Oh yes, I am now officially a member of the SBE club. Picked up a very slighty used SBE, one of the older ones that holds 4 shells with the plug in. Came in the hard case with all the papers, chokes, even the little plastic bags and the greasy paper to wrap the barrel in. Has a bunch of shims to put between the stock and receiver. Shot 6 clay birds with six shots, told the guy I'd take it. If anyone notices a strange absence of migratory game birds this year, you'll know why. The Eastern flyway is no longer safe. In fact, it will end at the Chesapeake Bay from now on. Sorry to cut you NC guys off like that. Between the SBE and my BPS 10 gauge, I'm personally going to eliminate a statistically measurable quantity of ducks, geese, doves, and black birds. And a few turkeys, they started migrating yesterday when they heard the news. Apparently, the deer have not read the memo about my new .45-70, they were out chewing up the beans this evening. They'll all be swimming across the bay to Virginia after deer season opens, to escape the deadly hail of 300 grain JHP's. So heads up yall.

 

Congrats! SBE's are great shotguns. IMO they are the finest waterfowling gun on the market.

 

honestly, does it shoot well enough to justify the usual $1500 they are going for around here?

 

Seeing as how I'm a browning fan I've gotta ask, what is so special about a super black eagle. I've heard of them before but don't really know what makes them so nice.

 

Mossberg and Remington fan here, and I would like to know as well.

 

Congrats on the SBE! I am a Mossberg user and have never had a problem with it. Use it for upland and waterfowl. Can't wait for the Dove opener!

 

I love mine, its a 3.5" shell model. It shoots VERY nicely, very little kick, dependable, and is lightweight. I use it on everything, doves, deer, ducks, geese, you name it.

Hey Timberman, let a few slip through please, we've got to have some ducks on the Currituck Sound this year.

 

Put it to you this way, I've shot quite a few shotguns over the years I've been hunting. First gun of my own was a semi-auto benelli 20 guage, SUPER sweet gun, should have kept it but traded it as part of the deal on my SBE. My dad also had a left handed 12guage older Benelli that we traded in, should have kept that one too, but he got a M1 Super 90. For the hunting I do, I would rather have the smoothness and reliability of the Benelli. Most folks say pumps are better in certain circumstances, and I kinda agree. But, my Benelli has been through heck and back, and it keeps on shooting without a hitch. Seen them dropped overboard and shot right afterwards. Worth the pretty penny, and it'll last you a lifetime.

 

Benelli shotguns are sweet!! I am a Beretta owner and only have 2 Beretta shotguns currently, but want a model 471 silverhawk side by side very badly. Most of my Berettas are pistols.

 

The action design is what makes them special. You can put any thing from a light skeet load to heaviest 3.5" turkey load in the tube at the same time and it will cycle them flawlessly. Try that with a browning auto 5.

Myself, I'm rather partial to my ithica 37's, but my brother has a SBE and he loves it. My dad has a montefeltro in 20ga. and its basically the same gun only ligher. Both are really nice. I can't hit a thing moving with either one of them, but give me my 37 and I'll show you how to do it.

 

Yeah, its the way they shoot. I like the way you can feel the bolt move when you fire it, kinda divides the recoil into two parts, pretty neat. I've got a bunch of other 12 gauges, but I've wanted a SBE for a long time. There are a lot of accessories for them, like aftermarket chokes and performance spring kits and all. I shoot a ruger red label o/u sometimes, for doves and starlings and clay targets. It doesn't go to the marsh though, I usually shoot my 10 ga. or a remington 11-87 for ducks. My 870 has a scope mounted on it, for shooting slugs, and I've got several winchester 120 ranger shotguns that I shot the guts out of in high school. The SBE will be 12 ga. #1 now though.

Hey greenhornet, I might let some divers slip by, I don't have any help around here to run a layout rig. Mallards, blacks, wood ducks and teal are gonna have a bad year. I'll see if I can send you some sea gulls too, we have plenty.

 

Timberman, you may want to look into getting a stainless steel spring for the rear stock. I need to replace mine in my gun, just havent got around to it yet. My ag teacher told me that it would help it greatly, hes got one too that the spring rusted up and was slowing down the action some. I think they're around $100 or so, good little investment.

 

Thanks, someone else mentioned that too. Something about when you leave the gun standing up, the oil runs to the back of the action and gums up that spring assembly back there. I'll look into that. Also heard that you have to be careful about leaning the gun in mud/water, like the inside of a duck blind. Evidently there have been some issues with water getting into the recoil pad and rusting up the screws and something else in there. The gun I've got is all black, and seems like it could get surface rust pretty easy. Know some people who have sent them off and had them dipped in camo finish, like Dura-touch. Anyone had that done? It is gonna have a somewhat harsh life, getting salt spray, mud and blood on it, my BPS has that dura-touch finish from the factory and has really held up well.

 

.45-70 for Deer? I hope that is some Big ol'Muley, that you have to break through the brush to get to. That is alot of gun. I bet it gets meat at both ends.

 

I wouldn't mind owning a good Benelli someday, but until then my $250 870 Express does everything I need it to.