AviD

Thanks guys, I'll check it out in a bit!

Is this receiver already drilled/tapped and these are caps, or are they false marks that aren't?

Only one piece steel camo base I've found thus far is the Burris SU camo steel, model 410608. In case anyone else is looking in the future...

Thanks for the info tucker, I've used Warne before as well with good results! Looks like they don't make a 1 piece steel base for the SBE2 per that chart.

Thanks for the info and looking it up, sorry for the post, I did try the FAQ site before posting but couldn't find it. Let me look again, if you have time can you post the link just in case I can't find it? I see it now...again sorry.

*bump* anyone?

What base/mount do I need to mount a Bushnell HOLOSight on a SBE2? Looking for a steel one, not aluminum.

Sorry took me a bit to get back to you. I'm actually good for turkeys but looking to pattern for predator shot and buckshot. I posted my concern in this forum because it's relative to turkey loads as well I would think. If cumulatively you are squeezing 2oz+ (turkey) or 1-5/8oz (3.5" DC T) or 1-1/2oz (3" DC T) through a sub full (in this case a .660) choke...how can it be "OK" to shoot the turkey load but not the others? If anything I would think the larger load (turkey) would be more prone to causing "bulging" problems than T or buckshot, no? Same material, same hardness...stuffed in and through the same area (choke).

Diggin this one out. gregor, how does adding washers (even washers) to the back of the C shim drop the POI more? It's essentially only extending the distance of the shim equally, not changing the amount it shims up/down just out/in...right? I'm thinking the new (bigger) bead brought you down on target more, no?

CH, very nice and congrats on the birds! I do see it all the time, a lot of guys out there shooting tight with hevi-shot. Just the KI rep's comment about seeing split barrels "all the time", had me a little concerned. Yet I'm not reading much about them...so not sure how often it happens and if it's really due to the hevi-shot (and not steel) going through tight chokes...although they say hevi-shot is as hard as steel?

CH, thanks for the reply! Thinking about this more...if the barrel of the SBE2 is wide enough to handle the loads (anything including steel), then it all comes down to the choke and the bottlenecking that results. If the choke is made of a material that can withstand the pressure, then I can't see that section of the barrel cracking as a result. I'd be more concerned about the shot "backing up" into the barrel before the choke starts as a result of the bottlenecking and cracking there. I don't know, some guys shoot all the way down to .650 with hevi-shot loads...and don't sweat it. But here Kicks is saying nothing under .698 should be used? That's a heck of a jump in constriction and eliminates just about every commonly used choke out there. Strange, I think I'll try to call Benelli today and maybe call Rhino (since I have one of their chokes) and see what their thoughts are.

I just had a great conversation with the folks over at Kicks and was talking to them about the SBE2 and their choke recommendations. Beyond all the details to that conversation, one significant item that popped up was the relationship between choke constriction and the usage of hevi-shot. My current turkey setup is Nitro 4x5x7 hevi-shot H51013 with a Rhino .660 choke. The patterns are devastating out to 60+ yards. Now when speaking with the Kicks rep, he was very convincing in his statement of not exceeding a constriction of .698 for my SBE2 choke when shooting hevi-shot due to the hardness of hevi-shot and the relative physics and impending danger of cracking/splitting/bulging the barrel or yourself. So to keep this short...why do many manufacturers (and Nitro custom ammo) recommend using tighter chokes despite the potential inherent danger? i.e. the .660 with 4x5x7 hevi-shot (now H51013A) Now, despite the lackluster performance of other chokes in this range (.698 or higher), I will likely give the Kicks a try to see how it patterns. Ultimately, I think the safety of myself and keeping the gun in one piece supercedes a tighter pattern or longer range. What are all your thoughts?

gregor: What choke did you find best? The Long Range or the Extended? Just a little update... I just shot the ported Extended per the recommendation of Patternmaster with 3" copper plated Federal 00 and 000, 3.5" copper plated Federal 00, 3" non-copper plated Federal 00, and 3.5" Remington 00. All tests done at 40 yards. None shot very well at all IMO. I would say no better than the stock IM or even Full choke. I called PM and they said to send the choke back and they'd take a look. Mike recommended trying the Long Range to see if it improves. He also said to try a different lot of ammo...as he's seen a big difference between lots...which is kind of concerning. My best pattern is still with the Rhino .660 2" extended and Remington 3.5" 00. Probably getting 90% in a 15x12" rectangle at 40 yards. Not mind blowing, but decent.

Rayovac Sportsman's headlamp (3 modes of lighting) which you can get at Lowes/Home Depot/Walmart is the best headlamp I've found and it's under $20. I've had very good headlamps all the way up to $100+ PrincetonTecs...but that Rayovac is all I use now...fishing or hunting. For blood trailing, I use a larger light...but after hunting ND with a buddy just a couple weeks ago, I'm a firm believer in Coleman Lanterns! That lantern picked up blood unbelieveable....that a flash light, spotlight, and headlamp could not quite as easily.

At what range?

Yeah, I use the Rhino with Nitro 4x5x7 and that patterned absolutely awesome. I called Patternmaster the other day, and talked to one of their guys there and he had mentioned the SBE2 is a vary narrow (small) bore diameter compared to other make/model guns. I asked him about the choke constriction, and he said he'd recommend the Long Range Ported Patternmaster choke for buckshot and 3" or even 2-3/4" shells due to the narrow nature of the barrel/muzzle...the less pellets the less chance of interference/collision. He also mentioned the Patternmaster was equivalent to about an Improved Cylinder stock Benelli choke. I was going to hit the range today but rain/sleet put a damper on that plan. Next time out I'll try the IC and see how it patterns out, if I see a marked improvement (but not good satisfactory), I'll give the PM a try. PM guy also recommended the Federal shells for the same reason you did, with the PM choke designed to "grab" the wad, etc. I'll keep you posted on the results when I eventually hit the range. You shoot any #T out of your SBE2? I'm going to try the Hevi-shot Dead Coyote loads in 3" and 3.5" with the Carlson DC choke and various other chokes. We'll see what happens there too...eventually

Gregor, good tips. I've been away hunting in North Dakota and just got back recently. I finally got out to pattern some with my SBE2 and shot a variety of shells out of the Full, IM, and M stock chokes, as well as the Rhino turkey choke I had purchased. I did call Rhino for their recommendation and they said the choke I had was fine for buckshot (and T shot). I did bring up the fact that it was a super full choke essentially, and they said it is fine for any buckshot or T shot, but absolutely NO steel shot. They said they could sell me another choke, but it would be the same one...the one I have is the one they recommend for buckshot and T shot. The Rhino did pattern the best, but none of the patterns blew me away. I picked up a few more rounds in 3.5" as I shot a lot of 3.0" the other day just to see how it would shoot. I'll probably give the patternmaster a try as well with the loads you've concluded to shoot well with it and see how it goes. Definitely take advantage of that 30 day return if I don't like the results. If you or anyone has any additional feedback, please let me know. Thanks all!

Ah, of course no two guns are the same, but some guns prefer certain chokes, certain restrictions, with certain loads from certain manufacturer's. Just as I provided an example with my 11-87, I'd imagine someone on here has an SBEII and getting good patterns with some choke and some buckshot. As an FYI, the PatternMaster and load were recommended by a local gunsmith for my 11-87...he said either the Federal Premium 3" copper plated or non-copper plated would shoot best. I tried several different brands and other chokes, and he was spot on with his suggestions. What I've read thus far is PatternMaster is no good for the SBEII...so there has to be some chokes that have had positive results for some (i.e. 100% in a 20" circle at 40 yards). I can't believe not a single owner of an SBEII has ever had one that shoots that well? BTW, I still have my 11-87, actually have it for sale, as it doesn't really fit me well. Can't get a good LOS with it, and now that I have an SBEII, I don't shoot it much. Also have an 870 Express that shoots great buckshot patterns with Remington 3" 000 buckshot and the stock Remington full choke. I've taken deer out to 55 yards with that gun and that combo. Again, there has to be some subset of chokes and ammo that have consistently proven to shoot well out of the SBEII. Just looking for that subset to start trying, and which chokes/loads to avoid.

I'm confused, what's not going to happen? Looking back on my notes with my Remington 11-87, I was using the PatternMaster choke and 3" Federal Power-Shok 00 buckshot, putting 100% of the 00 buckshot (15 pellets) in a 9"x13" section at 40 yards, and consistently putting 100% in 20" at 40 yards without a problem. Are you saying there isn't a single choke and buckshot combo that can attain 100% in a 20" circle at 40 yards the majority of the time with the SBEII? I'm not asking for a guarantee, merely a subset of proven chokes out of the SBEII that have patterned *some* manufacturer's buckshot well. There are dozens out there, it would be much more cost effective if I could narrow down on maybe 3-5 to try out with respective loads to see what shoots best.

Does anyone have a proven/tested SBEII Buckshot and Choke tube they can recommend? I've been researching for even a starting point on a choke tube and shell choice and not coming up with any kind of consistency. The only consistent "review" I've seen is that the Patternmasters aren't very good for buckshot out of the SBEII. Basically, I'm looking for the choke make/model/restriction and buckshot type/make/length/size you've shot out of your SBEIIs and respective patterns at 40 yards in a 20" circle. Anyone?