Does a Benelli SBEII cycle light 2 3/4oz dove loads OK?
I usually use an M2 for dove and trap/skeet. I thought I read the SBEII doesn't like light loads under 1oz in weight.

You are going to have to move up to 1 1/8 loads if you want the gun to cycle.

I've used 1oz loads in the past with no problems. The speed of the load has a lot to do with it as well. If you get a 1oz 1300fps load they will cycle with no problems.

Also I've shot some 7/8oz steel loads that were over 1500fps and they cycled fine too.

The owners manual does say to go with 1 1/8oz loads though but like I said if you have faster loads that are smaller they will work.

I've never shot a SBE II, but I believe I read where you need to break the spring in with 3 1/2" loads before it will cycle the lighter loads. Might check Benelli's website.

Well during break in I'd go with bigger loads but shooting 3.5" loads are not necessary. Go with some 1 1/4oz 2 3/4" field loads if dove hunting or shooting clays. If duck hunting then you would be fine with any 3" shell for break in. After 100 or so rounds it should be good to go. I pretty much broke mine in while duck hunting. I think it's kind of silly to go out and burn up a bunch of ammo just to break it in.

The point he was making about the 3 1/2 inch shells was to make it able to shoot 7/8 oz loads consistently, not really break it in for regular dove or duck loads we use. That is the theory anyway. I was told that when I bought my SBE 5 years ago. Use 3 1/2 inch only. I never did it and it sure as heck will not shoot anything lighter than 1 1/8 oz loads. Shoot 2 to 3 boxes of 3 1/2 loads and supposively, the gun will cycle the light 7/8 oz loads.

I'm not really sure it matters TXduckman. What happens in this magic break in period with the 3.5" loads that makes it shoot lighter loads? If that was the case you could later shoot 3.5" loads and it would then shoot the light loads.

I don't see it reliably cycling light 7/8oz loads no matter what you do during break in.

If you want to shoot 7/8oz loads its not the gun for you. If you shoot lighting steel (1500fps plus) 7/8oz loads it will work though.

All I thought about was how much my shoulder would hurt if I did try it. I am not sure. All I could think about what maybe the spring would change??

I'll probably just find some 1oz shells or use my M2. I have fed PLENTY of 3" and 3 1/2" shells in this baby during duck season. Thanks for the feedback.

I never could get my SBEII to RELIABLY cycle light loads. I ran a bunch of 3.5-inch rounds (at least 150) thru it to no avail. The gunsmith at Alpine looked at it and I think they even got Benelli involved. (it’s been 6-7 years ago) I got rid of it and went with a Win Super X2 for my water gun and never looked back.
On the other hand, my Benelli Cordoba does great with light loads and it is my preferred non-waterfowl field gun. I've had the Cordoba for about a year now and have run about 3500 rounds thru it. It is one sweet ride for dove hunting and clays. The funny thing is my wife still hasn't noticed it in the gun safe. It just looks like all the other black guns in there.

The long and short of it is for dove loads the most common load is a 1 1/8oz load. If there is any doubt you can just use those and be fine. 1oz loads are also common dove loads but normally found more so in the cheapo shells.

I still need to break in my Baikal.

Good point bring up the Sure Cycle Barneyboo...I was going to mention that. I really think with the standard SBE factory spring there isnt anything you can do to get it to reliably cycle really light loads and that was pretty much my point. After two seasons I've shot at least 20 boxes of 3.5"ers while goose hunting not to mention some while duck hunting and plenty of 3"ers while duck hunting. I'd say it's broken in as well as it ever will be and it probably won't shoot 7/8oz light target loads any more reliable than after I first broke it in.

The SBE is a great shotgun and is pretty versatile but it has it's limitations. Sometimes a do-it-all tool has it's limitations where another tool would do a better job for a specific task. Shooting light loads isnt the SBE's strong suit and if that's what you want a shotgun to be used for there are other guns better suited. Personally I have no need for light light target loads...the 1oz or 1 1/8oz target/dove loads I use are plenty light IMO yet have the speed needed to cycle the gun. However if I took up competative skeet shooting where I'm shooting 100-200 rounds a few times a weak the recoil would get to anyone including myself.

Most of the guys I know that shoot really really light loads for skeet don't shoot 12GAs anyway...most will shoot 20s at most and lots will drop down to .410s for the extra challenge. They all roll there own too.