Browning Maxus vs. Benelli Vinci

B

Browning_145

New member
I work for Gander Mountain and I got to shoot the new Browning Maxus and Benelli Vinci for 3 days this past week for product testing. I was blown away by both guns for different reasons. First the Browning Maxus; very soft shooting gun, and nice and light. This gun pulls up awesome. Has a slimmer fit and feel compared to the Gold. I personally loved this gun and I ordered one. Benelli Vinci; this gun dis-assembles amazing, nothing out there can touch it. I can dis-assemble this gun in under 5 seconds. I personally don't like the looks of the gun, but some do. This gun didn't pull up right for me, too much drop in my opinion. Also, it doesn't shoot as soft as they say it does. It swings nice and is very light , altogether a nice gun. Now, I am a Browning guy, and I always will be, but the general concencus at the shoot was that the Browning was nicer, but the Benelli will probably sell better because of their marketing campaign. If you get a chance, shoot them both, you won't be disappointed.
 
Good choice, congrats

I have had 6 Benelli's...trouble with them all

The only Benelli that would even interest me in the least would be a 20ga Montifeltro or maybe a Cordoba and that's only because of the weight of the guns

The new Browning Maxus is the talk of the sporting world. IMO, it will far out sell the Vinci . The new Benelli is one "UGLY" gun
 
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It's nice to see a Browning product perform well but I am always a skeptic when a brand guy recommends his brand. Fair enough.

My gun exposure is limited. I've owned a Browning A-5, Rem 1100 and my current gun a Benelli SBE.

My measure of a gun is similar to those bayou boys hunting ducks in the mud and muck down south and they are only happy when their gun goes "boom-boom-boom" consistently. Benelli commercial of course.

The SBE is similar in performace to the old Browning A-5 which was a brilliant mechanical action design.

I grew up hunting ducks from boats that were full of muck and water which were tough conditions for autoloaders.

Thanks for the update. I always like hearing who prefers what and why.
 
We have the Vinci's in our store now (Gander Mountain) and no one has bought them yet, they are ugly, but I am sure once the hunting seasons come upon us they will sell better. I agree that the SBE is a great gun, and I hope the Maxus can match it or go beyond it.
 
I am neither a Browning or a Benelli man. My love goes to the Remington 1100 and 11-87. I have been at the Trap range when somebody brings in a new Benelli or browning. I sometimes get a chance to test fire them just for fun. To me the Benelli has always been a somewhat over rated gun I just never cared for them....Bob
 
i just bought a sbe II last year and was really bummed when i heard benelli was coming out with a gun that surpasses all the other guns that they made. i felt like i made a really bad choice. then i seen what they came out with and made me really happy that iown the sbe II. man that vinci is one ugly gun
 
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Benelli vs Maxus

I will take a benelli any day over a browning maxus in North Dakota when the temperature is below freezing. Any gas loader I've ever had has angered me immensly in the winter of North Dakota. M1S90 benellii for over 10 years hasn't given me any issues in the cold weather. Gas loaders seem to handle recoil better, but I am a bigger guy and i never notice recoil regardless. Even with my old remington 11-87 which weighs a ton(and sucks in cold weather).
It's personal preference. The Vinci went through 88,000 rounds in argentina without a malfunction. I think it's personal preference. You get 3 1/2 inch with the maxus, which makes it nice, but I have never has any issues with taking geese down with the right load and choke with 3". Just my two cents. Anyone have both guns? I choose the Vinci because I know it won't jam in the winter.
 
You need to try a Beretta Xtrema or 391

I was just like you for many years. Gas guns were unreliable. I will admit the first few years of the Browning gold had there problems. The later guns were very good. The new Maxus has improved the gun a bunch more.

The problem with the Benelli is, if you don't hold the gun firm and give it a very stout object for the gun to recoil against. The gun can and will malfunction. I have trained myself to give with the gun from shooting large big bore magnum rifles. The Benelli doesn't work well for me but might work fine for you. A gas gun doesn't rely on such a stout resistance to make the gun function reliable. I am and always will be a Browning A5 guy myself when it comes to auto's. The long recoil action seems to be less dependent on a stout resistance when firing the gun
 
Thanks for reply

I understand your point. I think what it comes down to is personal preference. I've used a SBE and an M1 for over 10 years and have never had any issues, which is why I lean towards benelli. I haven't has the problems you talk about, so from my perspective it's hard to justify some other shotgun when I have something that works and has never malfunctioned. I am usually take over 100 pheasants a year and hunt in blizzards and temperatures that are well below 0 degrees. I am a nut I guess. Last year in particular and the year before I used gas autoloaders and neither of the shotguns handled the below freezing temperatures very well, whereas the m1 benelli never had any issues and hasn't had any issues with the sub-zero temperatures. If I was in your shoes I wouldn't want a benelli either because of the problems you've had. The benelli's I use never seem to give me problems, so that's why I will stick with benelli over any gas loader out there. Recoil isn't an issue for me either durability and reliability is an issue and that's why I will stick with what I have had success with. Thanks for your reply and I like open discussions. I like the way the vinci looks to, but I can see how people would maybe not like it. It a shotgun that is like no other.
 
original HK/Benelli SBE

I bought my first Benelli SBE in 1992 and it has been a flawless reliable performer for 17 years. I have shot ducks and geese in the worst conditions, freezing temperatures, and out of goose pits dug in volcanic sand in SE Washington and have never stopped my hunts short because my Benelli didn't function. That is why I got rid of an S&W 1000 Waterfowler and a Browning A500, which Browning replaced once because it was just plain junk.
We all have our favorites, and some can't justify the cost of a new Benelli. I say "shoot what you like", because whichever gun gives you confidence is the right gun for you.
That said, I look forward to buying the new Vinci. I have owned 3 Benelli's and have complete trust in their products, so why not. I liked the simplicity of the original SBE, and the Vinci looks even simpler in design and breakdown.
I have found them online for under $1300, so as soon as I sell my DU Franchi Renaissance O/U I will order the new Vinci.
A pretty gun won't fill your game bag any better than an ugly one.:10sign:
 
I own both an 11-87 and SBE. The 11-87 is a great gun, but I have to keep it clean. I found the biggest problem with the 11-87 is the return spring in the stock getting gummed up with powder, dirt, and seeds, which causes it to slow down and even fail to cycle when it is <10-20 deg F. The Benelli is not as prone to malfunction, but it can happen. I had some problems with my SBE (kind of slow and sometimes didn't fully cycle), sent it back to Benelli and they fixed it by grinding down down the carrier/floor plate. It now works just like new.

I guess if you want absolute reliability get a pump, but even those will misfeed a shell now and then. In fact a friend of mine said his 870 does it on a regular basis and he knows of other folks that have the same thing happen.

To me, the most important thing is the fit. If a gun fits then that is 90% of the issue. With my SBE it fits me like an extension of my arm. The 11-87 is not bad, and the weight forward aspect is good for follow-through, but the SBE just seems to point more naturally. It must be a combination of gun and shooter since I have tried several Berettas and frankly I can't hit anything with them. Unless I really work at getting my cheek down on the stock it isn't pointing correctly. The SBE also seems more reliable and is lighter to carry. The recoil reduction of the gas autos is nice, but to me it really only matters with 3.5" shells. I have never cared for the O/Us since I like the option of 3 and 4 shells. The break open and "instant safe" of the O/U is nice but not worth the price of having a 3rd/4th shot.

I think a good plan is try and shoot as many different guns as possible--most folks at a trap/skeet range will let you go a few rounds with their guns--and find the one that works for you.

An interesting note is that I hunt with 3 other guys on a regular basis. Two of them have bought SBEs after shooting mine. The third guy borrowed one of the other guys' SBE on his last walk of pheasant hunting in SoDak last year. He walked into a weedy return pit on blustery late Dec day and the birds erupted. That was the first triple on pheasants he had ever shot. I figured that the price of pheasant hunting had just gone up for him, but he is cheap and so far has resisted the urge to spend $1500 on a new SBE. His 870 always delivers his limit, but shooting a triple is pretty special.
 
bobeyerite said:
I am neither a Browning or a Benelli man. My love goes to the Remington 1100 and 11-87. I have been at the Trap range when somebody brings in a new Benelli or browning. I sometimes get a chance to test fire them just for fun. To me the Benelli has always been a somewhat over rated gun I just never cared for them....Bob
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I am glad to see someone that loves the 1100. Not that I dislike the one I got but I just don't use it for wingshooting because it don't fit me.
 
I have shot both guns as well and I feel that the Browning IMO is a lot better gun because of looks and feel. I currently have a Browing Gold and a Super Black eagle and love them both but I just love browing guns. I also have a browning deer rifle that is always very accurate.
 
I was given a Vinnci and now I know why. It pulled up nice, swung nice and cycled without malfunction. My complaints are the front satey and the oversized trigger guard. I used it goose hunting and maybe it was the way it fits me but my middle finger took most of the recoil and swelled up to the point that I couldn't hardly move it and after a few shots my finger was hoping that no more geese would come into the decoys. Don't get me wrong I love my SBE(the first one) I have shot about 500,000 rounds through it, everything from trap loads to heavy 3 1/2 inch goose loads, and I will shoot it till its unrepairable. Another thing I dont like about the Vincci is how are you supposed to put a magazine extension on it? I really think the Vinnci could use a major overhaul if its gonna be a success for bennelli. I ended up trading my Vinnci for a older 870 express that has been use and abused.
 
I 'm a little suprise to hear people don't like the Benelli I also bought mine in 1992 like (Hattles). It's stamped H&K not Benelli I love the gun.After 18 years of shooting this gun I bought a side by side this year but I do not think I will give up my old relible for duck and goose hunting. I have talked others into the Benelli and they have had no promblems either. Not to say there are not better guns I just had such good luck with mine. I'm shocked to hear others have not had such good luck?

I agree the Vinci is ugly
 
For many, either gun would serve it's purpose. Browning has come a long way with their gas guns since they dropped the A5 from production. IMO, the best auto's are still the Beretta's. As many of you know, I'm not a fan of the Benelli's. I have had several. Still, I think a person needs to give the Vinci a fair shake. The Beretta's function well with all loads from low base 7/8oz loads to 3.5" turkey loads. My SX-2 did as well, unlike any of my SBE's. None of them shot light loads reliably. I only had two Browning Gold's in 12ga. The first was a early production and it had it's fair share of malfunctions. The last was a later model brand new one in camo. It shot very well but something else caught my eye and it became trading material.

Myself, I would go for a new Beretta 400 Explor if I was in the market for a new auto. Although, they are a little pricey IMO. When they start approaching the price of a nice O/U. My attention swings towards a two shooter every time.
 
Browning_145 said:
I work for Gander Mountain and I got to shoot the new Browning Maxus and Benelli Vinci for 3 days this past week for product testing. I was blown away by both guns for different reasons.
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What !! no Beretta A400 Xplor Unico to shoot???

How unfortunate, I think you were cheated out on the best of the three B's...:D
 
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