(GunReports.com) — Benelli’s super-lightweight shotguns, the Ultralight line, are touted as being the lightest semi-automatic shotguns in production. Because a lighter gun does not always leave a shooter happy after a long day in the field or an afternoon shooting sporting clays, there are good reasons why shooters would prefer a heavier classic model, such as a favorite of many shooters, the Remington Model 1100. The Model 1100 was first manufactured in 1963, and with more than 50 years of production under its belt, it has earned seniority over newcomers like the Ultralight. But, because age is just a number and the new challenges the old every day, Gun Tests’ shooters wanted to see for themselves which gun they would buy. So, for a test in the February 2013 issue, we were supplied with a Benelli Ultralight Model No. 10802 12 Gauge, $1649; and Remington Model 1100 Sporting No. 25315, $1211, for this showdown. Here’s what Gun Tests found.
Weight
The Benelli weighed in at a mere 6.4 pounds on our scale. How much heavier was the Model 1100 challenger?
Fit and Finish
Fit and finish on both guns was superb. But the shooters preferred the looks of one gun over the other.
Handling
We became familiar with the two shotguns by dry-shouldering and snap-capping them. One of the first things GT noticed was how much lighter the Benelli actually felt, beyond what the scale said. But is that always a good thing?
Choke Tubes and Patterning
The Benelli Ultralight ships with three screw-in Crio choke tubes in Improved Cylinder, Modified, and Full constrictions. The Sporting came with four Remington Extended Stainless tubes in SK, IC, LM, and M constrictions. Installing and removing the Rem chokes was much easier because they didn’t require a wrench. At the patterning station, we used Winchester AA Target Loads (2.75 inch, 1-ounce shotcharge, No. 7 1/2 shot) to shoot HunterJohn Clay Pigeon & Sporting Clays Shotgun Pattern Targets. One gun had a decided edge.
In The Field
To prove the guns on moving targets, we headed over to American Shooting Centers in Houston to shoot Wobble Trap and 5 Stand. On moving targets, the Ultralight took some getting used to because we had a tendency to overcorrect or swing through targets too much because the gun was so light. We shot with the 1100 all day, and it was a reliable workhorse. Was that true for the Ultralight as well?
Bottom Line
All in, would the Gun Tests team buy the Benelli Ultralight or the Remington 1100 Sporting? Read the rest of the article to find out.
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