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Benelli R1 (tested) SS10X42

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a.c.ellis View Drop Down
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    Posted: September/20/2007 at 08:06

Hello everyone,

 

It's been awhile since I've been on the forum.  Last time I posted I was waiting on some equipment.  Well I received the last components just before I left for Fort Leonard Wood Missouri a month ago.  I just got back, put everything together, and have tested the rifle.  Equipment: Benelli R1 .300 Win Mag 24in barrel, Badger Ordnance Max-50 30mm Rings, and a Super Sniper 10X40 scope.  Ammo: (all Black Hills) 178Gr. Hornady A-Max, 180Gr. Barnes Triple Shock, 190Gr. Match Hollow Point, and 150Gr. El-Cheapo Crap for barrel break-in.  Conditions: 70 degrees F, 51% humidity, 7pmh tail wind, on a 100yd range.

 

I cleaned the bore 3X (bore snake) after everyshot for the first 12 rounds then 1X after every three.  Had it sighted in at the 12th round shooting 3 shot groups (av 2.5-3MOA).  Here comes the the good stuff, the 178Gr. was the least accurate at 1 1/2 MOA, 180Gr. came in second with 1 1/4MOA, and to no suprise the 190Gr. had 1 and 1 1/8 MOA.

 

Some people gave me s%&t about buying a semi auto due to their inaccurate history.  Well, I am pleased to say there won't be too many animals that the rifle will miss, can't say how the shooter will do.  All in all I am happy with the setup.  I can't wait to go back to the range and play some more.  I have a hunting trip planned in one week, YES!  Hope this post will help someone or maybe enterain others, enjoy. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/20/2007 at 08:29

i dont mean to sound like a dick but dude try reloading way better results

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/20/2007 at 08:29
300 wsm
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
"good ride cowboy"
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a.c.ellis View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote a.c.ellis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/20/2007 at 10:05
Pyro699, I would agree that reloading would hone the results, nice grouping.  I think my grouping might have been tighter if I would have used a bend rest rather that my ammo bag for a rifle support.  I'm collecting my brass and dreaming of reloading in the future.  Isn't the 300 SWM a fuzzy more accurate than the Win Mag anyway? 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/20/2007 at 16:24
not mine, my 300win which is in the same gun as my 300wsm would walk circles around the wsm and it wouldnt kick near as much,i had to puss out and buy a limbsaver for the wsm the win mag you could shoot all day, that target was shot off of 3 sand bags, i need to buy a tripod something awful though, i think it would help me out some.
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
"good ride cowboy"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/20/2007 at 20:13

 

 Hello ac.ellis!

 With the limited testing you did, you can't really say that any of your ammo outperformed any other, esp.through a new barrel.

 It all looks like it has potential. You did good to break in the barrel right out of the gate. Keep in mind that the 178s and 190s are long-range bullets that often need to run a few hundred yards before they "go to sleep". Try them at 600 and get back to us. Also, you should try some good 125 and 150 grain flatbase bullets at 100 yards; they may surprise you. Pyro is right, you should get into handloading. It is easy and you need not spend a lot to get started. Get a couple manuals as your first purchase. They are worth reading even if you never reload. I like the Hornady as one the best for general readability, but they are all good. The new Lee one is very good, and a real bargain to boot.

                                                                                 Good shooting!

                                                                                                     Ron

 

 

 

 

 

 



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/20/2007 at 21:02
i use both of those manuals, together there isnt much data you wont have, the lee has some stuff the hornady man. doesnt and the hornady man. has some stuff the lee doesnt, its a good mix and there data as far as powder charges are very similar. i myself would not recommend using any bullet less than 165 gr in any 300 mag be it win, wsm, rsaum, weatherby etc, i havent ever had any luck with anything lighter than 165 and to be honest the 180gr bullets have shot the best in both my wsm and my 300 win mag, the 200grs work well too.
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
"good ride cowboy"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote louissr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/21/2007 at 00:28
ac, while those tine bolt gun groups are impressive, you have a fine R1. Any rifle that will shoot under 2" at 100 will kill any big game animal at any range any responsible hunter would attempt. My 300 winmag R1 (recently sold to buy another toy) shot very well with 168 Barnes TSXs handloaded. IMO the best thing about the R1 (vs a BAR or Remington) is that it handles so well... like a fine 20 bore.
You might find a smaller scope that would mount lower would better suit it if you plan to hunt it. I had a 2.5-8 VariX III in S&K one piece wrap around rings and bases (http://www.scopemounts.com/) which are super light, strong and c really compliment the R1's lines. (Example on SAKO shown below)

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dogger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/21/2007 at 07:38

a..ellis keep us posted on how you like the R1.  My son just purchased an R1 Comforttech in 30.06.  We have an older Bausch & Lomb Elite, 1.6-6 on it but have yet to sight it in.  Going to our camp for ducks next week and taking the rifles to tune them up.  Need to get some different ammo to see what shoots best.  Only have 180 gn Fusion (don't know where my son got this and have no experience with it), have heard good things about 165 Federal so want to give it a try.

 

Pleasantly surprised with the trigger.  Had read a lot of negative comments about it on the Benelli owners forum but ours seems really good with very little creep. Will try to measure what the poundage is if I can get an accurate scale.  How has yours performed?  Looks like Benelli listened to the comments.

 


 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote a.c.ellis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/21/2007 at 09:16

Pyro -

Thanks for the feed back, I have read that the WSM always outperforms the Win Mag, but it is good to hear first hand that I bought the better of the two.  I also love that the recoil is very managable and I believe you could shoot the R1 all day long.  Do you know of any bipods that would attach to the R1 without modify the handgard?  I have looked and can't find any and man one would that help stablize things at the range and in the field.  I think I am goning to stay with the 180Gr. range of bullets, thanks again for the info.

 

Ronk -

Yes, I realize I need to shoot more rounds before I spout off saying one is better than another, thank you for calling me on that.  I'll try some longer range shooting in the future.  I am going antelope hunting in 7 days and have the R1 (theoretically) zeroed at 350yds.  We'll see how is performs on the flat plains of South Dakota.  Thank you for the intel on the reloading, when I start I'll use both manuals.

 

louissr -

I like the performance of the R1 and really enjoy shooting it.  The scope (SS10X42) is a large scope but the badger ordnance rings are a stanard height of 0.823" which leaves the front lense very close to the barrel.  I don't think I could get this scope any closer to the barrel without touching it.  I'll post some pictures in the future.  Thanks

 

Dogger -

I think your son will really onjoy this rifle, I know I do and I've only used it once at the range.  I hope my up coming hunting trip will seal the deal.  The trigger pull is so smooth.  There is no room for antisipating a shot.  But keep in mind that I am used to shooting military weapons on and off duty so this R1 (my first scoped "civialian" rifle) is a dream to shoot.  Thanks for the comments.  Enjoy.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/21/2007 at 09:56
the wsm will not out preform the win mag with the heavier bullets 200 gr + anyways, but with the lighter bullets its really to close to notice the difference, but you will save a little powder with the wsm.
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/21/2007 at 21:18

 

  Many years ago, my brother and I got into handloading with some rather basic equipment; a 14 dollar Lee Loader and some bullet casting equipment. We were poor, and cheap, and did it to save money, and thus were able to do a lot of shooting despite meager means. We sure learned a lot...

  One aspect that is badly overlooked throughout the shooting community is the ability to throttle back loads dramatically, to greatly expand a rifle's versatility. Although I own a very nice .22, I really wouldn't need it ,as I could hunt squirrels just as effectively, accurately, quietly and safely with the appropriate reduced loads in my old 30.06. I know, because I've done just that, many times.

  The other day, a friend was complaining that he wasn't able to shoot his new Kimber 8400 in .325 WSM. very often, because he couldn't drive to the range after work, before it got too dark to shoot. He looked at me as if I had two heads when I suggested he shoot it in his basement. I was too tired to explain how...

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/22/2007 at 06:25
you dont want to throttle back the magnums to much  i think a 1/3 reduction is all the books say is safe
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/22/2007 at 10:51

Originally posted by pyro6999 pyro6999 wrote:

you dont want to throttle back the magnums to much  i think a 1/3 reduction is all the books say is safe

 

 You are correct to a point, Pyro. This is true when using the slow-burning propellents used in full-house magnum loads. Cutting back on them too far can indeed cause a phenomenon sometimes referred to as catastrophic detonation.

 The time- proven way to safely prevent this is to use a very  fast-burning pistol  propellent, in tiny amounts, instead. The important thing is to use enough  to ensure that the bullet reliably exits the barrel every time but not too much so as to run into dangerous pressure. A filler such as a 1-grain tuft of Kapok is sometimes used to keep the powder charge near the primer.

  Subsonic, and very low-recoil loads are easily achievable with any medium magnum cartridge. There is not an awful lot of loading data out there though, so you are kind of stuck with a fairly limited number of recipes. The ones I've used have always worked very well, especially with cast lead bullets. Unique and Bullseye are commonly used powders for this application

  Do not make up your own loads. Use only published data.

Thanks for pointing out the need for me to clarify this, Pyro. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/22/2007 at 19:03
i dont even mess with that stuff i practice with the load i hunt with.
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/23/2007 at 17:37

Originally posted by pyro6999 pyro6999 wrote:

i dont even mess with that stuff i practice with the load i hunt with.

 

  So do I. I Practice with 200 grain Barnes X- bullets when I am preparing to hunt elk, and I practice with 115 grain cast-bullet loads at .22 rimfire velocities when I am fixin' to take my sons squirrel hunting with me. Both loads, and a bunch in between, all out of the same battered old 30.06.

  If given a free hunt, and no other choice in rifles, I would hunt any land animal on the planet with that rifle and  handloads of my choosing. I would pick the shot verrrrry carefully with some of the big ugly things, though...



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/23/2007 at 17:39
if i am hunting i use my 180 gr sierras and if i am practicing i use those same 180's
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bunt0025 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/15/2013 at 11:13
I've snagged a couple used 300 Win Mags of the comfort-tech version and a 270wSm in the wood version. I started off with the managed recoil loads from remington (150gr core-lok with a smaller charge of a faster powder, I assume) and got great results. Under one MOA with one and 1.5 with the other.

I tore them down and cleaned them up, trying to assemble them the same as I had the last time. Apparently, I did a good job as the POI didn't change in the one I took back out to shoot (the more accurate one) and got a similar group (though not as surprising as the first one). Next, I tried some 150gr Winchester hollow points out of it (the gawdy red graphic boxed ones). The groups opened up to about 4 MOA with the first one and stayed the same with the second one! I got frustrated and put them away, but I'll post some more results with some more ammo (as I acquire and try it).

Has anyone else had similar results? I think it could just be a load that first gun hates, but until I happened upon this thread I figured the one had some play in the componets that I couldn't feel and/or had some pressure issues.

I've heard the assembly procedures are a bit finicky (accuracy/POI wise), but one would think the POI should have changed (at least to a noticable degree) if I had fudged the procedure EITHER time.

Also, does anyone know if the cheek pieces are interchangable with a SBE II? They look so similar, yet have different part numbers for them (at Benelli retail prices [yuck]). One would think they would either sell the rifles with open sights or provide a raised cheek piece with the sightless version.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike52 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/24/2013 at 18:53
The R1 in 30-06 that I owned briefly would group fine sometime and sometime not. There were two nuts on the rifle, a nut that had an index mark and held on the barrel and a cap screw that held on the fore arm like a shotgun. The forearm caps crew held the sling mount.  I found that your groups would move depending on how tight the forearm was.  I have seen those rifles in gun shops where it looked like someone took a vise grip to tighten that forearm nut and I knew exactly why they had done it.  I am glad to hear that they fixed the problem. I sure your rifle will not change POI significantly when carrying the rifle on the sling swivel and the forearm cap screw gets loose. 
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