Delta Tests Waterfowl Guns - It’s Dirty Work, but…

By Dan Nelson, Editor

This issue’s shooting column falls under the category of, “it’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.”

Our assignment: To field test six waterfowl guns and report our findings.

The panel of shooters: Dr. Tom Hutchens and his wife Katie, Charles Johnson and myself.  Hutch is a member of Delta’s board of directors and former chairman of the board.  He and Katie are not only avid waterfowl hunters, but also avid shooters who have a skeet range at their duck camp near Bismarck, ND. Charles is Delta’s director of corporate relations and licensing, and is a competitive trap and skeet shooter.

The guns: a Ruger Red Label, a Remington 11-87 Sportsman, a Winchester Super X2, a Browning Gold Evolve, a Benelli Super Black Eagle II and a Beretta A391 Xtrema2.

The conditions:  The day we tested the shotguns, the temperature was a scorching 100 degrees, the Texas-like humidity was stifling and there was scarcely a breeze to cool the sun-drenched shooters. Not exactly the North Dakota most folks envision.

If the heat wasn’t bad enough, the light clothes offered precious little cushion against the 31⁄2-inch loads we cycled through the super-magnum guns.  You’ve never lived until you’ve shot doubles on a skeet range with 31⁄2-inch magnums with only a tee-shirt between your shoulder and the butt plate.

But sweaty brows and bruised shoulders notwithstanding, it was an extremely enjoyable afternoon.  Here, gun-by-gun, are the shooters’ comments and a look at each gun’s features.

Remington 11-87 Sportsman

“This feels like an old friend,” said Tom Hutchens when he hefted the Sportsman, the value-priced cousin of one of the country’s oldest and most reliable autoloaders.  “This was ‘the’ gun when I was growing up.  It’s a classic.”

That’s a mouthful coming from Hutch, who shoots side-by-sides almost exclusively these days.

“I like this gun,” he added. “I like the plain, simple design, and I like the way it shoots.”

Katie, who shoots over-unders, agreed, even though the model we were testing wasn’t a good fit for her.  “It’s a bit heavy for me, and doesn’t fit real well,” she complained at first.  But after breaking some targets, she had to admit, “I like this gun.  It’s easy to use and I shoot it well.”

The model we tested didn’t fit Charles or me very well, either, but like Katie we both shot it well.  Charles commented on the 11-87’s ease of operation.

With a suggested retail price of $625, the 11-87 Sportsman has to be one of the best values on the market today.  It comes in 12 and 20 gauge with 26 and 28-inch barrels, chambered for 3-inch loads.

It has a matte-black metal finish and an all-weather black synthetic stock and fore-end.

Ruger Red Label

Delta Biologist Joel Brice was out of town when we conducted our field tests, but he fell in love with the Ruger Red Label the instant he picked it up, and decided to conduct a test of his own when mourning dove seasoned opened.

“I killed a 15-bird limit of doves with a box of shells,” he reported.  “That gun feels like an extension of my arms.  I love it.”

The Red Label has been one of the country’s top over-under shotguns for years.  The model we tested was a Target Grey, and everyone gave high marks to the highly polished, low-glare stainless steel barrels and receiver, and the black synthetic stock.

Everyone felt the Ruger was a bit top-heavy, yet we all shot it well, and we all agreed the extra weight would come in handy on heavier loads.  “Sweet swing,” said Hutch.  “For the field, I’d buy this gun.  I really like it.”

The field testers all praised the sliding “tang” safety and barrel selector.  The barrel selector swings like a pendulum with B for “bottom” and T for “top” clearly marked. 

The Red Label comes in 12-gauge with 26-, 28- or 30-inch barrels and factory chokes.  Suggested retail is $1,622.

Beretta A391 Xtrema2 3.5

The Xtrema2 is Beretta’s latest version of the award-winning Xtrema, which was introduced to rave reviews in 2002.

The Xtrema2 is nothing if not functional.  Take the stock spacers, for example.  The gun was a little long and awkward for Katie.  If we’d had more time, we could have adjusted the length-of-pull to Katie’s specifications by removing one or both of the stock spacers.

Everyone commented on the lack of recoil thanks to the Kick-off recoil reduction system that features two hydraulic recoil dampers incorporated into the stock’s spacer unit.  And all metallic components—internal and external—are constructed of advanced corrosive-resistant materials called Aqua technology.

Charles rated virtually every category as “great” or “superb”.

Said Katie, “I could get used to shooting an auto.” 

Tom said, “I love this gun.  It swings nice and you can’t even feel the recoil.”

If there was one complaint about the gun, it was that the action-release button was quite stiff, a problem we suspected would go away with use.

We also liked the enlarged rubber molded inserts in the grip and forearm.

The model we shot was the KO Camo Realtree Max-4HD.  It’s chambered for 2 3/4-, 3- and 3 1⁄2-inch 12-guage loads and comes with a choice of 24-, 26- or 28-inch barrels with three chokes.  Suggested retail is $1,495.

Benelli Super Black Eagle II

The folks at Benelli haven’t been resting on their laurels, even though the Super Black Eagle has become one of the most popular autoloaders ever.

The Super Black Eagle II features Benelli’s Inertia Driven operating system, but adds some innovative new wrinkles as well.   A shim kit allows shooters to custom fit their guns by adding cast-on or cast-off and adjusting the height of the comb.   And different thicknesses of recoil pads are available, allowing for adjustment of length-of-pull.

Benelli’s new ComforTech recoil-reduction system is supposed to reduce felt recoil by as much as 48 percent.  It accomplishes that feat in part thanks to a recoil pad that spreads energy over a wider area. The recoil pad is so carefully engineered it comes in different models for right- and left-handed shooters.

The other key to ComforTech is a stock that’s split diagonally from the heel of the buttstock to a point just behind the pistol grip, then connected with synthetic, recoil-absorbing chevrons.

The shooters noticed an oversized trigger guard that has room for even a gloved finger, and the AirTouch checkering for improved grip under wet or dry conditions.

The SBEII comes in Advantage Timber HD and Advantage Max4 camo patterns.  It’s chambered for 2 3⁄4-, 3- and 3 1/2 –inch 12-guage loads and comes with the option of 24-, 26- or 28-inch barrels.  Suggested retail price of the model we shot is $1,585,

Browning Gold Evolve

The Browning Gold Evolve had numerous features the testers liked, not the least of which was that we all shot it well.

The first things we all noticed were the jumbo triangular safety and the roomy trigger guard.  The next thing we spotted was the magazine cut-off, which allows the shooter to eject a round from the chamber without feeding the magazine.  “That’s a great safety feature when you’re working with kids,” noted Charles.

We also liked the speed-loading feature that allows a load to be inserted into the magazine with the action open, then sent straight to the chamber.

Browning’s self-regulating gas system allows shooting loads interchangeably, from light target loads to bruising 3-inch magnums.

The model we test-fired may have been a little light (under seven pounds) for waterfowl, but we all shot it well.  One reason for the weight is a light-weight barrel contour that allows for a faster swing.

“I really like the feel and balance,” said Katie.  Charles felt the grip was a big large for his hands.  Tom said the gun was too short for him, but he broke every target he looked at.

The Gold Evolve comes in a 12-guage with 26,-, 28- and 30-inch barrels and three choke tubes. The weight of the 3-inch Evolve ranges from 6 pounds, 14 ounces to 7 pounds.  The Evolve comes with a satin-finish Walnut stock.  Suggested retail price is $999.99.

As a footnote, this year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of John Moses Browning, one of the country’s legendary gun-makers and founder of Browning.

Winchester Super X2

The first thing that jumps off the pages of our report cards on the Winchester Super X2 Camo Waterfowl is “ease of operation”.  From the way the gun assembles to the action to the safety and how it cycles loads, everyone gave the Winchester high marks mechanically.

The Super X2 was a bit short for Tom and me, but was perfect for Katie, who shot it very well and seemed to like everything about it.  Charles loved the feel and balance of the gun, and gave high marks to the Shadow Grass camo pattern.

Despite the short length-of-pull, Tom and I both shot it well.  My final comment on the scorecard: “It’s a little short, but I really like this gun.”

The Super X2 comes with a weather-resistant composite stock and forearm with grip-enhancing Dura-Touch Armor Coating finish.

It shoots all loads reliably, from trap loads to super-magnums. It comes with an Invector-Plus choke system and a back-bored barrel, which creates consistent shot patterns with a variety of loads.

Another nice feature: the Super X2 can be field-stripped without tools for easy cleaning.

The Super X2 Camo Waterfowl comes in 12-guage only with a 28-inch barrel, chambered for 3½-inch loads and three chokes. Suggested retail is $1,185.