I want a Beretta A300 Xtrema!

[Houseplant]

If money was no object, I'd go for the A400. Unfortunately, it is

 

Shortlist based on price and availability is Maxus, SX3 and Versamax. I would like to get my hands on before making a decision. I suspect this will reduce my shortlist by at least one.

 

EDIT: Looks like the SX3 is out the running sadly. Can't track a camo version down. It's a much smaller market here, so we have no where near the choices that you guys have. So Maxus or Versa Max. Edging towards the latter at the moment, but as I say, will need to handle them. Why camo? I'm not some sort of camo nut, but by far the most effective way of duck hunting for me so far is to don a ghille suit and shoot without a hide.

Edited July 3, 2016 by Houseplant

[allanm]

A lot of the new autos seem to have problems and I've had most of them ,if it needs to be 3 1\2 " look for an old xtrema 1 or 2 ,I had a versa max and shot very well with it but after a fair bit of use the bolt link broke it also had a habit of putting 2 holes through the case were the ports are so not good for re using emptys .if 3" any of the Berretta 300 series 301 ,302,303 and 391 or 3" remi 1100

[fenboy]

A lot of the new autos seem to have problems and I've had most of them ,if it needs to be 3 1\2 " look for an old xtrema 1 or 2 ,I had a versa max and shot very well with it but after a fair bit of use the bolt link broke it also had a habit of putting 2 holes through the case were the ports are so not good for re using emptys .if 3" any of the Berretta 300 series 301 ,302,303 and 391 or 3" remi 1100

The only time my versamax put holes in the case was when I was using some home loads that were a little " hot" never had a issue with factory shells , was yours with homeloads ?

[neillfrbs]

dont get a a300 xtrema ,brother purchased one ,he had nothing but problems with it ,would not recycle all the time ,and the barrel rusted .he only got it on the say so, of a few people on here ,saying how great they were ,and how much better they are than the a400 .

anyway he has now traded it in for a a400 xtream and he is really pleased with it .

he should have got one in the first place and not been such a tight ****. had mine 4 years ,and never missed a beat had 1000s of carts through it .

pay the extra get the a400 xtream you wont look back .

[allanm]

The only time my versamax put holes in the case was when I was using some home loads that were a little " hot" never had a issue with factory shells , was yours with homeloads ?

Yes mate they were home loads but nothing I'd call hot though ,I really liked the gun but like most new semi autos i just don't think there built to last ,I fire the same 3" home loads in my browning bps ,xtrema ,remi 1100 and Winchester 101 waterfowl and they've never missed a beat

[TONY R]

Interesting the holed cases issue with the versamax . I have not looked at a stripped down versamax never looked at the port layout or anything, ive shot one a few times and a realy like it, and would like one.

This came up on DHC a few years ago, looking at the photos must have been some serious pressure, ill be honest i saw it at the time and it shocked me. did you fellas get holes as through as this then?

I know the OP is an ok guy so im guessing its right but still suprised me.

http://www.duckhuntingchat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=227822&p=2111834#p2111834

[allanm]

Had them like that with certain 3 1/2" loads , the 3" loads didn't punch through but we're still very noticeable ,

Il pm you the loads and you'll see there nothing hot

[TONY R]

Agree nothing there to be scared about just typical loads in the low pressure chedite case too. :hmm: .

Think my old baikal MP153 might have to wait another ten years before i retire it. :lol: Well you get RAT LOOK bikes and VWs Why not guns.

[figgy]

The A300 Xtrema is still being made but has been given its own name now the A350 Xtrema as people were confusing it with the A300 semi autos.

 

Mine was faultless to be honest and shot very well but because I don't put many through a semi auto in a year I didn't like the time it took me to clean it. Hence why I went for a Benelli purely for easy clean and I no longer bother with 3 1/2" carts.

 

Gilsan sports have a mint condition A300 in stock that's not shot very much.

[Houseplant]

Went in to the gun shop today. Got the story on the SX3, don't know it if was sales bullsh*t, but because it is so similar to the Maxus and Winchester/Browning are owned by the same parent company, a decision was made to only import one of them. As a point of interest, Baikal guns haven't been imported in to NZ for two years.

 

Held the Maxus and Versa Max (the cheaper V3, not the Sportsman or full model). The Maxus was a better fit and the "Dura Touch" finish is err, a nice finish. I can see it making life a bit less miserable on a cold/wet day. An objective comparison (NZ$1 is roughly 50p).

 

 

So the Maxus felt better to me and on paper at least is better is every way than the Versa Max. On the downside, it sounds as if the trigger is heavy on the Maxus and recoil is heavier, this is probably explained in part by the different gun weights. Thats said, think I'm heading towards the Maxus.

 

[fenboy]

The only time my versamax put holes in the case was when I was using some home loads that were a little " hot" never had a issue with factory shells , was yours with homeloads ?

Yes mate they were home loads but nothing I'd call hot though ,I really liked the gun but like most new semi autos i just don't think there built to last ,I fire the same 3" home loads in my browning bps ,xtrema ,remi 1100 and Winchester 101 waterfowl and they've never missed a beat

 

As you will know the piston set up on the other guns is totally different to the versamax so you may not so readily see the signs of over pressure.

I don't know what your load is or where you are getting it from but unless you have had it proof tested then you would only be guessing as to if its hot or not .

 

I have loaded recipes from the RSI data sheets that were suppose to be well under pressure , they failed proof on pressure.

Edited July 4, 2016 by fenboy

[TONY R]

 

As you will know the piston set up on the other guns is totally different to the versamax so you may not so readily see the signs of over pressure.

I don't know what your load is or where you are getting it from but unless you have had it proof tested then you would only be guessing as to if its hot or not .

 

I have loaded recipes from the RSI data sheets that were suppose to be well under pressure , they failed proof on pressure.

I am not implying you did not folow the data in RSI manual to the letter here fenboy, i am just pointing out that your type of experience is common place with many of these manuals, RSI esspecialy which calls for OLD white box winchester primers which are obsolete over a decade at least ago. Pluss the fact Any of the RSI loads that use steel have the inevitable lot to lot variation, This can produce very different pressures, Lot 12 is what Lightening steel was based on. All safe little loads Same loads with lot 17 totaly different outcome, .

Manuals like RSI BP LS 1 and 2 are as i have said before only as good as the data in them, and keeping to that data.

People who stray off change a component like a primer a wad or a case anything could be causing problems for themselves, these problems could be of variable degrees of risk but non the less a risk.

Sticking with the RSI data All of it is totaly safe If you stick to it Exactly, Some loads you can get away with a different Primer to the obsolete white box winchesters, some you simply cant, but all of them wont behave the same without this obsolete primer.

Sadly withoutr you have a old stack of these primers you are broadly on your own.

To put a metaphoric slant on this i will quote a statement made by an old reloader i knew well, he used to say swaping a component is rather like you are only have the first part of the zip code, so your in the right county, but swap two and you could well be in another state alltogether.

I thought that was very apt.

[TONY R]

Went in to the gun shop today. Got the story on the SX3, don't know it if was sales bullsh*t, but because it is so similar to the Maxus and Winchester/Browning are owned by the same parent company, a decision was made to only import one of them. As a point of interest, Baikal guns haven't been imported in to NZ for two years.

 

Held the Maxus and Versa Max (the cheaper V3, not the Sportsman or full model). The Maxus was a better fit and the "Dura Touch" finish is err, a nice finish. I can see it making life a bit less miserable on a cold/wet day. An objective comparison (NZ$1 is roughly 50p).

 

 

So the Maxus felt better to me and on paper at least is better is every way than the Versa Max. On the downside, it sounds as if the trigger is heavy on the Maxus and recoil is heavier, this is probably explained in part by the different gun weights. Thats said, think I'm heading towards the Maxus.

 

Get the Browning.IMO PS have you handled a vinchi yet.?

[fenboy]

I cannot remember the exact details and if they were over sammi as well as cip levels but as you say AS seems to vary a fair bit from lot to lot in my limited experience.

They were loaded with win blue box primers so that may also be soething to do with it.

 

I don't use the RSI loads anymore other than some 3.5" steel as I was given another recipe I prefer for duck loads and HW13

 

I had found all the RSI recipes a little harsh and was backing off the powder by a couple of grains on all of them.

[TONY R]

I cannot remember the exact details and if they were over sammi as well as cip levels but as you say AS seems to vary a fair bit from lot to lot in my limited experience.

They were loaded with win blue box primers so that may also be soething to do with it.

 

I don't use the RSI loads anymore other than some 3.5" steel as I was given another recipe I prefer for duck loads and HW13

 

I had found all the RSI recipes a little harsh and was backing off the powder by a couple of grains on all of them.

What you say is right they are a bit harsh as you piut it, the RSI data was worked out on an early lot number cant remember which now, but i think it was before lot 12 which was a decent lot number, Up to lot 16 and most of lot 17 seem ok but since thewn its got quite noticable. and as you say droping a grain or so eases things up.

Touching on the white box blue box issue, RSI i was told recomended directly swaping the blue for the old white box in the loads, but OLIN winchester state clearly they are a totaly different animal.

The white box primers were mostly Australian made, were used in the surplus military powders sold by hodgdon and in aus ADI original Mulwex as it was.

These powders were ball powders in some instances needed a high briscance but they wanted a mild primer on pressure, the white box worked great with the likes of 540 571 etc as used in the old super double x loads etc.

Get an old super double x lead swap the primer for a blue box or CX2000 and you will see the change in the load.

If you look on the vonline alliant guide, the A steel loads look tame compared cto old alliant manuals from the late 1990s early 2000s evidence enough its changed, but the new loads still work great, and its probably not such a bad idea to stick rigidly to the Alliant data online after all its curent data free and safe, only problem is cant get any powder. :lol:

Tell ya all this fuss to shoot a few birds we must be daft.