A400 Xcel

[billbadger]

Being a girly I need guite a high comb and I'm interested to see what you think of the raised comb and whether or not the mid height rib cancells out the effect of the raised comb.

 

[Skeet UK]

[No message]

 

[billbadger]

Thats a really good video

Thanks

 

[Skeet UK]

Thats a really good video

Thanks

Welcomes

 

[Mike]

Here's another brand to think about


They make one for left hand shooters too.

 

[Hamster]

A very wet morning, reluctant to go almost. Glad I went though but can't say it was a fair test for the gun as only 7 stands were open and most of them could only really be described as average to easy, dropped 1 out of first 50 birds alternately buttoning with a mate. 

Scott kindly removed the heavy front weight which made the gun very neutral, unusually but not surprisingly it didn't feel strange when mounting as most sporter stocks do to me, easy going aways were truly vapourised, mid height tower birds equally smoked, average breaks on quartering away white clay through the trees which was hard to see and here as well as on some very close/fast tower birds you really felt disadvantaged with the fierce so called half choke !

R/L rabbit followed by rapid quartering rabbit from left smoked, you could see the dinner plate size shot hitting the ground on the quartering one which once or thrice left not one single tell tale piece intact ! I know these chokes are not true half because a mate borrowed a regular version last week which he shot well as he always seems to with strange guns and at one point we shot a few at a pattern plate from around twenty yards where my own Briley flush were predictable to look at but his HP half was tight bordering on ridiculous. I missed a few close tower birds shot as crossers and have zero doubt a more sensible pattern would cope better.

This 32" version is very easy to shoot, (average teal were boringly/predictably hit) and must say I didn't feel any recoil or the compression of the reducer but then I don't with my own gun, the proof of the pudding is to see how you feel fatigue wise after a full comp round where you have to hold it together a bit. The quartering clay seemed to need a very precise lead to connect properly but again I put this down to the insane pattern. No FTF's by the way.

I am hoping to shoot the gun this Sunday and been promised a Sk choke to take with me as well. If you don't hear from me again it means I shot sh*t but the gun's good, Scott has shot a 100 straight with it already  :triniti:  .

 

[phil]

hamster were you shooting the parallel target model, i have the 32 sporter but find the comb a tad low even with the highest shimm.

you are right about the chocks i snot one of my best scores 96 with 1/4,are the barrels the same.

i have ordered one from chris potters it should be in tomorrow can't wait,let me know how you get on at the weekend.

 

[Hamster]

hamster were you shooting the parallel target model, i have the 32 sporter but find the comb a tad low even with the highest shimm.

you are right about the chocks i snot one of my best scores 96 with 1/4,are the barrels the same.

i have ordered one from chris potters it should be in tomorrow can't wait,let me know how you get on at the weekend.

Hi,

Yes should have mentioned Parallel Target which unusually for semi's we usually get, comes with a high comb, some Benelli's and Trap Remingtons being notable exceptions. 

This version also comes with shims so some initial fiddling may be in order to get the best mount but Scott's is as it came from the factory. I was talking to Roger Hoad today who reckons he sees too much rib with this but for me it comes up with a figure of 8 so you feel quite connected to a bird you're tracking but don't suffer the classic head lift problem.

 

[billbadger]

Hello Hamster

Thanks fot the report really interesting to hear you're views on the parallel target version. I think that version may be the best option for me as I already shoot my beretta 682 with quite a raise on my comb. I'm hopefully going to shoot a 100 registered sporting this week with a borrowed A400 xcel 32 sporter so I can see how it feels on a full round of proper targets.

 

[billbadger]

Here's another brand to think about https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8Db2BEda_g They

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8Db2BEda_g They
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8Db2BEda_g They make one for left hand shooters too.

I had a go with one of these at coley's open day last year and was really impressed with it. The only downside that I found with it was the weight. I'm trying to find something that is lighter than what I shoot already .

 

[Hamster]

Well a poor 81 on a testing course doesn't bode well ! It was windy too and 87 leading when I left but some weaknesses (for me) in the package exposed; the gun copes very well with shallow angle and tower birds but tricky on edgy crossers and loopers, just too much effort required here. 

I was missing too many clays almost everywhere and at times the misses just couldn't be understood ! Quartering crosser hit hard, poorly and missed altogether - hard crosser the same story, it lacks the all up weight to make repetition predictable/doable. 

On the plus side it is a fantastic gun   comes up nicely, doesn't have odd recoil movement like slipping out of the shoulder on high targets, was jam free again, trigger good enough to not notice, very soft to shoot, the weight is manageable all the way to the end of the stand/round. 

If I get one it would have to have around 4/5 oz stuck in the stock with maybe 2/4 oz spread around the barrel end to experiment and make it less rapid, that's saying a lot considering this thing probably has the sighting plane and feel of a 34"+ gun ! 

 

[billbadger]

Tried a 30" sporter today. A little inconcistant over the 100 hundred targets probably due to a combination of incorrect fit (need a comb raiser) and getting used to a different feel of gun. Felt very smooth tho and felt the kick off moving at first but by the end did not notice it. Shot 24grm all the way round and the gun cycled faultlessly. Didn't notice any issues with trigger overall very pleased with the gun. I think that if I get one I will definitely have a comb raiser fitted and it's just a case of get out there and shoot it!!

 

[billbadger]

Just a bit of an update on the A400 excel

Have gone ahead and bought one about 3 weeks ago. Went for a 30 inch model. Wanted to have kick off system and an adjustable comb fitted but unfortunately couldn't have both because of a lack of room in the stock caused by the large kick off system. Had the adjustable comb fitted as this was necessary for a correct gun fit. So far the gun has been faultless cycling the soft 24grm evos after shooting approx 400 shells. Really happy with the way I've been shooting with it so far as I was prepared for a drop in my scores until I got used to the gun but so far that hasn't happened ( yet! ). Have been experimenting a little with chokes and the breaks seem superb with less choke than my 682 gold e. I have always been a bit anti auto but this gun does handle really well and is smooth to shoot. Hubby will try and post some pictures.

 

[Deleted member 230]

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[CharlesP]

Welcome to the dark side. Even without kick off I'm really comfortable with 24 grams in my new Outlander. I'm sure you will enjoy your new gun; these Beretta autos really are superb things.

 

[billbadger]

Not fully on the dark side yet don't shoot DTL.

I might be tempted to give it a go tho maybe it would be more interesting with an auto. xx

 

[sibaldib]

Just re-reading this and in particular Hamster's comments re the Optima HP chokes. I have read in various places that they pattern quite tightly and using them today (in my A400 Excel) at sporting together with Fiocchi F Blacks they seemed more like a Muller U3 or a 5/8 choke.

On the subject of cartridges, I have only put around 400 through it so far, but yesterday SkeetUK had a go with it and it didn't like his 24gm Supersteel. I'm using 28gm steel for skeet at Kingsferry, but would like to move down to 24gm for better patterning, so guess it is just a case of running it in?

 

[CharlesP]

About the adjustable comb - did the spacer/shim combination on the gun not adjust suffiently well for your required comb height?

 

[Skeet UK]

SkeetUK had a go with it and it didn't like his 24gm Supersteel.

Ahem! PRO Steel...PRO.

 

[billbadger]

Just re-reading this and in particular Hamster's comments re the Optima HP chokes. I have read in various places that they pattern quite tightly and using them today (in my A400 Excel) at sporting together with Fiocchi F Blacks they seemed more like a Muller U3 or a 5/8 choke. On the subject of cartridges, I have only put around 400 through it so far, but yesterday SkeetUK had a go with it and it didn't like his 24gm Supersteel. I'm using 28gm steel for skeet at Kingsferry, but would like to move down to 24gm for better patterning, so guess it is just a case of running it in?

Had my gun from new and hubby shot 50 32grm cartridges through it first and then I've put 400 24grm gamebore evos through it since without any problems ( touch wood!! )