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Uncle Russ

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Everything posted by Uncle Russ

  1. Over the weekend a buddy of mine reminded me that one of the local areas with the largest deer population is Camp Lejuene (Jacksonville). Yes, you have to go with a military friend but that's no problem. However, it is shotgun only. So, too, the "shotgun line" in Michigan keeps creeping ever nothward, and is only a few towns south of where I hunt up there (a private farm). As it turns out, the M1S90 makes up into a perfect slug gun with the right barrel and maybe a reflective/holo site. In fact that's the way I started many, many years ago - with an Ithaca SuperSingle 32" full-choke barrel lever-gun and a Weaver Quickpoint. That thing would knock you out of a tree stand or set you back on your butt but it surely took its share of deer in the southern Maryland swamps. So I think I'll keep the M1S90 on the off chancce that I'll need it for that. I probably would have been more comfortable at the outset ordering the 26" but having shot it now, the 28" is no bother at all and ballistically, adds a bit of fps to the load. I never see the barrels when I shoot anyway, so there's no sense of the extra 2" hanging out there - it's strictly a mental thing, I think. I am liking mine as much as you do yours, and I had a few folks at the range ask me what it was, etc. though they did not take the opportunity to shoot it when I offered. They were impressed with its light weight and the smoothness of the bolt but no one took the opportunity to shoot it when I offered. So I cased it and took it home. I am one lucky dude to be able to have this gun. Uncle Russ
  2. After all my angst about the 26" v 28", some of the stories I'd heard about the Vinci not liking 2-3/4" loads, shooting high, etc., I found a local dealer wh order it Monday a week ago, and delivered it the following Wednesday, for a good price. Why local and not the lowest price? Because he supports the brand. It's the black stock, 28" 12ga. Finally took it out of the box this past Monday when I got back from the NRA Annual show in Charlotte. Put it together, and from what I had messed with in the Benelli booth at NRA, I knew I had to install the left-hand "middle" drop shim (the kid helping me in the booth didn't understand drop very well), so took it apart and did that. Today it went to the range. The first 15 rounds were on pattern paper at 25yds, to check fit, sight picture, differences between IC, MOD, and Full, and cycling with my Estate 1oz 2-3/4 7-1/2 shells. No problem there, including the right-hand ejection (I'm left handed but have shot right-handed guns all my life). Then down to the shotgun area where I used my Trius foot trap to throw 29 birds. One clean miss (the very first bird) and three safe-on errors out of the next 14. Then fifteen straight, including five of nothing but orange dust, and only one that broke into three big pieces - the rest were center hits. I quit while I was ahead. I noticed that my sight picture floated the birds a bit higher than my M1 Super 90 but I had a custom shim made for that one many years ago. It's lighter than the S90 but the Comfortecch stock reduces the recoil to less than with the S90. No failures to feed of any kind. The guy next to me on the pattern board said I was shooting low but he was watching the wads. I got a solid 65-35 pattern, close enough to the 60/40 I prefer. I'm a happy puppy. Have to decide whether to keep the S90. But I owe the decision to buy to all of you who helped with comments and advice. Again, thanks Uncle Russ
  3. I ordered the 28" last Fri through a local dealer. It will be here the end of this week. There would have been a two months wait on the 26", to get it from a local store. I'm paying $1250 plus tax, but of course no shipping or transfer fees, so it seems somewhere in the ballpark. I know you'll say I should have ordered the 26" from one of the sites but it's too late now. I have one question - I have the M1S90 in 26", a Citori O/U in 26", and a Berretta Silver Hawk in 28" but it's a boxlock so the LOA is about like the M1S90. So the question is - how much difference does the extra 2" make? To my way of thinking, the extra 2" adds a bit of velocity, and slows the swing a bit (I shoot strictly instinctive) but I never actually see the bead or barrel on most shots - just float the bird plus lead. Funny thing, I've never had this much angst over getting a gun I knew I was gonna get from the first time I handled one (and that was a 28", and it felt great) I have a shoulder operation coming up so I called the dealer and asked if he could change the order to a 26" but it's too late. So, what are you preferences or thoughts? thanks in advance Uncle Russ
  4. In answer to FliteMedic, I can get premium ammo but I much prefer Estate as well as the old Federal 1-1/8oz 3dr eq "field loads" from Wal Mart, or the 1300fps Remington stuff from the same place. And no, I really don't trust the dealer - he's one of those who knows everything about any gun you mention, and then pushes you to what he has in stock or can make the most profit on if he has to special order it. I am going to go ahead and order one. I cannot believe they could continue to successfully sell a gun with that kind of problem, but as with my Ruger Charger, and M&P15-22 I have heard all sorts of stories of problems with these guns cycling and yet if you ask the guy what ammo he uses, you quickly find out it's leftovers from the Crimean War. Anyone shootijng halfway decent ammo has no problem with these guns at all, especially after they break in. Big Al, thanks much for the reply. I think that's really the answer - just needed to hear it from someone who has one and actually has put some loads through it. Again, thanks to you both.
  5. Hi folks, I have a question: I have been considering a Vinci for about a year and am now ready to buy one. Very few dealers here have them (in the 28", black stock) but the one with the best deal has told me every one he's sold (5 or 6 in all) has come back because they would not cycle anything less than a 3" shell. Period. No 2-3/4 of any kind, whether 1oz or 1-1/8 oz, and brand didn't make a difference. Now, I am having trouble believing him. I have an M1 Super 90 in LH, 12ga 28" and have only ever had one problem with it - the plastic off the shells builds up in the feed area and sometimes results in a misfeed. Easy fix in the field - just clear it and keep on shooting. Easy fix at home - take a stainless wire brush to that area and scrub a bit. You can see the stuff come off. But my point is, I've NEVER had another problem with it, and that only happens after a week or so shooting doves - i.e., LOTS of shells. So, what have you heard or experienced about 2-3/4" shells in the Vinci? I've read some of the posts and there seems to be no problem. What I've read seems to say the gun needs a break-in of maybe a couple-hundred shells just to loosen it up, but that's not a problem. Any info would be very much appreciated. thanks in advance Uncle Russ
  6. A properly-fit shotgun will shoot 60% of the pattern above the POI, and 40% below. The best sight picture has the bird floating just above the barrel. And, most patterning is done at 40yds, not 20, and not less than 30yds. Just some suggestions - - - a lot of this has to do with gun mount, which goes back to gun fit as well.
  7. A properly-fit shotgun will shoot 60% of the pattern above the POI, and 40% below. The best sight picture has the bird floating just above the barrel. And, most patterning is done at 40yds, not 20, and not less than 30yds. Just some suggestions - - - a lot of this has to do with gun mount, which goes back to gun fit as well.
  8. I have a question - how do I start a new post? Or better yet, has anyone heard of problems with the Vinci cycling light loads (i.e., 1oz 2-3/4 dove loads @ 3dr? I have a gunshop saying every Vinci they have sold has come back because they won't shoot anything under 3" magnums and I find that totally hard to believe. thanks Uncle Russ
  9. Use the fitting shimns that come with it to set it so it shoots lower and left. That's called gun fitting 101 and is one of the reasons that it'sworth the money - they include the adjusting parts. Uncle Russ
  10. Try a PatternMaster. Uncle Russ
  11. A quite different take on the AR pattern, and yes, I also think its internal design is much like the R1. It's priced right for the AR market too. If I decide on a "full size" AR style gun it'll be on my short list (just now I have an S&W M&P15-22). Uncle Russ
  12. The barrel clamp from Harris will not, in general, mess upo the barrel, but there's an extra step you can take to ensure this, which is to put a thin piece of plastic or soft material inside the clamps where they will touch the barrel. A better solution is shooting sticks. There are lots of these out there, monopods, b****s, and tr****s, with all sorts of adjustments that can be made, and they work quite well. A little practice goes a long way, simulating how you will actually shoot. Uncle Russ
  13. Don't think so but you could ask Benelli directly. Uncle Russ
  14. I too was lucky enough to get a professional fitting when I bought my SXS at the Vintagers shoot in NY. The gun I ordered was cut to my measurements and they are most decidedly NOT "standard". I have had every shotgun since, bent or shimmed to my particular fit. And that's the beauty of the Benelli line - they come with shims for doing this. Unfortunately for me, my numbers were such that I had to have a special shim made. No matter - same result. Every one of my shotguns come to my shoulder exactly the same way, as long as my mount is correct. I often wonder how much time shooters spend at the pattern board, much less dry-practicing a mount in front of a mirror, before they complain about hot a gun shoots. Like you, I've been doing this for over 40yrs and the fitting (and practice - another thing learned at some shooting schools) and the difference before-and-after the fitting and practice - and yes, the schools - has been nothing short of remarkable. I'm looking forward to messing about with my Vinci when it comes, learning it, setting it up for me. BTW, my best buddy bought a sweet Montefeltro 20ga about a year ago and just before dove season I convinced him to use the shims that came with it. He was amazed. Uncle Russ
  15. Basically, clean it like any other shortun with an artificial stock Clean the barrel with the choke tube in. I use a bore snake and cleaning swabs for drying and oiling. The bore snake has a wire brush built in. Then remove the choke tube and run a patch round the inside of the barrel to clean the choke tube threads. Now clean the choke tube threads and body, then add a little bit of graphite choke tube lube and spread it on the threads and when you screw it back in, it'll work the grease into the barrel threads too. The Benelli oil/cleaner is good but I also use the Pro Shot products. I use separate cleaner and oil,, so it takes two passes for me. I like a little light gun grease where the bolt runs in the action as well. A combination product is a bit quicker. - hope that helps Uncle Russ
  16. Don't know why your gunsmiths wouldn't touch it - the ones round here work on Benelli products all the time and have no problem with it. What does the manual say about doing this? Uncle Russ
  17. First of all, anyone who claims this needs to tell you how they mounted the gun, much less aimed it. It is a bit lighter than my M1 Super 90 so I'm anticipating it will evidence a bit more muzzle jump, but I'm also thinking the Comfortech stock will mitigate most of that. Secondly, the gun comes with adjusting shims. Drop can be adjusted. Did the person making the statement set the gun up for his eye and mount first? Gun fitting makes a heck of a difference, but even without it, the Vinci comes to my shoulder just fine. When a statement like this is made, think about the shooter before thinking about a generic "problem" with the gun. Mine's on order Uncle Russ
  18. Yup, didn't follow it far enough first time. Thanks. Uncle Russ
  19. Guns & Ammo's current issue has the MR1 as the cover gun and the feature article. Quite a nice looking gun; Specifically NOT an AR, but within the general design idea. The gas system seems similar to the R1 however the article likens it to the Benelli shotguns. Either way, it's an exciting take on the "black rifle" family. But that's just MHO. Uncle Russ
  20. I appreciate the reply but it missed the point. I was asking about copper cleaner specifically, not just general cleaners.
  21. This one is easy - the "old standby", a Leupold 3-9x40 VXII. Or any similar scope by Ziess or Nikon. The Swarovski's, unfortunately, are out of reach. But if you can stretch a bit, there's the larger (50mm) Leupolds, assuming you're gonna use them for longer ranges with the .300 As for mounts, the DeadNutz mounts (out of Sanford, NC) or the Talley mounts are provably best. These are one-piece units (the base and the bottom rings are one piece) and actually, the whole thing is machined in one piece and then the rings are split precisely into bottom and top halves. The DeadNutz mounts are made for specific rifles, including the R1. They also come in three heights (low, medium, high), with each one being 1/8" higher than the other.
  22. I posted this on another forum but wanted to kind of cover my bases, hoping to get an answer. Recently, I've become very allergic to the ammonia-based liquid type of copper cleaner. I was wondering if anyone knows of an alternative - maybe one of the foam-type products? Or something else entirely? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance Uncle Russ
  23. PLEASE don't get discouraged by this thread, or any of the others that describe problems with the R1. Just look at the thread just above yours, from the fellow in Canada. I've had my R1 for over two years, have taken three nice deer with it, and shot about 250-300 rounds through it altogether, mostly trying to find the round it liked best for accuracy from 50 to 200 yds. Mine's a .308, and the round it likes best is the 150gr Hornady Custom SST, producing 3/4"x3/4" three-shot groups at 100yds and 200yds, betterr at 50yds. I've had zero failures, except at the very first when I used some MilSurp ball ammo that would not eject, which is typical of such ammo of unknown age and gosh-knows-where origin, and should not be used in anything but a bolt gun, at best - and I know better than that, but it was what I had and I wanted to get that first round down the barrel. It was a Xmas gift and all I wanted was for it to go "bang" when I pulled the trigger, so I could go home grinning and get past the "is it OK?" question. I've seen many much more expensive gas autos have similar or other problems, as well as cheaper guns. Not to say that the R1 is cheap - far from it, which is why when there's a problem it seems worse. But this is a super piece of equipment. And I think the vast majority of owners don't have these problems, or if they do, they have quite good success dealing with Benelli directly. Just enjoy it. Uncle Russ
  24. I have found out, much to my dismay, that I get a rather nasty reaction to the ammonia-based copper cleaners. It doesn't matter which rifle or pistol I'm cleaning - no matter how much (or how little) copper is fouling is present, it's an experience I don't want to repeat. BYTW, after about 250 rounds, there wasn;t enough evidence of copper fouling in my R1 to matter. I used a liquid that goes on patches, with both an Otis kit and a rod-and-jag. I was wondering if any of the foam-type cleaners might be better? Any ideas? thanks in advance Uncle Russ
  25. I had a pretty good trigger on my R1 but wasn't happy with the pull. I took it to a very good 'smith and he worked some magic and brought it down from over 5lbs to just about 3, where I like it, and smooth as a baby's butt. Cost? Well under $200. I did this because he also did a couple of other triggers for me. I will show you a dozen guns at $5,000+ that have triggers "out-of-the-box" that are not - or were not - as good as was my R1's trigger out-of-the-box. On the other hand, the current Savage triggers are rated as super by most and a lot of their guns don't cost $1,000. So for me, the "for a $1,000 gun" argument doesn't hold water. Uncle Russ
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