Benelli 828 U Sport: steel body and Progressive Balancing Starting from the body machined from a solid steel block that replaces the light alloy used in the model dedicated to hunting, the 828 U Sport version has a weight of 3,650 kg with 30 in / 76 cm barrels. Mar 08, 2018 Benelli’s 828U is more expensive than a lot of over-and-unders, but it’s also a whole lot more affordable than many of the highly decorated imports that are available. It’s offered with 26-, 28- and 30-inch barrels at a full retail price of $3,000 for the engraved nickel-plated receiver model and $2,500 for the black anodized receiver model. Video Product Review: Benelli 828U Sport Over/Under Shotgun Posted by trophyhunter Jun 12, 2019 Articles, Hunting, Product Reviews, Video Product Review 0 This world class Benelli over and under shotgun is part fine Italian art and part thoroughbred workhorse.
Benelli 828U O/U 12 gauge Shotgun
By Randy Wakeman
As far as I'm concerned, the 828U is Benelli's first truly big mistake and will be a remarkable sales disaster. It is everything most people do not like about shotguns, all rolled into one gun. It is a severely overpriced and ugly gun. It is a big, obvious advance to the rear, inferior to several enjoyable and successful shotguns available at significantly lower prices.
Benelli 828u Reviews 2019
The Benelli 828U retails for $2499.99 in black anodized aluminum, $2999.99 for the nickel finished version with what has to be the world's worst 'engraving' pattern. Only 12 gauge, 26 inch and 28 inch barrel models are offered. According to Benelli, availability will begin in July 2015.
Features
- Removable trigger group
- Benelli cryogenically treats barrels and choke tubes
- QuadraFit adjustable stock
- 5 drop and 4 cast stock shims
- Progressive Comfort recoil absorbing recoil pad
- Includes hard case
Specifications
- Model: 828U w/Anodized Receiver
- Item numbers: 10702 (28' brl.); 10701 (26' brl.)
- Gauge: 12
- Chamber: 3'
- Receiver material: Anodozed aluminum allow
- Barrel material: Blued steel
- Ventilated rib material: Carbon fiber
- Stock: AA grade walnut w/satin finish
- Overall length: 45.25' (28' barrels)
- Weight: 6.6 pounds w/28' barrels
- Country of origin: Italy
- 2015 MSRP: $2499
While new for 2015, the Benelli 828U offers nothing over several less costly and far more refined models, not the least of which is the Beretta 686 from Benelli's sister corporation. In addition, you have the Browning 725 Citori, Cynergy and Fabarms models that are all at similar or significantly lower price points. Plus, these guns are available in several popular gauges and configurations.
No matter what you do with the addition of the Progressive Comfort recoil absorbing pad, a cheap plastic 'springy stock thing,' it can only help so much. A 6.5 pound, fixed breech 12 gauge is going to kick with heavy field loads and there is no way around it.
A gentleman that goes by the handle of CFDoc has documented the weight he added to make his Benelli Ethos comfortable to shoot with target loads. For a one ounce, 1250 fps load he needed his Benelli Ethos to weigh a little over 7.5 pounds. For the 1-1/8 ounce, 1150 fps load, he needed his Ethos to weigh just under 8 pounds. The same rules apply to the 828U, for it weighs about the same as the Ethos and has the same Progressive Comfort plastic springy thing in the stock.
The Ethos and 828U Progressive Comfort pad is hardly that, as it does not work as well as selecting the proper durometer of the pad for the loads you are going to shoot. Unfortunately, it allows really annoying, excessive, face-scraping stock movement even with one ounce loads. The 828U is hopping around violently with soft, one ounce loads, which are lighter than I would hunt with.
Adding weight is problematic, even if you did like the 828U for some incomprehensible reason. How are you going to add weight where it is most needed, the receiver? Adding weight to the forearm makes little sense, for the carbon fiber rib on top of the barrels is ostensibly to shave weight. (It is really there to reduce manufacturing cost. -Editor.) The 828U is a high-recoil gun and physics means that is not going to change.
Benelli 828 U 20 Gauge
If weight really is a factor, there are many lightweight guns that are far more comfortable to shoot. For example, a six pound Benelli M2 20 gauge (which I use a lot), or several other 20 gauge gas autos. In addition, there are many slimmer, trimmer, lighter 20 gauge O/Us to consider.
The 828U's recessed safety is like a rifle thumb-safety, the triggers don't remotely compare to a 725 Citori, its alloy receiver gives it a muzzle heavy balance and looks distinctly cheap compared to steel. The stock shims are of very little consolation, for they will not help the basic stock design. For less money than the 828U you can get true adjustable comb O/U models. The 828U's ejectors are anemic; the lower barrel occasionally failed to eject spent hulls on the 828U samples I was shooting.
Benelli's ad boast of increased durability is silly, for in a hunting lifetime no one is likely to wear out a Browning Citori or a Beretta 686. A Beretta Silver Pigeon can currently be had for under $2000, for example as can a Citori 725 Field. Even the 725 Field Feather models are under $2100. Browning has just revamped the Cynergy line and they are even less expensive. These are not only far more desirable guns, they are less money.
By any conventional and reasonable standards, both the 725 Citori and the Silver Pigeons are much better looking guns. Someone at Benelli must have thought the 828U made some sort of sense, but it makes no sense at all to me and I have no idea why anyone would want one. There are many excellent, well-respected, better looking choices available that cost a lot less money.
The 828U baffles me. Some might say I am easily baffled (okay, they might have a point) but the 828U is as close to a manufacturing/marketing crime as I have seen in the last few years. I have no idea why anyone would want one. Why overpay for an alloy O/U that is so obviously cheap to produce and not remotely in the same league with so many other shotguns that are prices significantly lower?
Some might be reading this and wonder if Benelli ran over my dog or something. Of course not, for Benelli's get more favorable assessments from me than not and have for many years. I personally use and appreciate my M2 and my Vinci, and the Vinci is hardly a traditional-looking shotgun.
Some of the shameless bluster let loose by the Benelli marketing department is insulting. Benelli claims a 'stronger, lighter, safer, lighter O/U.' Also claimed is a 'significant increase in reliability.' Perhaps this is good news for owners of all those dangerous, unreliable stack-barrels from Benelli's corporate owner, Beretta? The only claim with actual merit is the part where Benelli claims that this shotgun is built on imagination. This must be the explanation.
If Browning could design a gun for Benelli, the 828U is exactly what they would come up with, for it is going to sell a lot of 725s and Cynergys. The Benelli 828U is a major disappointment and an outright embarrassment.Its weak, problematic ejection, vulgar aesthetics, high recoil and annoyingly violent gun movement is topped-off with a nosebleed price. This, despite its low build cost, means that the 828U is a product condemned to please no one.
Introduction
The Benelli 828U Sport is a competition gun, built for optimum performance and designed to deliver.
The slick black Sport aesthetic sets it apart from the classic engraving that is normally found on guns in this price range. It is styled for Sport, specifically targeting the competition clay shooter with an athletic and performance focused mindset.
Gun Statistics
Cast: Right Hand
Weight: 8.05 lbs
Barrels: 30”
Round One
It certainly captured my eye and my imagination, I couldn’t wait to take it out for a test shot. Without any adjustment, I (a left handed shooter) unboxed this gun, put it together and headed straight for the Skeet range. Although, the gun came up to my cheek & shoulder comfortably, I could tell that it was off and I adjusted myself to bring my eye in line. The first half of the 25 round of Skeet wasn’t great but once I got a feel for the gun and how it moved, the second half was stronger. From there, I took on some Compak Sporting, shooting a wide range of targets, from quartering, rabbits, loopers, battues, crossers, teal to incomers. The Benelli really showed its ability here, smooth and easy to move, fast but easily controlled with great pointability – the rib is mid rise with an integrated sight channel that draws your eye down to the bead. All of this combined, turned quartering, going away, teal, rabbits and dropping targets into dust. I was really impressed because this gun didn’t even fit me…yet.
Custom Gun Fit
One of the major benefits (that come as standard) of the Benelli 828U Sport is that it comes with the ability to create a custom stock fit using the selection of Drop and Cast shims provided. Finding the fit that is right for you is just a matter of testing and trialling the 40 potential perfect stock fitting combinations. I followed the step by step instructions in the owner’s manual to create my chosen stock fit, based on what my current stock set up is and the combination which matched this. I also adjusted the balance of the gun as I prefer a more evenly distributed weight for my shooting style.
The progressive balancing system (PBS) comes as standard and is placed strategically between the butt pad and the stock. Balancing the Benelli 828U Sport is easy, with the option of 3 additional 12.5 gr weights, you can add and remove weights to achieve your desired balance. I opted to add all 3 weights to the PBS and was happy with the new balance of the gun.
Round Two
I was excited to see how much of a difference the gun fit, cast and balance would make to the gun and wasted no time in getting out for a shot on Courtlough’s sporting layout. It took about 8 shots to adjust and from there, it was smooth sailing. The sight picture was so accurate, pointing and shooting was simply effortless, in fact, the only time I missed was due to error on my part not the gun.
There is a distinct lack of recoil from this gun which highlights how smooth it feels to shoot. The internal steel locking system is paired with a steel receiver giving the Benelli 828U Sport a very strong “core” which definitely absorbs some of the felt recoil, as it is minimal.
I used ½ & ¼ chokes and Cheddite Mach 3 & Smart Strike 8’s for what I was shooting, this was the right choke and shot size combination. The Benelli 828U Sport comes with 5 extended chokes, both the 30” barrels and chokes have a cryogenic treatment which results in consistent patterns and more pellets on targets.
Conclusion
At this price range, to find a gun that comes with the intelligence to allow for custom stock fit, a progressive balancing system and precision patterning as standard is unique. All in all, this gun is a little black beauty, enjoyable to shoot with the potential to perform at the highest levels. It won’t be long before it establishes itself as a leading sporting clays competition gun.