@@reddawng43x91 I don’t shoot a nasty TriStar. I put 150-200 shells through my gun every week at the skeet range and it hasn’t ever failed to cycle or misfired. I’ve also hunted every day of the duck and/or dove season this year and it’s eaten all of those loads fine as well, with the exception of 1 Winchester Super X shell that didn’t go off.
I’ll be shooting a benelli super black eagle 3 this year I’ve used rem oil for years and have never had any issues with it everyone I know uses it as well never any problems idk if maybe it gets colder up there than in South Carolina but I’ve had it out in teen degree weather never an issue
I saw your review of that the other day, I loved the way that gun handled but just didn't have the money for it. It might be that but I just felt that it wasn't a doing a good job of lubricating or protecting my gun. Might just been I had a couple bad cans.
Shooting my stoeger m3000. I’ve shot well into the thousands of shells through it. From light target loads to 3 in 00 buck for hogs. I take this gun on every hunt from dove to hogs. In the 2 and a half years I’ve owned it I’ve cleaned it maybe three times. The only issue I’ve ever had is when it gets really dirty it may not feed a shell every once and a while. I love this shot gun.
I use a Benelli Ethos, for upland hunting, and swear by CLP. I actually have some Remington products I like, my 1963 870 Wingmaster field comes to mind, but I have always experienced gumming up issues with Remoil - despite many hunting buddies who swear by it.
The Affinity Elite is cera-kote covered, at least the receiver and barrel. The 7 year warranty is cool. The Elite has included Short Range, Mid-Range and Long Range Tru-lock extended chokes. And lengthened forcing cone barrel work.
I have a franchi affinity 3 20 gauge and you have to hold it tight enough to your shoulder for it to cycle every time that is because it is a inertia driven system and the recoil spring is in the stock
I have the basic Franchi Affinity black synthetic entry gun that I got from Dick's a few years ago for under $500 and comes with one choke only. I called the factory and they were very nice and send me 4 chokes and 4 chimes to adjust the stock. I like it a lot but I'm looking to get the Franchi affinity 3. I only use 3 inches only.
As a fellow Virginian, who just purchased this gun 6 months ago, you are right on when it comes to using the rem oil. I switched to a different oil and did not have any issues in the next 500 shots at the skeet range. I am not sure where you are in Virginia, but, I shoot at the Bull Run Shooting center in Manassas Va. Good luck this coming season!!!
Glad to hear it wasn’t just my imagination with the rem oil issue. Im from the Richmond area but I don’t shoot any skeet or trap, probably should try to get out on the range some before the season comes in. Good luck to you as well this fall!
This year will be using a browning maxis. Also agree throw the Remington lube away and with any lube you use only put a drop on wear metal is meeting metal it will keep it running smooth and won’t get grimy
@@HokeOutdoors well mostly local geese because East Tennessee has no birds in the winter. Hoping to hit Kansas up in the 2022 season. Would you ever do a hunt or two with a subscriber, I don’t think we live super far from each other.
@@joshdennis8841 yeah man I definitely would, I hunt with subscribers a good bit and most have ended becoming my hunting buddies! I’ve never hunted TN before but if you find yourself in central or southern VA I’m always game to try to line something up
Great overview of your first season with the Affinity. Enjoyed it. I’ll be running 1 primary and two secondary shotguns this season: 1) SBE 3 (my #1) 2) Vinci (great timber gun) 3) Gold 10 Light (for the heavy honkers in late season here in VA/WV) I’ll be using Boss Shotshells out of all of them. 12ga duck load- 2-3/4” 1-1/4oz #4 12ga goose load - 3” 1-1/2oz #3 10ga goose load - 3-1/2” 1-3/4oz #1 or #2
Virginia Outdoors Unlimited i can’t wait to let the Mighty 10 eat up some sky pandas with them. It should be a blood bath. September can’t get here soon enough!
Just bought a retay masi Mara air king gun is super flat makes it great for instinctive shooting and has a new inertia driven bolt that it very reliable also a browning maxus will forever have my heart
Goose hunted with a semi auto franchi from 1989 to approx 2000 never had problems with jamming at all. Fastest shooting shotgun I had ever owned. Loved how light weight it was, also the semi autos have to be cleaned quite often due to the way they operate. When cleaning my shotgun would pull two pins and drop complete assembly out wipe with a rag then lubricate with dry silicone spray. This is very easy to do on the franchi semi autos. Best shotgun I ever owned!
Benelli Vinci w/ 24" barrel and carlson long range super steel choke. It and federal blue box and premium #2's from rogers are a winning combo. I took a dive 2 years ago in some thick mud and had to use the gun as a crutch to get out, dunk it in the water a couple times to ckean the mud off, load it and emptied 3 shells into the bank. It didnt even flinch.
I’m shooting a SBE3 that I bought last year and I have put over 2000 rounds threw it easily and I love it I shoot trap a lot with it and a lot of ducks and pheasants and I have already got my money’s worth from it I love it so much it is fast and smooth and it is super easy to clean to
I've heard tons of good things about them. They got a bad rap early for the shooting high stuff but it seems like they brought most of them down to POA now. I want to get one some day
@@HokeOutdoors i bought a sbe3 about 2 months ago and had to send it to Benelli, it was shooting way high and left. The gun was made in 2020. I had no idea they had the POI problems prior to buying gun.
Using the old 11-87 Special Field Upland with a Trulock Modified choke. Also using my SX4 with a modified choke. Black Cloud #2s. Might spring for some Boss shells next season.
I shoot the original Benelli super black eagle with an extended Briley Lt. Mod.choke.A tip I got from a gunsmith 40 years ago has been invaluable in cleaning.Use a cheap solvent like a spray can of break cleaner (use the extended nozzle to clean out the gunk,powder,etc that collets in fixed interiod action of gun) The dropped trigger assembly and other parts can be sprayed cleaned.The big advantage of a solvent like brake cleaner is it eats the gunk and dries on contact. THEN I apply a lite lubribration oil ...use your favorite. For the last 10 years all I shoot for duck and pheasant is Black Cloud 3 inch 1 1/4 oz. # 3s lol..sorry for the book!
No worries Sly! Those original SBEs are highly sought after I've heard. My IM choke is a Briley as well, great chokes too but that one just doesn't get broken out as much. Thanks for the tips, I will have to get some to try out. I liked Black Clouds a lot more when I shot them this year than when I'd used them in the past. Gotta say though I really liked the speed shoks a little more still
Thomas, on shell brands and loads I have found a couple of rules to follow. Find a load that works for you;then don't switch. I know you are on a "college" bugget but most importantly, if changing atleast Match Same Speed of desired load.The Black Cloud I use for Phez and Duck speed is 1450fps.I like 1 1/4 oz for ducks and phez and field loads of 1 1/8 for doves (lead when on private ground) Matching speeds =more consistent shooting.
I currently own 4 Benellis all semi. And have probably owned 10 or more in my lifetime. Owned one of the SBE basically when they first came out. I now only use FP10 for lubricant. I scrub the internals of the gun down once a year with soapy hot water and lightly lube with FP10. This is most important when you hunt in sub freezing conditions like I do many times a year. Most lubricants including the oil that comes with the gun gel up in really cold conditions. I also buy and put a little choke tube grease on my tubes. Had one rust in once.
I used an 1100 3 " for years before replacing with an 1187 3.5 ". I rarely used anything but 2 3/4 lead when that was legal and all that was available. When steel became mandatory that for a few years was all we could find. When other non - toxic shot shells came on the market they were so expensive and hard to find, steel was our only chose. I dropped to shooting # 2 - 3 size shot. Noticed they would drop birds but many were cripples capable of swimming away or hiding if not retrieved immediately. Yea we gave some a water blast to anchor if needed. I had a couple of labs over my years and highly recommend looking into getting one to anyone as serious a waterfowler as you. I gives another demention to the sport and helps cut down loses. Great on a dove opener too. They make great pets as well as hunting companions. Nothing tests a shotguns durabilty more than wet, muddy boats and I admit not taking more time between hunts to tear down my auto s for a proper cleaning. Remingtons or at least mine only gave me problems if I used an excessive amount of oil and this increased with really cold temps which we couldn t get enough of back in the day. As tough as all other aspects of the sport are , I would try to use another type non - toxic type of shells that are more dense than steel or even the old lead that would put the stopper on em. Keep em coming buddy. 😊
I have always had issues with jams whenever I had used Remington oil. Switched to Clp and it fixed the issue. Have read the same thing about REM oil in blogs. I shoot a 20 ga. Beretta 3901 with well over 1500 rounds through it with only one FTL.
Love my franchi affinity the only issue is if the bolt doesn’t slam all the way forward it won’t shoot but that’s only happened a hand full of times . other than that never had an issue with it for 2 years.
Lordy my Franchi had that bolt issue so much I retired it to the safe, hopefully yours won’t have any issues ...those quality lubricants like CLP will help.
Early this summer I picked up a Franchi 3 and have absolutly loved it! It fits me really well and I've put around 400 skeet loads through it so far with no issues. Only complaint I have is some surface rust on my barrel, but with the black finish, you can hardly tell. Just seems to turn my cotton red when I wipe it down. I'm patterning tomorrow and cant wait to hunt with it this year!
I've heard the black ones can accumulate a little rust a like that. Have you thought about getting it cerakoted? That would protect from rust I believe. Hope you get on some birds with it this season!
@@HokeOutdoors I've thought about a Cerakote job but want to wait to see if the rusting stops. My buddy had a similar issue with his Benelli and he said he just soaked it with oil and wiped it down once a week for a month or two and he never gets rust any more. Fingers crossed!
Do you mind me asking what kind of shells you were putting through it for skeet? I have the 20 gauge 3” variant and have had trouble finding skeet rounds that will cycle properly.
I'll be using my Benelli Super Black Eagle 2 that I've used for 4 seasons now. I absolutely love that gun and never had any problems with it. I also have a Remington 870 as my backup, also love that gun. When teal season comes I'll be using Hevi-Teal 6 shot with a Carlson Cremator IC. For duck and goose season I have a Carlson Cremator MR and LR, and Carlson Black Cloud Chokes in MR and LR using Black Cloud 2 shot and BB.
Benelli M1 Super90 feild. Bought it in 2006 thousands of rounds through it still shoots amazing! My next gun will either be a SB3 or a Browning A5. Cheers :)
I've heard lots of good things about those old M1s and my buddy Chase actually shoots one. I want to try out the SBE3 but if I got an A5 it'd have to be an older one.
Browning maxus I don't clean it but once a season at the start used as a paddle axe goes through mud sand clay and no problem at all (does not like field sand though ) but highly recommended it
@@HokeOutdoors im looking into the franchi affinity for my 20ga me and you both now that salt water between eastern nc and va will rust up some guns though
Benelli M2 12 gauge. I have a Kicks High Flyer X-Full and I just purchased a Carlson's Extended Mid Range super steel choke. Just have to pattern them and see which one shoots better at various distances with a variety of loads. A Lead Sled is worth the money.
I'd be interested to hear the results. I'd bet it'll be the Carlson's if you're shooting steel. I do have a shooting rest where I typically pattern my gun.
@@HokeOutdoors I learned so much from the guys at Kicks last year. I had no clue how much variance there is from one manufacturer to the next in bore diameter. I had always assumed all 12 gauge barrels were pretty much the same diameter. Never to old to learn and get better. I will try to remember and post a comment about patterning results. Got to let it cool down a little bit first.
Gonna be using my Beretta A300 Outlander with a Kicks highflier modifies for the wood duck swamps and tight holes and a Carlson creamators full choke for big water hunting
Remington versa max waterfowl edition never had 1 hiccup in 2 years I hunt super hard and clean maybe 2 times between a duck and goose season maybe 40 to fifty hunts a year
Rem-Oil is water based and will gum up and freeze. I prefer G-96, it’s oil based and I have used it on all my guns and my antique rifles and shotguns without any problems.
From what I have researched from Franchi, use an aftermarket choke tube. I think part of what makes the price cut down from Benelli is with the lack of emphasis on their factory chokes.
@@HokeOutdoors If I could find it in a 20 gauge max 5 or any Camo but MOBL I'd get it right now, but I have too many bottomland ones. I may end up just paying a few hundred more for an m2 or something. I really like the look and the way it shoots. I just don't like the no 28" barrel on the Franchi 20s.
If you are using like military grade CLP you may wanna continue trying other brands.. 11 years and 3 deployments in the Army that stuff is trash. Or at least what they give us for CLP.. I like using Ballistol and Hopps. But like anything.. personal preference. As for the gun I’ll be using this year it will be the Benelli Nova 12ga 🤙🏼
I've just been using Breakfree CLP. Seems to work fine so far but I'll report if I have any issues with it. I've used Hopps but mainly use it on my rifles. Loved my old Nova, gonna shoot it again this season some
Virginia Outdoors Unlimited gotcha yeah as long as it isn’t the military stuff. I’ll have to look into breakfree! But the ol Nova has never done me wrong!
I thought Kents did well out of my stoeger too. After the third year of use for my gun I started having recoil failures. I think if I replaced the recoil spring it would fix it but mine also needs a new barrel too.
@@HokeOutdoors Thanks, I'm sure I will love i. I already have an early model with synthetic black stock and a 28-inch barrel. However, I liked the one you have and kept nagging my kids about till they ordered one father's day.
I USE A BROWNING OVER AND UNDER 20 GA AND 12 GA FOR DUCKS AND GEESE WHEN I USED MY AUTOS I RAN THEM DRY THEY NEVER FAILED ME TRY THAT OR A LITTEL GRAFITE WORKS WELL TO GOOD LUCK THIS YEAR
i use a franchi affinity every day i’ve done some mods and made the gun fig other then the stock needed altering it’s been great i’ve shot 5000 cartridges threw it in a year and a half
@@HokeOutdoors longer pad to lengthen it to 14 5/8 over sized nordic bolt handle toni systems over sized bolt release teague super extended 1/2 choke taran tactical extended shell lifter i’m in the uk most parts came from brownells via the US
Same problem with the rust only on the bolt, I don’t clean my gun at all for the first year and beat em good to torture test em so honestly why I seen just a touch of rust I have had no jams thus far over 1000+ rounds through her which is impressive since she’s been through hell lol
put a thin coat of clp on the bolt parts when you disassemble it then wipe it off when ready to reassemble. it helps me with rust ive never had any on my sbe3. i also coat the threads and choke with it. wont seize in your gun that way. and prevents rust.
I got the same gun around the same time last year and I have similar round count and last winter I had issues just like yours and it was totally lube related. I was over oiling the gun and it was freezing up causing short strokes. I was using Lucas CLP. I’ve since moved on to using slip2000 EWL and I’m oiling it a lot lighter and have not had a issue since.
Great video btw 👍! I will be using a franchi affinty 3.5. The gun feels great and I took it on a pheasant hunt early this year and it was fantastic. I will be using it for this years waterfowl season. I have patterned the gun with factory and my Carlson cremator mid range, and the cremator by far threw better patterns any shell I was using. Before I used my sbe1 which I love and still take my turkeys with. I use break free clp and it works great!
Thanks Red. Most of the people that have tried them out and I've talked to have been impressed with the feel of the Affinity. The Carlsons tend to do that from my experience too. The mid range is a light modified (.710) as well I believe. Glad to hear the breakfree worked for you as well!
the M2 fits me the best of any gun I've ever had but with that said I picked up the Affinity 3 and shouldered it and it fits pretty much exactly like my m2. Also it feels lighter in hand and swings nice. I sold the M2 and will probably buy an Affinity in 12 and 20.
My buddy has an M2 and I just didn't like the way it was weighted when I have shot it, I think this gun handles a lot like both the M1 and M2 though. I really want to try the Affinity in 20 sometimes soon!
also about your oiling with rem oil ... the only time I had failure to feed was when I over lubed my m2 and it was cold out like 18 degrees or less. I quickly learned that inertia guns don't like a lot of oil ... oil then wipe it all off and the action will work just fine. thousands of rounds through my m2 and no negative effects from going light on the oil products.
Hoppe's 9 has a great lubricant. Been using it for 25 years. A5. Winchester is no bueno. With dissection knowledge (and obviously my massive field knowledge:), I've found Federal & Kent are the best in quality and price.
Alittle late to the video but I have the same gun and I have also had it for one year. My affinity 3 has been cleaned and oiled with rem oil and it performs great no issues whatsoever never jammed on me I also shoot hevi steel and it knocks every bird unless I clean miss lol
I bought a 12 gauge and 20 gauge for my son and I to use this waterfowl season. Franchi does recommend putting 3-4 boxes of target loads through the Gun as a break in period. I found that my 12 gauge did fine with 2 boxes but my son’s 20 gauge took like an extra box before it would cycle without stove piping a shell. You said you basically started hunting with yours with very little problem cycling. I am going to break them down and clean them so I’m interested to see how dirty they will be. I also plan on using dryloks this year.
Huh I looked all through the manual of mine and couldn’t find anything about breaking it in. The first shells I put through mine were dove loads and it cycled those with no issues. The only issues I ever had was on waterfowl hunts
I have a franchi affinity 3.5, shot about 500 rounds, mostly 1 1\8 oz target loads. Whenever I clean my gun, I never lubricate the action of the gun. U don't need to. I have not had a single jam or misfire.
I’m using the stoeger m3000 had one failure to feed while shooting skeet but that was my fault as I hadn’t cleaned the gun since I cleaned it it cycles everything I put through it.
This is my second season but I’ve hunted squirrel and shot plenty of skeet I even use light recoil loads while shooting skeet and it cycles those as well. Time will tell if it will continue to run smooth
For gun maintenance, have you ever tried grease to lubricate your shotgun? I’ve used MPRO7 gun grease and it seems to work well…it actually sticks to metal and stays there, unlike oil. It’s not for every part of a firearm, but it works great for big parts like bolts, etc.
Some of the rust could come from the choke getting hot and being wet from dew or rain or just water from the area the wayer fowl are landing in. I own the same gun and love it i have owned olent of different shotgun brands, but this one is just different.
2nd waterfowl season on my affinity and use remoil to clean my gun but whipe it off and use Lucas gun oil to lubricate...I have over 600+ rounds through mine and have never had an issue whatsoever...no rust no paint durability problems and no misfire/loading problems!!
@@HokeOutdoors that's what I love about trying new stuff. I wanted to LOVE Boss, but they just didn't work well for me. Glad there's options out there for everyone.
You need to try a sbe 3. I have the same franchi and a sbe 3 love both guns but the sbe 3 shoulders perfect, and gun is so much more comfortable and rem oil did the same to my stoeger i had. And also try and shoot some hevi metal. Since I have started buying hevi metal even after the shells has been under water because of them being in my waders or even rusted shells the shells haven’t had a misfire in 3 years of using hevi metal out of a franchi or my sbe 3
If I had the money I’d probably have an SBE 3 but the Franchi is about as close as you can get for the price. I like hevi metal but just don’t really have the money to consistently by bismuth loads
Virginia Outdoors Unlimited I have learned that the extra 5-8 bucks a box will really kill the birds stone dead I have had many of cripples get away because of cheap steel. And the franchi is an awesome gun that’s what I shot all through college
What shotgun will you be using this coming waterfowl/hunting season?
Stoeger m3000
Benneli sbe3
Probably gonna get a Franchi Affinity 3 or 3.5
I will probably be using my benelli montefeltro. I am hoping to get a new gun that fits me better soon.
@@brandondodd9473 I would try a franchi, might be able to find one for sale around thanksgiving
Franchi Affinity 3 Elite. Bought it last December, have put 5,000+ rounds through it since then at birds and skeet and not had a single issue.
Nice, those Elites look awesome, I'm hoping mine will be issue free from here on out.
Bs
@@reddawng43x91 what makes that BS? The fact that I shoot more than you?
@@josiahwise6160 no the fact that from 0-5000 rds including skeet loads with zero hickups!
@@reddawng43x91 I don’t shoot a nasty TriStar. I put 150-200 shells through my gun every week at the skeet range and it hasn’t ever failed to cycle or misfired. I’ve also hunted every day of the duck and/or dove season this year and it’s eaten all of those loads fine as well, with the exception of 1 Winchester Super X shell that didn’t go off.
I’ll be shooting a benelli super black eagle 3 this year I’ve used rem oil for years and have never had any issues with it everyone I know uses it as well never any problems idk if maybe it gets colder up there than in South Carolina but I’ve had it out in teen degree weather never an issue
I saw your review of that the other day, I loved the way that gun handled but just didn't have the money for it. It might be that but I just felt that it wasn't a doing a good job of lubricating or protecting my gun. Might just been I had a couple bad cans.
Shooting my stoeger m3000. I’ve shot well into the thousands of shells through it. From light target loads to 3 in 00 buck for hogs. I take this gun on every hunt from dove to hogs. In the 2 and a half years I’ve owned it I’ve cleaned it maybe three times. The only issue I’ve ever had is when it gets really dirty it may not feed a shell every once and a while. I love this shot gun.
I use a Benelli Ethos, for upland hunting, and swear by CLP. I actually have some Remington products I like, my 1963 870 Wingmaster field comes to mind, but I have always experienced gumming up issues with Remoil - despite many hunting buddies who swear by it.
I will be shooting the SBE 3 BE.S.T. I also have an Affinity 3 and love it though!
The Affinity Elite is cera-kote covered, at least the receiver and barrel. The 7 year warranty is cool. The Elite has included Short Range, Mid-Range and Long Range Tru-lock extended chokes. And lengthened forcing cone barrel work.
Good review. Clear, well spoken, efficient, intelligent. You, sir, must be a Virginian.
Thank you! Born and raised!
I have a franchi affinity 3 20 gauge and you have to hold it tight enough to your shoulder for it to cycle every time that is because it is a inertia driven system and the recoil spring is in the stock
I'll, be usin Franci Affinity 12/7 6 Max 5, ive had for 1 year now and i really love it. Havent had any rust issues even tho i hunt in salt water
I have the basic Franchi Affinity black synthetic entry gun that I got from Dick's a few years ago for under $500 and comes with one choke only. I called the factory and they were very nice and send me 4 chokes and 4 chimes to adjust the stock. I like it a lot but I'm looking to get the Franchi affinity 3. I only use 3 inches only.
Remington 870 Express Super Magnum!!!!
My gun is a Remington 11-87 12 gauge
As a fellow Virginian, who just purchased this gun 6 months ago, you are right on when it comes to using the rem oil. I switched to a different oil and did not have any issues in the next 500 shots at the skeet range. I am not sure where you are in Virginia, but, I shoot at the Bull Run Shooting center in Manassas Va. Good luck this coming season!!!
Glad to hear it wasn’t just my imagination with the rem oil issue. Im from the Richmond area but I don’t shoot any skeet or trap, probably should try to get out on the range some before the season comes in. Good luck to you as well this fall!
This year will be using a browning maxis. Also agree throw the Remington lube away and with any lube you use only put a drop on wear metal is meeting metal it will keep it running smooth and won’t get grimy
I appreciate the tip. No longer doing anything Remington besides maybe dove loads. My buddy uses a Maxus and hasn't had any hiccups
I’ll be rocking an affinity 3.5 for the 2021 season. Already cerakoted with max 5 furniture on it. Can’t wait to get it shipped in.
That's awesome man! I think you'll love it for whatever your chasing with it
@@HokeOutdoors well mostly local geese because East Tennessee has no birds in the winter. Hoping to hit Kansas up in the 2022 season. Would you ever do a hunt or two with a subscriber, I don’t think we live super far from each other.
@@joshdennis8841 yeah man I definitely would, I hunt with subscribers a good bit and most have ended becoming my hunting buddies! I’ve never hunted TN before but if you find yourself in central or southern VA I’m always game to try to line something up
@@HokeOutdoors I’m just about 30 mins east of Knoxville and about 2 hours from VA line. Would love to get a hunt setup this year with you man
Good review, pure stream of great information with no useless fluff, also very well spoken. Keep it up from a fellow Virginian!!
I appreciate it! Going to be posting my 5 year review on this gun soon!
Great overview of your first season with the Affinity. Enjoyed it.
I’ll be running 1 primary and two secondary shotguns this season:
1) SBE 3 (my #1)
2) Vinci (great timber gun)
3) Gold 10 Light (for the heavy honkers in late season here in VA/WV)
I’ll be using Boss Shotshells out of all of them.
12ga duck load- 2-3/4” 1-1/4oz #4
12ga goose load - 3” 1-1/2oz #3
10ga goose load - 3-1/2” 1-3/4oz #1 or #2
Thanks! Glad to hear it. That's a nice mix, those BOSS 10 GA loads should be something else
Virginia Outdoors Unlimited i can’t wait to let the Mighty 10 eat up some sky pandas with them. It should be a blood bath. September can’t get here soon enough!
Use S.T.O.S. on the threads of choke tubes. It will help from rust and binding up. Great video!
I appreciate the advice, I'll look into it!
Just bought a retay masi Mara air king gun is super flat makes it great for instinctive shooting and has a new inertia driven bolt that it very reliable also a browning maxus will forever have my heart
Beretta A 400 Kick Off Extreme
Goose hunted with a semi auto franchi from 1989 to approx 2000 never had problems with jamming at all. Fastest shooting shotgun I had ever owned. Loved how light weight it was, also the semi autos have to be cleaned quite often due to the way they operate. When cleaning my shotgun would pull two pins and drop complete assembly out wipe with a rag then lubricate with dry silicone spray. This is very easy to do on the franchi semi autos. Best shotgun I ever owned!
Benelli Vinci w/ 24" barrel and carlson long range super steel choke. It and federal blue box and premium #2's from rogers are a winning combo. I took a dive 2 years ago in some thick mud and had to use the gun as a crutch to get out, dunk it in the water a couple times to ckean the mud off, load it and emptied 3 shells into the bank. It didnt even flinch.
Sounds like a good combo. I liked the speed shoks I tried this season.
I’m shooting a SBE3 that I bought last year and I have put over 2000 rounds threw it easily and I love it I shoot trap a lot with it and a lot of ducks and pheasants and I have already got my money’s worth from it I love it so much it is fast and smooth and it is super easy to clean to
I've heard tons of good things about them. They got a bad rap early for the shooting high stuff but it seems like they brought most of them down to POA now. I want to get one some day
@@HokeOutdoors i bought a sbe3 about 2 months ago and had to send it to Benelli, it was shooting way high and left. The gun was made in 2020. I had no idea they had the POI problems prior to buying gun.
Using the old 11-87 Special Field Upland with a Trulock Modified choke. Also using my SX4 with a modified choke. Black Cloud #2s. Might spring for some Boss shells next season.
Also, I have also had issues with the Remoil. Switched out to Militech.
That sounds like a pretty good pairing of guns! That boss hits hard, I just need to get better with my shooting before I can rationalize buying it
I shoot the original Benelli super black eagle with an extended Briley Lt. Mod.choke.A tip I got from a gunsmith 40 years ago has been invaluable in cleaning.Use a cheap solvent like a spray can of break cleaner (use the extended nozzle to clean out the gunk,powder,etc that collets in fixed interiod action of gun) The dropped trigger assembly and other parts can be sprayed cleaned.The big advantage of a solvent like brake cleaner is it eats the gunk and dries on contact.
THEN I apply a lite lubribration oil ...use your favorite.
For the last 10 years all I shoot for duck and pheasant is Black Cloud 3 inch 1 1/4 oz. # 3s
lol..sorry for the book!
No worries Sly! Those original SBEs are highly sought after I've heard. My IM choke is a Briley as well, great chokes too but that one just doesn't get broken out as much. Thanks for the tips, I will have to get some to try out. I liked Black Clouds a lot more when I shot them this year than when I'd used them in the past. Gotta say though I really liked the speed shoks a little more still
Thomas, on shell brands and loads I have found a couple of rules to follow. Find a load that works for you;then don't switch. I know you are on a "college" bugget but most importantly, if changing atleast Match Same Speed of desired load.The Black Cloud I use for Phez and Duck speed is 1450fps.I like 1 1/4 oz for ducks and phez and field loads of 1 1/8 for doves (lead when on private ground)
Matching speeds =more consistent shooting.
I currently own 4 Benellis all semi. And have probably owned 10 or more in my lifetime. Owned one of the SBE basically when they first came out. I now only use FP10 for lubricant. I scrub the internals of the gun down once a year with soapy hot water and lightly lube with FP10. This is most important when you hunt in sub freezing conditions like I do many times a year. Most lubricants including the oil that comes with the gun gel up in really cold conditions. I also buy and put a little choke tube grease on my tubes. Had one rust in once.
I used an 1100 3 " for years before replacing with an 1187 3.5 ". I rarely used anything but 2 3/4 lead when that was legal and all that was available. When steel became mandatory that for a few years was all we could find. When other non - toxic shot shells came on the market they were so expensive and hard to find, steel was our only chose. I dropped to shooting # 2 - 3 size shot. Noticed they would drop birds but many were cripples capable of swimming away or hiding if not retrieved immediately.
Yea we gave some a water blast to anchor if needed.
I had a couple of labs over my years and highly recommend looking into getting one to anyone as serious a waterfowler as you.
I gives another demention to the sport and helps cut down loses. Great on a dove opener too. They make great pets as well as hunting companions.
Nothing tests a shotguns durabilty more than wet, muddy boats and I admit not taking more time between hunts to tear down my auto s for a proper cleaning. Remingtons or at least mine only gave me problems if I used an excessive amount of oil and this increased with really cold temps which we couldn t get enough of back in the day. As tough as all other aspects of the sport are , I would try to use another type non - toxic type of shells that are more dense than steel or even the old lead that would put the stopper on em.
Keep em coming buddy.
😊
I have always had issues with jams whenever I had used Remington oil. Switched to Clp and it fixed the issue. Have read the same thing about REM oil in blogs. I shoot a 20 ga. Beretta 3901 with well over 1500 rounds through it with only one FTL.
Love my franchi affinity the only issue is if the bolt doesn’t slam all the way forward it won’t shoot but that’s only happened a hand full of times . other than that never had an issue with it for 2 years.
Yeah that's a common issue with the inertia system + bolt that Benelli uses. I've heard getting a different recoil spring can help
Lordy my Franchi had that bolt issue so much I retired it to the safe, hopefully yours won’t have any issues ...those quality lubricants like CLP will help.
Early this summer I picked up a Franchi 3 and have absolutly loved it! It fits me really well and I've put around 400 skeet loads through it so far with no issues. Only complaint I have is some surface rust on my barrel, but with the black finish, you can hardly tell. Just seems to turn my cotton red when I wipe it down. I'm patterning tomorrow and cant wait to hunt with it this year!
I've heard the black ones can accumulate a little rust a like that. Have you thought about getting it cerakoted? That would protect from rust I believe. Hope you get on some birds with it this season!
@@HokeOutdoors I've thought about a Cerakote job but want to wait to see if the rusting stops. My buddy had a similar issue with his Benelli and he said he just soaked it with oil and wiped it down once a week for a month or two and he never gets rust any more. Fingers crossed!
Do you mind me asking what kind of shells you were putting through it for skeet? I have the 20 gauge 3” variant and have had trouble finding skeet rounds that will cycle properly.
@@56dao Herters target loads. 7.5 or 8 shot, I can't remember which
Remington 870 express super mag! Treated me really well last season.
Same
I'll be using my Benelli Super Black Eagle 2 that I've used for 4 seasons now. I absolutely love that gun and never had any problems with it. I also have a Remington 870 as my backup, also love that gun. When teal season comes I'll be using Hevi-Teal 6 shot with a Carlson Cremator IC. For duck and goose season I have a Carlson Cremator MR and LR, and Carlson Black Cloud Chokes in MR and LR using Black Cloud 2 shot and BB.
Sounds like a great setup! How do you like the cremator MR and LR?
@@HokeOutdoors They are the one of the best chokes I've ever used so far.
Benelli M1 Super90 feild.
Bought it in 2006 thousands of rounds through it still shoots amazing!
My next gun will either be a SB3 or a Browning A5. Cheers :)
I've heard lots of good things about those old M1s and my buddy Chase actually shoots one. I want to try out the SBE3 but if I got an A5 it'd have to be an older one.
Browning maxus I don't clean it but once a season at the start used as a paddle axe goes through mud sand clay and no problem at all (does not like field sand though ) but highly recommended it
Glad to hear you like the Maxus! I've heard a lot of good reviews about them, I'd like to try one out here soon
@@HokeOutdoors im looking into the franchi affinity for my 20ga me and you both now that salt water between eastern nc and va will rust up some guns though
Benelli M2 12 gauge. I have a Kicks High Flyer X-Full and I just purchased a Carlson's Extended Mid Range super steel choke. Just have to pattern them and see which one shoots better at various distances with a variety of loads. A Lead Sled is worth the money.
I'd be interested to hear the results. I'd bet it'll be the Carlson's if you're shooting steel. I do have a shooting rest where I typically pattern my gun.
@@HokeOutdoors I learned so much from the guys at Kicks last year. I had no clue how much variance there is from one manufacturer to the next in bore diameter. I had always assumed all 12 gauge barrels were pretty much the same diameter. Never to old to learn and get better. I will try to remember and post a comment about patterning results. Got to let it cool down a little bit first.
Gonna be using my Beretta A300 Outlander with a Kicks highflier modifies for the wood duck swamps and tight holes and a Carlson creamators full choke for big water hunting
Nice, those A300s are a great gas gun for the price in my opinion. Sounds like a good choke combo 👍🏻
Remington versa max waterfowl edition never had 1 hiccup in 2 years I hunt super hard and clean maybe 2 times between a duck and goose season maybe 40 to fifty hunts a year
Stoeger/Benelli 3500.. I bought it used and really like how it shoots.
What’s a Stoeger benelli
Rem-Oil is water based and will gum up and freeze. I prefer G-96, it’s oil based and I have used it on all my guns and my antique rifles and shotguns without any problems.
I’ll have to look into that the next time I’m in the market for some
From what I have researched from Franchi, use an aftermarket choke tube. I think part of what makes the price cut down from Benelli is with the lack of emphasis on their factory chokes.
I haven't had any issues with the Franchi factory tubes but I do like the aftermarket options that are available
@@HokeOutdoors If I could find it in a 20 gauge max 5 or any Camo but MOBL I'd get it right now, but I have too many bottomland ones. I may end up just paying a few hundred more for an m2 or something. I really like the look and the way it shoots. I just don't like the no 28" barrel on the Franchi 20s.
If you are using like military grade CLP you may wanna continue trying other brands.. 11 years and 3 deployments in the Army that stuff is trash. Or at least what they give us for CLP.. I like using Ballistol and Hopps. But like anything.. personal preference. As for the gun I’ll be using this year it will be the Benelli Nova 12ga 🤙🏼
I've just been using Breakfree CLP. Seems to work fine so far but I'll report if I have any issues with it. I've used Hopps but mainly use it on my rifles. Loved my old Nova, gonna shoot it again this season some
Virginia Outdoors Unlimited gotcha yeah as long as it isn’t the military stuff. I’ll have to look into breakfree! But the ol Nova has never done me wrong!
I've been using a mossberg 935 waterfowl edition and I've been using rem oil and have had no problems but it's a personal preference.
I use a stoeger m3000 and I never had to break it in, my friend has one too and didn’t break his in and they both cycle great
Bs
I have found the Kent fast steel to do the best for me.. I also did a couple of times that the Stoeger did not cycle but it's all good.
I thought Kents did well out of my stoeger too. After the third year of use for my gun I started having recoil failures. I think if I replaced the recoil spring it would fix it but mine also needs a new barrel too.
My kids got me the same gun last week. I liked it a lot.
Glad to hear it! Hope you end up loving yours as much as I do
@@HokeOutdoors Thanks, I'm sure I will love i. I already have an early model with synthetic black stock and a 28-inch barrel. However, I liked the one you have and kept nagging my kids about till they ordered one father's day.
I USE A BROWNING OVER AND UNDER 20 GA AND 12 GA FOR DUCKS AND GEESE WHEN I USED MY AUTOS I RAN THEM DRY THEY NEVER FAILED ME TRY THAT OR A LITTEL GRAFITE WORKS WELL TO GOOD LUCK THIS YEAR
Thanks Richie, good luck to you as well!
i use a franchi affinity every day i’ve done some mods and made the gun fig other then the stock needed altering it’s been great i’ve shot 5000 cartridges threw it in a year and a half
What kind of modifications have you done? I love my affinity 3 still and plan to keep using it for seasons to com
@@HokeOutdoors longer pad to lengthen it to 14 5/8 over sized nordic bolt handle toni systems over sized bolt release teague super extended 1/2 choke taran tactical extended shell lifter i’m in the uk most parts came from brownells via the US
Franchi intensity and I love it! CLP is great
Browning CXS 20 gauge with 30" Barrels? And a Franchi Affinity Sporting in 30" barrel.
Same problem with the rust only on the bolt, I don’t clean my gun at all for the first year and beat em good to torture test em so honestly why I seen just a touch of rust
I have had no jams thus far over 1000+ rounds through her which is impressive since she’s been through hell lol
put a thin coat of clp on the bolt parts when you disassemble it then wipe it off when ready to reassemble. it helps me with rust ive never had any on my sbe3. i also coat the threads and choke with it. wont seize in your gun that way. and prevents rust.
I have a frachi affinity 3 as well. KG Products works well for carbon removal and lubricant.
Browning Maxus And Winchester SX4
I got the same gun around the same time last year and I have similar round count and last winter I had issues just like yours and it was totally lube related. I was over oiling the gun and it was freezing up causing short strokes. I was using Lucas CLP. I’ve since moved on to using slip2000 EWL and I’m oiling it a lot lighter and have not had a issue since.
Great video btw 👍! I will be using a franchi affinty 3.5. The gun feels great and I took it on a pheasant hunt early this year and it was fantastic. I will be using it for this years waterfowl season. I have patterned the gun with factory and my Carlson cremator mid range, and the cremator by far threw better patterns any shell I was using. Before I used my sbe1 which I love and still take my turkeys with. I use break free clp and it works great!
Thanks Red. Most of the people that have tried them out and I've talked to have been impressed with the feel of the Affinity. The Carlsons tend to do that from my experience too. The mid range is a light modified (.710) as well I believe. Glad to hear the breakfree worked for you as well!
Keep them coming! Where are your 24’ vids?!
Got a half dozen hunts from this season up already! You can find them all here - ua-cam.com/video/tZIhMg1wZsk/v-deo.html
Winchester sx3 I use WD-40 to lubricant my gun never gums up and always works
Franchi affinity 3.5 all day baby
Stoeger 3500 and Benelli Supernova depends on what type of waterfowl hunting I'm doing
I use a Remington v3 sport
the M2 fits me the best of any gun I've ever had but with that said I picked up the Affinity 3 and shouldered it and it fits pretty much exactly like my m2. Also it feels lighter in hand and swings nice. I sold the M2 and will probably buy an Affinity in 12 and 20.
My buddy has an M2 and I just didn't like the way it was weighted when I have shot it, I think this gun handles a lot like both the M1 and M2 though. I really want to try the Affinity in 20 sometimes soon!
well I just got two Affinity 3's one in 20 gauge so I'll let you know how I feel about it after I get some rounds through it.
also about your oiling with rem oil ... the only time I had failure to feed was when I over lubed my m2 and it was cold out like 18 degrees or less. I quickly learned that inertia guns don't like a lot of oil ... oil then wipe it all off and the action will work just fine. thousands of rounds through my m2 and no negative effects from going light on the oil products.
I'll be using my Hatsan escort semi again.
Hoppe's 9 has a great lubricant. Been using it for 25 years. A5. Winchester is no bueno. With dissection knowledge (and obviously my massive field knowledge:), I've found Federal & Kent are the best in quality and price.
Alittle late to the video but I have the same gun and I have also had it for one year. My affinity 3 has been cleaned and oiled with rem oil and it performs great no issues whatsoever never jammed on me I also shoot hevi steel and it knocks every bird unless I clean miss lol
I bought a 12 gauge and 20 gauge for my son and I to use this waterfowl season. Franchi does recommend putting 3-4 boxes of target loads through the Gun as a break in period. I found that my 12 gauge did fine with 2 boxes but my son’s 20 gauge took like an extra box before it would cycle without stove piping a shell. You said you basically started hunting with yours with very little problem cycling. I am going to break them down and clean them so I’m interested to see how dirty they will be. I also plan on using dryloks this year.
Huh I looked all through the manual of mine and couldn’t find anything about breaking it in. The first shells I put through mine were dove loads and it cycled those with no issues. The only issues I ever had was on waterfowl hunts
Stoeger 3000 Ik it’s a stoeger not the best but I like the way I can shoulder it I can’t shoulder many other guns
There's nothing wrong with a stoeger as long as you treat it right. I just abused the heck out of mine. No issues for you?
I’m about to buy a franchi affinity 3 black
Benelli M2 Super Black Eagle that's what I use for waterfowl hunting black clouds knock down power
Benelli supernova in Real tree max five and its 12 Gauge
Browning Maxus wicked Wing with Cerakote and Mossy oak Bottomland. Gas operation for me.
Great video! I am shooting a weatherby PA08 12 gage
Nothing but cycling issues since I’ve bought the Affinity 3. I’ll try using CLP and see if it helps, otherwise I’ll be going back to old faithful 870.
Stoeger m3000 30in barrel 3in creamator LR always #2 #4 #BB , deer hunting OO buckshot and Dove #6 #7.5
I have a franchi affinity 3.5, shot about 500 rounds, mostly 1 1\8 oz target loads. Whenever I clean my gun, I never lubricate the action of the gun. U don't need to. I have not had a single jam or misfire.
I’ve tried using mine without lubricant and after about a box of shells it’ll start hanging up
@@HokeOutdoors Very weird. Have been shooting more, probably close to 1000 rds now, still no jams.
I’m using the stoeger m3000 had one failure to feed while shooting skeet but that was my fault as I hadn’t cleaned the gun since I cleaned it it cycles everything I put through it.
Nice! How long have you been using it? I had to clean my Stoeger M3500 every couple hunts or it would jam
This is my second season but I’ve hunted squirrel and shot plenty of skeet I even use light recoil loads while shooting skeet and it cycles those as well. Time will tell if it will continue to run smooth
However I’m generally very adamant about cleaning my guns after I use them
Weatherby element waterfowl 12 ga for ducks / browning BPS 10ga for geese
I have a Stoeger m3500 and it’s a great gun but if could go back I would have got the franchi
Why?
The franchise feels better it’s lighter and slim compared to the stoeger it’s all aesthetics’s but they make a big difference
Franchi Affinity 3.5 with Carlsons Cremator
how do you like it... could you give me some info on it?
For gun maintenance, have you ever tried grease to lubricate your shotgun? I’ve used MPRO7 gun grease and it seems to work well…it actually sticks to metal and stays there, unlike oil. It’s not for every part of a firearm, but it works great for big parts like bolts, etc.
I've never tried that before. Had good luck with using CLP the last few years so I plan to stick with that for the time being
Some of the rust could come from the choke getting hot and being wet from dew or rain or just water from the area the wayer fowl are landing in. I own the same gun and love it i have owned olent of different shotgun brands, but this one is just different.
SX4 👍
2nd waterfowl season on my affinity and use remoil to clean my gun but whipe it off and use Lucas gun oil to lubricate...I have over 600+ rounds through mine and have never had an issue whatsoever...no rust no paint durability problems and no misfire/loading problems!!
Glad you use FDHs hunt stats
It's a great tool!
That's crazy I have the 3.5 and BlindSide has been by far the best shells I've run through, the Herters.
I like the idea of them but it just didn't seem to translate into good results for me
@@HokeOutdoors that's what I love about trying new stuff. I wanted to LOVE Boss, but they just didn't work well for me. Glad there's options out there for everyone.
Did you notice a difference when shooting the boss shells compared to steel shot?
Yeah there's definitely a noticeable difference especially if you're taking 30-45 yard shots
Using the good ole Remington 1100
The G.O.A.T!
Stoeger m3500 is my go to gun
Love my Affinity 3... It's a AAA cannon.
Beretta 390 wit mid range patternmaster classic
My grandpa had a beretta 390 silver mallard
I’ve personally never had any issues with Rem oil but everyone has different experiences and opinions
Is the Light Modified Extended choke better than the full for ducks and geese? Do you use it for dove hunting too? Thanks.
I’m using a Beneli super black eagle 3 in 12 gauge this season
You need to try a sbe 3. I have the same franchi and a sbe 3 love both guns but the sbe 3 shoulders perfect, and gun is so much more comfortable and rem oil did the same to my stoeger i had. And also try and shoot some hevi metal. Since I have started buying hevi metal even after the shells has been under water because of them being in my waders or even rusted shells the shells haven’t had a misfire in 3 years of using hevi metal out of a franchi or my sbe 3
If I had the money I’d probably have an SBE 3 but the Franchi is about as close as you can get for the price. I like hevi metal but just don’t really have the money to consistently by bismuth loads
Virginia Outdoors Unlimited I have learned that the extra 5-8 bucks a box will really kill the birds stone dead I have had many of cripples get away because of cheap steel. And the franchi is an awesome gun that’s what I shot all through college
Weatherby element and a Winchester sxp in max 5
Would you recommend a stoeger?
Absolutely I love mine super reliable I used Federal #8/7.5 Game loads to break it in and it never had a hiccup
Looking to get a Franchi Affinity or a Franchi Affinity Elite. Wondering how the cerakote might hold up compared to camo dip on the regular
I’ve heard good things about the cerakote. The wear on mine is only in a couple places so I don’t mind but I understand that others might
I have really good success with foichii I love best bang for your buck around here
Browning A5 Wicking Wing
Wicked Wing
I'm thinking of getting a new Franchi Affinity 3 camo with 26 inches. I have the first production black synthetic and 28-inch. What are your thoughts?