BENELLI BLACK EAGLE 3: NEW TO THE FAMILY

When I got the message asking me if I was keen on testing out Benelli’s new Black Eagle 3, it was fair to say I was rather excited. I’m a huge Benelli fan and have been shooting its big brother the Super Black Eagle 3 for the past two seasons and have absolutely fallen in love with it.

The only downside with this big brother is that it’s a big, long gun that doesn’t suit all hunters. With the new Black Eagle 3 being scaled back to be a similar size and ‘fit’ to the proven and popular Benelli M1 and M2 models it will definitely suit more hunters. This is a great thing because the Black Eagle 3 packs all the new Benelli technology into a gun that best suits those who have no intention of ever hunting with 3.5” Super Magnum shells. So, what’s the difference between them? Basically, it’s that the new Black Eagle 3 is scaled, balanced and chambered to shoot shells up to a maximum of 3” Magnums, where its older brother is scaled up to take the bigger Super Magnum 3.5 inchers. The result is that it ends up being half an inch shorter, slightly lighter and, even though that doesn’t sound like much, we found it makes a huge difference to the way it handles.

With the innovative state-of-the-art features like recoil absorbing rubber chevrons inlayed into the stock, the soft interchangeable Combtech for the ultimate cheek weld, plus the Comfort Tech 3 recoil pad, it’s a joy to shoot with. For functionality there is an oversized bolt handle, trigger guard and enlarged safety catch, all of which makes it easier to shoot when wearing gloves – something that’s going to be much appreciated on those cold southern mornings when waterfowling is at its best. Another new feature is the easy load system that not only makes loading quicker and easier but safer too with much less chance of catching a finger. When it comes to the barrel, Benelli have incorporated Cryogenics technology called Crio tech. They claim this makes for a much smoother and stronger barrel without any extra weight.

Historically, regular Benelli users will know all about the dreaded ‘Benelli click’. This is what happens when the bolt hasn’t been closed properly resulting in a frustrating click when you squeeze the trigger instead of a shot being fired. I’m happy to announce that this fault has been dealt with and no matter how softly you close the bolt the new design ensures it will fully engage.

Fire Test: Benelli Black Eagle 3

Corey Carston
Hunting & Fishing NZ, Invercargill

Out in the field, I found the Black Eagle 3 fitted well and pointed exactly where I wanted it to, I never had to re-adjust my positioning – a big plus for any shotgun. Unfortunately, it arrived at the worst time of the year for a testfire by a water-fowler: December! Nevertheless, it was given a fairly big work-out and accounted for a good number of pigeons. These feathered missiles gave me a great chance to test out its handling capabilities and it passed with flying colours. We also did a significant amount of rabbit hunting with it and all who were lucky enough to use it commented about its ‘pointability’ and its responsiveness.

If you’re after an ultra-reliable inertia shotgun that looks and feels great, look no further than the Benelli Black Eagle 3. It comes with an attractive, hard carry case, gun oil, and a handy choke case with choke wrench. You can set it up for many types of hunting with the three regular flush-fit choke tubes, plus two extended tubes. Camo options include Max5 and Opti-fade meaning you can match it to the type of background you mostly hunt in. Anti-glare matte black is also available. Backed with Benelli’s amazing 10-Year Warranty this will be a quality gun you will want to keep in the family to pass on to the next generation. The team at Hunting & Fishing New Zealand have gone all-out to ensure their stores are your best option when it comes to purchasing.

By Corey Carston
Hunting & Fishing NZ, Invercargill