ksigtuck

I know this will probably start a fight but I have handled both of these today and liked both. Might be picking one or the other up tomorrow and not sure which yet. I know that everyone says go with the one that fits you best but honestly they both fit very well. So...let's hear why you would pick one over the other.
Thanks,
Tuck

Sheridan

Benelli is inertia and Beretta is gas operated.

Benelli shoots cleaner and Beretta shoots softer.

Looks & fit were important to me also; so I shoot the Extrema.

DrHouse

I was just in your position with those two guns but I also had the Browning Maxus and the Vinci on my list as well. After a really long rather drawn out process I went with the Vinci. It's ugly, functional, simple and handles better than any other ones I tried.

I originally went out to get the Benelli SBE II then I saw the Maxus hunter but I needed to buy a gun where it wasn't going to kill me if it got dinged up. The Maxus was very very nice looking aesthetically and feels very nice as well, it was a close second.

Colorado Luckydog

In my opinion they are ther best two shotguns that I have ever owned. Both handle and shoot great. The only difference in these two guns to me is the cleaning. The Benelli is easier to take apart and clean. I hate cleaning guns so this is a huge factor to me. Which ever one you choose, you are going to have one bad ass shotgun!! Let us know which one you get.

blakefrautschi

either one is a great choice, i sure do love my benelli tho...

bhunter50

I was originally going to buy the beretta myself after asking a few big hunters what they preferred, but when i went cheek to stock with the beretta i didnt like how deep i had to position the gun. I can "come true" much more naturally with the benelli...this was a big deal to me and after shooting the gun....im sure glad I chose the benelli.....ease of cleaning is another feather in the cap of benelli owners.....i chose benelli but i guarantee the beretta is just as good a gun if it fits you better.....as others have said...you can't go wrong

ksigtuck

What do you think about breaking the Vinci down and then putting it back together? I was looking at the Vinci last night at Bass Pro and it was the best fit I have felt for shouldering a shotgun. I asked the salesman to show me how it broke down and he had no problem with that but he could not hardly get it put back together. He finally got it put back together but it took him no less than 30 minutes and he scratched the barrel pretty good in the process. After getting it put back together he decided to try it again and I honestly just left him to it after he was still working on it for a second time for over 15 min. I was back out there this morning and the same salesman was working. I asked him if he ever got it back together and he just laughed and said that he ended up doing it 3 times and it honestly never got any easier for him. Maybe he was doing something wrong but I am not sure if I want to have to fight a gun that hard to get it back into one piece and take the chance of scrathing it as badly as he did. What are your feelings on this? Like I said, it was the best feeling shotgun that I have shouldered to date but not sure if it is worth the fight to put it back together. Hopefully you have some tips that could change my mind on this.
Thanks,
Tuck

Colorado Luckydog

The only problem with the Vinci is....one day down the road it is going to bug the crap out of you that you spent that much on a shotgun and you don't have 3 1/2 inch capabilities. I never shoot 3 1/2's but I can if I want to.

WIbackwoodsU61

I would get the benelli i have never had any problems with mine. A lot of my friends shoot them and they love them too.

DrHouse

This was one of the toughest things for me to get over. I never shoot 3.5's, infact I killed more geese this year with 2 3/4 Win HV #2's than any other shell I was shooting. You probably know that better than anyone as your a guide! Plus I also have a Mossberg 535 with every barrel under the sun, so if a time comes where I want a 3.5 I do have the capability.

It came down to feel for me, I'm 5'6 and the Vinci just handled better than any of the other guns. When I went to the store I was dead set on spending the cash and getting either the Beretta with the Kick off or the SBEII. As soon as I held the Beretta I knew it wasn't for me, and I had a real tough time deciding between the SBE, Maxus and Vinci. Each one of them has their pluses and minues, I'm still young so recoil isn't a deciding factor. I looked at how they felt, how 2 of them shot and the fit and finish of the gun.

I'm a large advocate of simplicity in engineering which is why I struck the Maxus off the list. I don't need or want to clean a gas gun, plus it was to darn pretty looking for me to willfully beat it up!! If it was for upland birds I would have bought the Maxus Hunter model and dealt with the cleaning since I only do it once in a blue moon.

Ksigtuck - The gun is very very easy to take apart and put back together. Once you do it a few times you will have it down, there's white dots on the gun to show where and how all the pieces click together. It's also much easier to do in your living room than in the middle of the store, putting the forearm piece on is cake when you have the floor to use and not a glass pistol case! Cleaning it is a joke, everything is easily accessible and it only takes around 5 - 10 minutes once you have done it a few times.