Huh.... Heard that too except my wife still bought one. She is 5'2 and 96lbs and shoots a 26 inch 12g Ultra Lite. We had it fitted and put an aftermarket Packmayr pad on it and she mainly shoots 7/8 and 1 oz loads out it at either 1200 or 1250 fps. She has shot some 1 oz Crushers and even a few 1 1/4 oz #6 1350FPS loads and says it wasn't bad. She said it wasn't great but wasn't bad. With the lower FPS loads she can and has shot all day long at the range without A. any malfunctions and B. no complaining of soreness and wanting to quit and C. saying the gun is too heavy to carry.

Every person is different. I still think the aftermarket pad helped the most along with getting fitted.

And the Saga continues.....

 

Most of the people that say the Ultralight doesn't kick swear that the way the gun fits you is the big difference, but I was with 6 guys all of varying size and we all had the same impression so I'm not sure I really buy that explanation.

Of course they kick more-- no doubt about it. Heavier guns kick less-- no doubt about that either. Hardly unique to Benelli, that is true with any shotgun-- or firearm for that matter. Sometimes when you hear "it isn't that bad" it is the equivalent of "I don't need shoulder surgery just yet."

That's not where the appeal of these guns reside, though. Walk a lot shoot a little is the niche where light guns have their greatest appeal-- not repetitive clays duty.

 

Just because 6 guys shot it OK, doesn't mean it could not be set up better. Heck, I can do pretty good with my daughter's youth 1100. Take the time and set it up properly for you. I bet it will lower the felt recoil at least some. Like Randy said though, it will not get rid of all of it. Also if you are going to be shooting targets, get a weighted magazine cap for it. I have one for my SuperSport. Did it mostly to smooth out the swing. Does the Ultra have a SS/Monte style mag or a M2/SBEII style?

 

I didn't get the gun for repetitive shooting. I do occasionally shoot a box or so of shells at skeet, but never an all day thing. I guess I was just surprised at how much more it kicked. I understand the physics and that a light gun will have more kick, but it seemed a lot more drastic than the people on here with them let on. I'll definitely put an aftermarket recoil pad on and see if I can adjust the fit as well as getting a slower/lighter shot and hopefully that will make it a little more enjoyable to shoot. I even bought some 2 1/2" shells that were mentioned in a post about the Ultralight to see how those are in the gun in case I want to do more repetitive skeet shooting in the future.

My main reason for posting this was because if you do a search for the Ultralight on here you will find quite a number of posts saying the gun shoots very light and some say less so than the Monte and other Benelli's. The main reason I even researched the gun on here was because I wanted to know just how hard it would kick and I came away with the impression that it wouldn't be much more than other heavier guns. I was considering the Monte and a Beretta, and unfortunately I was never able to get my hands on one that I could shoot so I relied solely on reviews and the way the gun felt in the store. I posted this as a counterpoint in case anyone else is in the same situation and is wondering just how much more it kicks. After the gun gets a little more tweaking I'll be sure to follow up on the results.

Thanks,
Paul

 

Paul,

Next time try some 1185 or even 1145 fps 1 oz loads. You will still notice more recoil then with, say, the 105CTi (assuming the later would even cycle these loads), but I suspect it might be more manageable. No doubt about it, the Benellis will have more punch then most (all?) comparably sized gas guns. The question is can you make it "manageable" by adjusting fit, perhaps upgrading the pad, etc. For all that I love the Benelli design.

Matt

 

I still think some minor tweaking will help a bit. What shim is in the gun right now? I also wonder if the fact the other was a Rem 105 was influencing the percieved recoil. I recently shot a sporting event. Shot the main and 5 stand and gun seemed normal. Shot subgauges in the order of 20, 28, and 410. I then shot the super sporting event with my main gun and was shocked at the recoil difference between the 410 and 12. I'd try regular 1200fps loads and shoot yours first to see if it really is that bad.

 

I didn't get the gun for repetitive shooting. I do occasionally shoot a box or so of shells at skeet, but never an all day thing. I guess I was just surprised at how much more it kicked. I understand the physics and that a light gun will have more kick, but it seemed a lot more drastic than the people on here with them let on.

I'm agreeing with you; light guns kick more, period. They all do-- fixed breech and delayed blowback guns like the Benelli being the worst.

It is hardly limited to just a Benelli Ultralight-- toothpick double guns can be quite the shoulder-stabbers, and 20 gauges can pound you more than 12 gauges if you get them light enough. In W.W. Greener's The Gun & Its Development, ninth Edition, page 686, Mr. Greener discusses the "12 bore Game Gun." Greener writes that the best all-round gun for sporting purposes is the 12 bore . . . weighing about seven pounds. Greener comments further that 12-bores much under 3-1/4 drams and 1-1/8 oz. of shot with comfort to the shooter. If 7-1/4 lbs., 3-1/4 drams and 1-1/4 oz. of shot is the Greener suggestion for reasonably comfortable shooting. While they can be no really wrong answer, Greener's notion is pretty much as on target today as it was one hundred years ago.

If it is two shots a day at pheasants with your hunting gear on, it is easy to put it all in the "so what" and "I don't care" categories. Other than that, recoil takes its toll. One ounce loads out of a light double on the dove field can just plain wear you out in a hurry.

 

All great suggestions and comments.

I'll definitely shoot some lighter loads and change the recoil pad. As far as shims, it is exactly as it came from the factory at the moment.

When we were shooting skeet several people including me shot the Ultralight first and commented that it was a hard kicking gun before we ever shot the Remington.

Don't get me wrong, for quail and other types of upland game the recoil is manageable, however not necessarily enjoyable like some of the Beretta's I've shot. Really the only reason I didn't get a Beretta was because I watched two very experienced gun owners who were new to Beretta struggle with trying to get the gun back together after a light field cleaning. I guess if money wasn't an issue I'd own a Beretta for high volume shooting and the Ultralight for those long days walking the fields because it should excel at that.

Thanks,
Paul

 

So Randy you are saying a BUL cannot be used for repeated clay shooting? So should I tell my wife who has shot over 300 rounds in a day on multiple occasions not to do that anymore even though she thinks and feels that it shoots lighter than the 391 target RL she has shot and other heavier gasers? Just wondering if I should tell my wife who is shooting the gun and is saying it is it doesn't hurt or feel bad at all and better than gas guns that she is full of crap about what she is feeling????

I cannot and will not try to understand it except she absolutely loves her BUL 12g and Monte 20g and that is good enough for me because I want to keep her shooting so....

ANYWAY....Fit, stature, how they are held, how they are fitted, what is being shot out of them, the moon, the sun and all that make a difference. To each his own.

People will smash and bash and know it all but in the end YOU the person shooting knows best what fits you and what works for you. Shoot them all and pick the gun that YOU want and not what some guy behind the counter or on here says.

CR

 

So Randy you are saying a BUL cannot be used for repeated clay shooting? So should I tell my wife who has shot over 300 rounds in a day on multiple occasions not to do that anymore even though she thinks and feels that it shoots lighter than the 391 target RL she has shot and other heavier gasers? Just wondering if I should tell my wife who is shooting the gun and is saying it is it doesn't hurt or feel bad at all and better than gas guns that she is full of crap about what she is feeling????

If you are asking me what to "tell" your wife, you are likely asking the wrong person. My suggestion would be tell her that you love her, and that taking her out for dinner and dancing would generally be a good thing.

 

In my opinion and it is just that, my opinion. The BUL shines as an upland gun. You can tote it all day and I can honestly say the BUL is not a kicking mule for me but my shooting is on game birds and as with other makes and models of guns, some pretty potent shooters I do not notice any recoil when shooting at game be it deer or with my BUL on pheasants etc. I shoot better with the BUL than any other shotgun on upland birds and love the feel and fit of this shotgun. Again just my opinion and I have carried it for two upland seasons.

 

Paul, I'm glad you posted this. I must be a sissy or something because I tinkered with my m1 20 gauge for almost a year trying to make it "fit" and never made it happen. That thing bout kilt me, while most were saying how soft recoiling they were.

I now have a 3901 20 gauge and it's great, but every gun I shoot now causes cheek pain. Even guns that I've had for years and never had an issue with now hurts me.

As a result I'm done with benelli and might be selling my sbe if it beats me up this year. Even though I've shot it for about six years with no pain at all until now :roll:

 

I'll mention the case of a friend of mine who works for Benelli. His favorite upland gun is a 24 in. 12 ga. Ultralight-- simple as that. He's also 5 ft. 10 in., 240 pounds. It would also be the last gun he would break 100 clays with, and the last gun that he'd take to the goose pit. Rarely does he shoot anything heavier than 1-1/8 oz. loads.

As to why the gun may well punish a heavier individual than a lighter one; it isn't that mysterious. A lighter shooter can absorb recoil with their entire body, as in the case of a 100 pound woman. If you are 240 pounds, it takes a lot more to move you. As a result, you get stabbed in the shoulder-- the rest of your body does very little to handle the pop.

It is for that reason that larger, heavier shooters might receive more abuse from a gun like this than lighter-framed folks.

 

Very well put :wink:

I'm glad that some really like the ultra light and such benelli's but they aren't for everybody.

 

I can only speak for this grouse hunter, the ultralight is an awesome ruffed grouse gun. I used to shoot a 28 ga. beretta o/u, then went to a 20 ga. browning gold. Now and finally a gun that I believe will be my go to grouse gun for many years is the ultralight. Any Appalachian grouse hunter will confirm what a terrific design this gun is for our purpose. Clays.............. forget about it, Phil.

 

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pamuli

Please not a limbsaver pad. They shine on rifles and pre-mounted trap guns.
They do not belong on an upland gun that needs to be mounted in a flash on a suddenly flushing bird in the high grass.
These pads are way to soft and will continually hang up on your jacket when you have to mount fast.
A hang up on a mount is a lost bird.
Get the Pachmayer sporting pad. The heel has an inch of hard plastic to prevent the pad hanging up on your jacket.
Use 7/8 oz or 1 oz low recoil ammo for your clay targets.
You will notice the difference.

 

It's an ULTRA-LIGHT!!! That means it will kick like a mule if you shoot heavy field loads in it. No disagreement with anybody to this point.

Where the Ultra-Light shines for me is on the skeet range where my 15 year old grandson shoots the gun using 7/8 oz or 1 oz reloads that we have specifically loaded for this gun.

All the factory Low Recoil Remington STS's and Winchester AA's cycle perfectly in "our" gun as well.

No it's not designed for competitive shooting but it's fine for skeet and SC if you choose your loads accordingly.

 

Strikes me the BUL will shine as a quail, ruffed grouse, woodcock and snipe gun.
Shots that have to be made very fast at shorter shotgun ranges.

 

Keep in mind that the 1100's are about the softest-kicking guns made-- all-steel parts and internal gas components make it heavier, while the gas system makes it "push" rather than kick. I have 3 of them and I will tell you that they are the sweetest shooting gun there is until the gas systems need cleaning after 3-4 boxes

On the other hand-- while the Benelli system is automatic (and my favorite action I might add), we all know it is not gas-op, so kicks a little more. Plus, with a 6-lb 12 ga.... that is just asking for it. That said, I have shouldered an Ultralight and would like to buy one (cannot decide on a 12 vs 20) the next time I go to SD for pheasants. Until then, I'll just have to "settle" for my M2

BTW-- I am relatively new to this forum and glad it exists. There are about 3-4 more Benellis I would love to get one day as I have never shot doves or clays any better with any gun than my M2.

 

I have a BUL. Have for almost two years. Great upland gun and I can shoot 23's at skeet with it. BUT.......those Win 1 oz., 1,350 fps loads are kickers. I bought several flats back when Mal Wart was selling them for $37.50 a flat. They were great to break in the BUL, but no one wants to shoot them in any gun for long.

I gave the remaining rounds to my Son-in-Law to shoot trap with in my Citori 32" Gr. III. It weighs around 9 lbs. and that is not too punishing. A friend wanted to try some one ounce loads after hearing me extol the attributes of one ouncers for skeet, trap singles, dove and quail. He didn't notice that I loaded them at 1,200 fps and so he bought the WW 1,350 fps loads to try in his Rem 3200 for skeet. He fired 8 rounds, stomped off the field to get my reloads to finish the round and gave the rest of the WW to my Son-in-Law. I let him try my BUL with one of the WW and it almost gave him a nose bleed. It did bring tears to his eyes.

Long post so say the BUL is a niche gun. Use it with upland loads, 1 to 1 1/8 oz. at 1,200 fps or less and she is wonderful. For Pheasants shoot what you want. You won't shoot that many rounds anyway and the recoil won't bother you.

BTW, those cheap WW rounds will not extract from my Ljutic when other steel based factory loads will. They are just crap.

HBT

 

I understand the appeal of the shotgun. After spending the last two days shooting one, the notion of severe pain is no notion at all-- but a harsh reality.

 

Don't all Benellis kick like a mule?

 

Don't all Benellis kick like a mule?

Yes if you cram macho American made magnum shells into them.

But NO if you shoot medium and light loads.

 

It is kind of funny. I sell Benelli's all day long at the club I work at and we also rent them all day long too. 9 times out of 10 a person who thinks they "kick like a Mule" has never shot one nor has never been kicked by a mule... Just saying.

To each his own as each and every person will feel something different than the next guy. SHOOT THEM before you compare them. THEN and ONLY THEN can you say if you like it or not like it.

F.Y.I. We also have Beretta's in stock for rent and I always make people shoot them first and compare them before I sale one. I let the customer decide. About 4 out of 5 times I will sell the Benelli over the Beretta when they come back in. The other 1 out of 5 usually really likes the Beretta and buys it and LOVES it. You cannot go wrong.

I haven't had anyone come back and say the Benelli's are horrible and suck at recoil. Usually if they don't like the Benelli it is "I don't like the feel of the gun and the Beretta feels better with the swing, weight etc, etc..."

My wife shot just under a case of shells last weekend at the sporting range with her 12g BUL. She loves her's. She was shooting 7/8 oz at 1200fps and never complained. What is cool is the gun is light so she doen't get tired holding it up and shooting it. for a 5'2 96 pounder it works for her.