Benelli 828u Over Under 12ga Shotgun Review

The 828u was Benelli's introduction to the O/U so I just had to get my hands on it to see how it lives up to the legendary track record of the other Benelli shotguns. I've had some pretty great times with the super black eagle lineup, so let's dive into their first-ever O/U - the 828u.  

You can watch the review video above or if you prefer to read, we've broken it down for you below.

MSRP

$2799 but you'll find the best deal on a 828u at Reeds Sports

There is 11 different variations of the 828U

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QUICK SPECS

• 12 gauge 
• 3 1/2" chamber (some non-camo variations available in 3")
• 28" Barrel (26" or 30" option)
• 6lbs 10oz 
• Length of Pull 14 3/4" 
• Drop at Comb 1 1/2" 
• Drop at Heel 2 1/8"
• Comes with shims! (Most O/U don't/can't)
• Comes with 5 crio chokes
• Auto safety

TRIGGER

• 4lbs 6.9 oz (Average)
• The trigger feels very interesting - It has a bit of sponge to it
• Curious to see how it pulls in speed shooting with it being so light

ERGONOMICS

• First thing I noticed was how light it felt in the hands - could definitely carry it around for quite awhile
• Semi-pistol grip feels alright - nothing special
• I like the contours in the forearm grip
• The texture is very unique with a fish-scale or "snake skin" type feel and shape to it
• I found that the safety works really well and has a perfect size to easy put it on fire
• The receiver kind of resembles more of a semi-auto look than an O/U very slick (like a racecar)
• Comes with carbon fiber rib and fiber on front
• Balance is in just the right spot between my two hands
• It sports the comfort tech cheek pad and recoil system (which I've loved in the past)

QUALITY OF BUILD

• As a Benelli should be: It's built well and they claim that the hinges will last a lifetime
• The only concern I'd have is with the carbon fiber rib - after shooting it a bunch It seemed to have a little looseness to it

RECOIL/RELIABILITY

• Recoil seemed to give a bit of a wallop!
• Ejectors work flawlessly - Their also integrated fully into the barrel which is also unique for an O/U
• Cycled extremely well but I noticed a lot of muzzle jump with it being a lighter gun
• I got a lot of recoil into my face to be honest with you

BREAKDOWN

• Breakdown was super easy - the ejectors completely in the barrel is a cool design. Curious to see how it holds up!
• The receiver is also unique - It has a spring-loaded dampening surface intended to absorb the initial recoil energy in order to decrease the pressure that would otherwise go directly into the receiver

SPEED SHOOTING

• I was able to accomplish shooting 2 hand thrown clays in 1.11 seconds 

In summary, I have to be somewhat gracious as new guns on the market often have some issues that the manufacturer can only really understand once its out and in the customer's hands. With that said, I thought Benelli did a good job - Especially for breaking into a totally new market with an O/U. The main thing that bothered me was the recoil. This may come down to personal preference. Do you want to walk all day with it or have minimal recoil? You decide!

Whether our targets in the field or our targets in life, we will only hit what we are focused on so live the #targetfocusedlife 

Stay Target Focused,

Steve