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SBEII or the american SBEII


jbondesen

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I am looking for some advise to compair the two shotguns, the SBEII or the American SBEII. Here's the deal, my wife wants to start hunting, mostly pheasents, and I want to buy here a benelli, a local dealer said for $1600 you get the SBEII with the comfort stock, or for $1200 you get the American SBEII that does not come with the comfort stock. He also said he has shot both guns and could not feel the difference. My question is: is there any difference in the gun, or is it just the comfort stock. My wife is 5' 4, and not a large frame, so the kick is her concern. I am just wondering if its worth the $, and if there is a difference in the guns? I can not find anyone locally who has the new SBEII with the comfort stock.

thanks for the help,

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I am looking for some advise to compair the two shotguns, the SBEII or the American SBEII. Here's the deal, my wife wants to start hunting, mostly pheasents, and I want to buy here a benelli, a local dealer said for $1600 you get the SBEII with the comfort stock, or for $1200 you get the American SBEII that does not come with the comfort stock. He also said he has shot both guns and could not feel the difference. My question is: is there any difference in the gun, or is it just the comfort stock. My wife is 5' 4, and not a large frame, so the kick is her concern. I am just wondering if its worth the $, and if there is a difference in the guns? I can not find anyone locally who has the new SBEII with the comfort stock.

thanks for the help,

 

With your wife being short, two things to think about.

1. Length of pull. More than likely she'll need the shortest gel pad which will cost between $95-$122 depending on where you're able to buy one.

2. The comfort tech stock of the SBEII will help absorb more of the felt recoil than the standard American stock will.

 

You might even consider a Vinci or an M2 for her rather than the SBEII. Just a thought.

Good luck either way as they're all great shotguns.

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If your choice has to be a Benelli, I would suggest a 12 guage Monte with wood stock. Have her length of pull (POL) checked by a gnsmith and the stock cut to fit her. My guess would be a LOP of 13" as I'm 5'5" and have short arms. Have the gunsmith also install a soft recoil pad. Personally, I use a short stock Monty (LOP 12+1/2 inches) in 20 guage. But then the birds I hunt flush at my feet so I don't need something you can hit Pheasants at 60 yards with, plus the tiny light weight Monte is a dream to carry through the fields and woods all day. All my Remington gas guns (1100's and 11-87's) have LOP's of 13" and are easy on the shoulder. If by chance you decide not to get a benelli, I would suggest a quality gas gun cut down to her LOP with as nice recoil pad. Oh, NO magnums, especially 3+1/2 inch guns. One blast from one of those guns and she'll be back in the garden club sipping tea with the girls, and you don't want that :-)

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SgtCathy, very good advice. I've got a 13-7/8" LOP and had both my wood stocked HK/SBE and my sythetic SBE(c.1996) shortened to fit. I set them up just a tad short to fit my waterfowl jacket during duck season. As for my Vinci, I had to buy a new short gel pad($122 ouch) in order to shorten it to fit.

My 5.5lb 20ga Montefeltro was a perfect fit out of the box.

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I may get bashed for this on a Benelli sponsered site, but here's my opinion:

 

I started a "woman's day" of dove hunting in my dove field last year. On this day, we only allow the woman to shoot while the men sit around and drink beer and laugh at them (we are located in a position where they can't hear us, of course, else we'll get shot). So, naturally we men have the "who can get their wife the best gun" contest. This past shoot we had seven (7) woman shooting. Here are the guns used:

 

Beretta 390 20 ga. (popular---up there with 391)

Beretta 390 12 ga. (okay)

Benelli M2 20 ga. (very popular)

Benelli M2 12 ga. (not so popular)

Beretta 391 20 ga. (most popular)

Citori 20 ga. O/U (old gun...very nice)

Beretta 391 12 ga (okay)

 

The 391, 20 gauge, was a hit. All the woman switch around guns and the 391 (20 ga) was the gun preferred by the woman. The Citori was the sexest, of course. The M2 12 gauge was the least popular and none wanted to shoot it. All were shooting 1 oz and 1 1/8 loads.

 

This probably has nothing to do with your question, but I would not give a woman a SBE. Why would you want a gun that shoots 3 1/2 shells for a woman? You may be wasting money. I have shot one (SBE) and own an M2. If you are going to stay with Benelli, I would go for the M2 20 gauge. A very nice gun. I plan to buy one for my wife at X-mas. I like the Benelli for the clean up else I would get the 391 20 gauge.

 

Good luck. jed

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If you want a gun with a soft recoil, the Beretta 391 or the Remington 1100 are better choices than the Benelli.

 

The Benelli is a great gun, but on the recoil scale, its worse than the two I mention.

 

Other advice here is spot on. Gun fit is one of the most critical, and least considered things, when looking for guns for "other people." Especially wives.

 

Oh, and here's a hint. LET HER PICK THE GUN!

 

You might have the most altruistic intentions, but if SHE doesn't have a say in the choice of HER gun, you might as well get her a crowbar.

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Timb99, mentiond one of the most important things with getting a new shotgun for anybody, man or woman... let them choose the shotgun. Great words of wisdom.

 

A few years back, I brought a 14 year old young lady to the range for her first try at clay pigeons. With me I had three shotguns, all with 13" LOP's. First was a Remington 1100 gas gun in 20 guage followed by a Remington 11-87 gas gun in 20 guage with the English straight stock (Upland field model) and finally an older Browning over/under Citori in 20 guage also with the English straight stock (Upland Special).

 

She did good with the Remington 1100, and much better with the Remy 11-87 with the English stock. Near the end of the afternoon, I handed her the little Browning over/under. Needless to say, this gun would have the most kick. Wish I had a picture of when I handed the shotgun to her. Love at first sight. Every thing about the Browning seemed perfect to her (It is a beautiful little shotgun!). Ten clay pigeons later, three turning into a black dust cloud, and she was sold. On the way back to her home, she asked me if she could show the Browning to her parents.

 

So, if you can, have her try a few different guns and like Timb99 said, let her choose.

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