The Benelli Montefeltro 12 gauge
As mentioned, the walnut-stocked, semi-automatic Montefeltro shotgun uses the famous Benelli Inertia Driven loading system. The inertia system is a significant departure from the normal practice of using gas pressure from each shot to reload the gun.
Instead, Benelli’s system uses captured spring tension coupled to the recoil of the shot to unlock the breech and cycle the action. The system is incredibly useful and boasts cleaner operation than traditional semi-auto shotguns.
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The Montefeltro uses a handsome cut of walnut for the furniture, which could make you less likely to drag it into a duck blind or John boat. This may explain why these guns enjoy a strong following from upland bird hunters and clay target hunters. The glossy, high-polished finish also contributes to the classy look.
Models can be had in either 20 or 12 gauge, with barrel lengths from 24 inches up to 28 inches long, and a couple of different finish options. The Montefeltro line also uses Benelli's Crio choke system, which Benelli claims produces a consistently dense shot pattern that should result in more hits. The Montefeltro came with a standard set of Crio chokes to adjust the pattern for your purposes.
First Impressions
Because I'm more of a rifle guy than a shotgun sage, it took me the typical few minutes to go over the disassembled Montefeltro and get it together. With the barrel seated, I snugged tight the ratcheting barrel nut to ready it for use.
Running the action felt just as I expected. The smooth slap of the bolt closing was matched by the easy-to-operate controls. The finish of the Montefeltro is fantastic, which I have come to expect, and once assembled, the fit and function of the gun looked flawless.
I couldn't wait to shoot the Montefeltro, but sadly it would be a few days. A cold winter day shooting clays with my kids was a great start to feel out the Benelli, followed by a trip into the muddy wetlands of the Great Salt Lake looking for ducks and geese.
Shooting Notes
I grew up shooting cheap pump guns at ducks, geese, and other game birds, so perhaps my taste is a little more Mossy Oak than Sitka or KUIU. I've had many opportunities to shoot fine shotguns, though, and the Montefeltro seems in line with other Benelli, Franchi, and Beretta pieces. The recoil seems absorbed a bit by the operating system – enough that my daughter, who doesn't care for recoil, enjoyed shooting the Montefeltro.
The long barrel of the gun made swinging across flying clays very deliberate, and we quickly found a groove for busting clays. Following both birds and targets with the bead felt natural, like a favorite pair of boots. Follow-up shots were comfortable, as the smooth recoil impulse didn't knock you off target much.
Speaking of comfort, the Montefeltro has all the classic fit you'd expect, with perfectly aligned comb and sight rib, as well as familiar operating controls. We tested the gun with both 2.75-inch and 3-inch Magnum loads in anticipation of the next trip.
Hunting with the Montefeltro
As I've mentioned before, I spent a lot of time in the duck marshes as a younger man. The timing of this review lined up with duck season, and that was all the reason I needed to get a duck stamp.
I stomped through ice and mud gripping the fine checkering of the Benelli walnut as the sun rose. Ducks were flying everywhere. With pockets full of 3-inch Winchester shells, I was excited to make some noise.
I could certainly tell I was a bit rusty on my duck shooting, but the Benelli worked great and cycled a variety of shells from Winchester, Fiocchi, and Remington without a hiccup. The only drawback I found was my preoccupation with keeping the gun clean, as the mud and saltwater would do unspeakable horrors to the finish and handsome wood grain.
The low number of ducks bagged was surely due to my lack of practice more than any fault from the Benelli, but it sure felt good to swing at ducks again and watch them fold.
Pros & Cons
On the positive side, there is much to praise. The smooth action that Benelli is known for is also much cleaner than gas-operated semi-autos. A high-quality finish with beautiful wood makes this shotgun handsome.
