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Help Me Find A Benelli Thats Right For A Beginner.


BigGame

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Hello you first need to determine what area you will be hunting. I have hunted in Iowa and know that you have a lot of open land and dense woods as well. If you are hunting dense woods you should look at getting a shotgun. I personally use the Super Black Eagle to do deer, dove, and waterfowl and shoot some sporting clays as well. It is a good all around gun for me.

If you will be hunting the edge of fields and at long distances you should consider buying a rifle. Benelli makes a 30.06 that I would recommend for you. It will bring down the biggest deer you can shoot. If you are really interested in processing your deer before you get there the .300 Win Mag will accomplish this for you. BTW it kicks like a mule. I shoot a Savage 7mm and I am comfortable shooting a deer up to 500 yards away. (never shot farther than 150 yards). But I do on a .300 Win Mag. It kicks a lot harder then my 7mm or a 30.06.

FYI - you must be 18 in the US to buy or own a shotgun or rifle.

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  • 1 month later...

Before picking the right "gun", you need to determine the right caliber. There is no "perfect caliber", each has advantages and disadvantages. Once you know what caliber or gauge you want, picking the right gun for you and your budget is a lot easier.

 

How much "kick" are you comfortable with? Most people under 120 pounds aren't comfortable with a 12 gauge or a 7 mm mag. Most people under 175 pounds can't tolerate a .300 magnum. On the other hand, if you grew up doing farm work (or wrestling) to build up your shoulders & have been shooting since you were 10, you are probably going to be able to tolerate the kick of any reasonable hunting gun.

 

If you are hunting dense cover, power is less important than fast-handling, being quick on target, easy to shoot & quick with a follow-up shot. Most prefer a shotgun with slugs or light rifle with a LOW power scope in the woods.

 

If you go with a shotgun, you need to decide if you want the flexability of a shotgun that also handles shot for rabbits & birds or if this is a dedicated deer gun, in which case you can opt for the rifled barrel. (A few shotguns are available wit interchangeable barrels.) I personally won't use a non-rifled barrel for slugs, but I also have the option of reaching for different guns for different situations. You may not have that luxury. You know your situation better than I do.

 

If you opt for a rifle, I do NOT recommend a 30-06. The 30-06 is a good caliber, but there are better calibers for deer, especially the .270, 25-06 and 7 mm Rem. The .270 has a flatter trajectory than a 30-06 & nearly the same weight bullet. Amo for a .270 is available EVERYWHERE. The 25-06 shoots as flat as a 7 mm Rem magnum, yet has very little kick and is a joy to shoot. the 25-06 also leaves you a deer that doesn't look like it was blasted with a bazooka if you happen to get one at close range — something that can't be said for the 7 mm Rem or the .300 magnums. Both the .270 and 25-06 are capable of 250 yard clean-kills on deer — and that's farther than most hunters can shoot!

 

If you anticipate deer 300+ yards out in a corn or soybean field, I would opt for the 7 mm Remington magnums. Shells are available for the 7 mm Rem to hunt anything from antilope to Moose. I absolutely love my Browning Stainless-stalker in 7 mm remington mag, but it's also too much gun for most hunts.

 

My personal favorite for deer hunting is a 25-06 I swapped a varmint rifle for a few years back. Browning, Ruger & Remington each make a lightweight 25-06, although Browning rifles have a reputation for accuracy that few can compete with. The 25-06 shell can be fired from a very light rifle with only minimal kick. (A 7 mm Rem mag in a light rifle will knock your

teeth out.) A light rifle is quick to get on target in the woods — when that 12 point jumps up 30 feet from you & takes off at 90 miles per hour! The 25-06 will also consistantly pop holes in an apple 250 yards away, so if I find a deer at the far side of a field as I'm entering the woods I can reach out and touch it!

 

As to a question of brands, I will simply say that you should buy the best gun you can afford. Franchi, Benelli & Beretta each have great shotguns to choose from depending on your budget. (There's a new Benelli on my Christmas list.) For a rifle, I would suggest you look at a Browning, Remington, Winchester, or possibly Ruger. If you can't afford such a weapon, Mossberg & Savage make low-priced weapons that shoot fairly well.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Buano

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Hi Big Game,

 

I think your best bet in finding the correct gun for you at your age is to first see what the other hunters in your hunting party are using.... usually the folks in your group will have found a few gun - ammo combinations that work well for the type of hunting conditions you'll be expeiencing. Knowing these will give you a better understanding of what you're optimum choice(s) will be.

 

still can't remember if i felt any recoil when i've shot at a mammal ..... targets and paper - now that's a different story,,,

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  • 2 weeks later...

Unfortunately, Iowa doesn't allow rifle hunting, which doesn't make sense considering the ballistics of a rifled slug-gun. So that limits you to shotguns and muzzleloaders... or handguns if you want a challenge.

 

Speaking about Benelli's, the M1 Field Slug Gun in 20ga would make a excellent gun for a youngster for recoil and would take down a deer fine. Or even the cheaper version Nova pump.

 

I use a 12ga Nova pump (shoot's 3 1/2 Mag's) and have a 28" smooth-bore barrel -- for pheasant and turkey. I use a Ithaca slug barrel (Cabela's) for the deer season. The 12ga pump has a bit long pump action, especially for someone of smaller stature. Other than that, the Nova is very easy to clean, functions flawlessly and looks cool!

 

The great thing about both these guns -- the M1 or Nova -- they both accept the recoil reducer. The combination of the added weight and the inertia of the mercury filled capsule helps tremendously. The only downside is the small safety, the heavy trigger and the above mentioned item.

 

Also, both guns have aftermarket barrels that, along with the choke system, will allow you to alter the gun for most situations.

 

Of course, here in Iowa we have so many deer more people kill them with their cars than anything!

 

To sum it up, I can't speak on Beretta's, Remington's etc., but I'm sure there are some options there as well.

 

Happy hunting!

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