fine compared to my 870. Now I am looking for a versatile, overall shotgun and the Benelli M2 in synthetic is what I am leaning towards. The M2 is light, and somewhat adjustable. I want synthetic because I am tired of freaking out about scratches in my wood stocks. I was also thinking perhaps of buying it as a slug gun because it is drilled and tapped for a scope (although realistically I probably will never mount a scope to it), and buy a 26" smooth barrel for it. Thanks for your input

O.K., I guess. Sounds like this is the concensus: 1. I can use a 2.75 inch rifled shotgun slug in a smoothbore even if it is chambered for a 3.5 inch shell. 2. I can probably shoot the 2.75 inch sabot out of the SBE II rifled barrel because the rifled barrel is chambered for a 3.0 inch shell, not a 3.5 inch. It is all quite confusing to me. I wish Benelli would state it clearly in their material. I'm leaning towards the M2 (3 inch) instead of the SBE II (3.5 inch) just to be safe. I really doubt if I would ever shoot a 3.5 inch anyway.

Threeshot: My concern is the headspace with the SBE II, a gun that is chambered for a 3.5 inch shell shooting a 2.75 inch slug. That is a .75 inch difference. Will a 2.75 inch slug function properly in the SBE II. That's why I was wondering if I would be better off with an M2 that is chambered for a 3 inch shell. Also, still wondering if I can shoot slugs out of the "non slug" standard 28 inch barrel. Thanks for your previous response. Bill

Regards threeshot

1. If I purchase a SBE II with a standard 28" barrel, and later buy a slug barrel for it, will I be able to shoot 2.75 and 3.0 inch slugs from it? 2. Can I shoot 2.75 and 3.0 slugs out of the standard SBE II 28" barrel? 3. Would I be better off buying an M2 if I wanted the ability to shoot slugs?

I apologize if this question has been asked before. I am picking up a SBEII or M2 in a week and can't decide between a 26" or 28". I have shot a 28" 870 all my life and felt it was a little too long so I am favoring a 26". Am I giving up anything of significance by going with a shorter barrel? Any recommendations?