SBE 3 Review

Dave McNeill

Dave McNeill

Member

Has anyone tested the new Benelli sbe 3 after doing some research I noticed poor reviews on the gun shooting high out of the box?
For that kind of money I would expect better.

Thanks
 
Witnessed one jam for no good reason in FL this season while the weather was warm and hunting a freshwater area. I agree that for the price, I would expect a reliable functionality...
 
...And I would expect Sitka Gear to either use a US based work force or superior manufacturing quality/technology, so we both end-up disappointed by the hype!
 
Dave McNeill said:
Has anyone tested the new Benelli sbe 3 after doing some research I noticed poor reviews on the gun shooting high out of the box?
For that kind of money I would expect better.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Given that it comes standard with a shim kit, one would think this is an easy fix?

One other thought, a dealer of fine shotguns once told me that many times they are built to shoot a bit high as apparently enough shooters prefer to have the bead under the bird when they pull the trigger.
 
Not really sure of the ratio when shooting high? I don't own one myself but it just seems like Benelli would work these kind of issues out before selling to the hunters.
Understand shim kits come with the gun and my sbe 2 has the shims still in the package just didn't need them.
Thanks for the replies so far.
 
As a former guide, the SBEs are (by far) the most common guns I ever saw jam. The problems is often the shooter's poor gun mount. The recoil action needs a secure shoulder mount to operate properly. With that said, I don't shoot one. Those guys sure liked my Browning Maxus when their gun jammed. (I should've got a kickback for that un-elicited advertising.)
 
Winchester X3 couldn't handle the longer 3" Federal shot shell spent cases and eject them...period. My brother and his son both sold theirs, which were first year production guns.
 
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Phil, I used my SBE as a wading stick in waist deep water for about twenty minutes this past fall until I got back in on shore and drained my waders. When I got back to camp I pulled the bolt back and left it inverted, barrel down, on a towel outside in our screen porch storage area. After getting a hot shower and some food in me, Steve and I went out on open water in the afternoon, since the wind had picked-up and set our spread. I shot the remainder of the day and trip without issues. I have Wolf springs for the inertia recoil tube and magazine, but I still haven't replaced the originals yet. Something I should do this Winter.
 
I have been using a Benellie M2 for the last four years and it jammed only once, I blamed the ammo more than the gun. The shells were over 10 years old.
 
I replaced the stock spring with a Sure Cycle. The only time that I have had any cycle issues, is when I don't clean it....
 
I have a SBE 2 and do quite a good amount of duck hunting on saltwater. I wipe it down a few times during the season. ( its camo dipped) and don't clean the action till the season is over. The black finish on the bolt was prone to rusting due to the salty environment so I had my gunsmith cerakote it in FDE ...
I can honestly say its very reliable and trouble free and my go to gun. and havent had these issues I've heard about,
Cant say how the SBE 3 compares although theyre basically the same internally
 
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I can't speak to the SBE3, but this was my first season running a SBE 2 instead of my trusty M2 and it did not disappoint. Upwards of 50 days afield and probably well over 200 rounds put through it and I never had a single jam, really impressive. Of course most gun preference is up to the individual but I haven't had any issues with my M2 either. The SBE is black cerakote'd and it has held up very well so far.
 
This past season was my first with the SBE3. I shot about 3 cases of trap shells thru it before the season even started. Once I started running thru the duck shells it performed flawless. It seemed to shoot the dry lock and blind side shells much better then the Kent and Federal ones. This was a big change for me with the weight of it. The 935 I had been shooting for years seemed like it weighed a ton compared to the SBE 3. Any issues that I did have was a result in OE....Operator error!
 
If you have any spent shells array them side-by-side...Kent and Federals will be just a bit longer than the rest for a given length. Don't know why, but they are.
 
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