| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/06/21 03:37 PM |
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Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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I finally after years of searching managed to pick up an unfired Beretta Silver Hawk slug shotgun.
It's really an outstanding poor man's slug gun, the build quality is very good, it balances extremely well and points very naturally.
The only downside to my mind is the engraving is fairly mediocre and I'd rather have it plain in a case hardened finish.
It's marked as imp/cyl on both barrels but when measured the left is imp/cyl and the left is actually light modified.
It patterns pretty well with all the shells I've tried although it took a while to get the aim right, due to the front sight being quite high so I tended to shot very low.
But after several rounds of 5 stand I was able to ignore the front sight completely and now I shoot as well with it as any other shotgun I've used.
The single selective trigger is fairly crisp if a bit heavy but it doesn't affect accuracy any.
It groups fairly well with the rear flip up sight, although it's not adjustable for either windage or elevation, but it still prints dead on at 50m.
It also shoots more accurately from a shooting stick then from a rest.
So far I've used it successfully on 5 stand, whistling foxes, rabbits and deer. I will also be taking it out for pigs in the future.
The previous owner had a decelerator pad fitted to it and I found it threw off bith the feel for me as well as the aesthetics, so I ordered a Beretta walnut heel plate and fitted it myself, it kicks a bit harder now but it is much nicer to shoulder and looks stunning.
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 13/06/21 01:37 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Very interesting, I had not heard of a walnut heel plate prior to this. Seems to shoot OK.
What slug load did you use?
https://www.avalon-guns.com/beretta-heel-plate-wood-field
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 13/06/21 07:01 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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GB 1oz foster style, they are a bit longer in the skirt and a touch solid in the nose.
It also shoots really well with .690 and .682 round balls, I'm yet to test it with the Lyman diablo slugs but will soon.
This is where I got the wood heel plate as they call it.
https://www.avalon-guns.com/beretta-heel-plate-wood-field
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 13/06/21 09:37 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Great- that is the site I came up with in a Google search for "Beretta Walnut Heel Plate".
Does your slug gun have a 3" chamber? Id so, the Winchester 3" 1ounce foster slugs shoot really well in my 3 1/2" Mossberg with rifled tube & are listed at 1,850fps. The do kick a bit more than 2 3/4" slugs. They should do well in the SxS as well, but if your current ones are working for you, THAT'S what is important.
The Lyman Waist'd slugs shot fairly well for me, but the Gualandi Dangerous Game Slugs were best. These came in a box of 25 for reloading, but also in a Canadian brand "Challenger" factory loads with the 496gr. doing 1,610fps.
This is the Gualndi slug, called 32gram. I have a package of them for loading, but also have 15 rounds of factory. 5 of those went into 1 1/2" at 30yards from an elbow rest.
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 13/06/21 01:15 PM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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I'm happy with these GB slugs for factory rounds, I figure if they are accurate and work then why mess with it.
I should put a picture up of the sights too, the front sight is great, but the rear flip up sight is a bit basic.
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 14/06/21 01:55 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Of course, if you are satisfied with them, by all means, use them.
| crshelton |
| (.333 member) |
| 14/06/21 08:37 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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I shot my Beretta double at 50 yards yesterday and my hand loaded North Fork 350 grain SS is printing both barrels close enough for hunting; approx one inch center to center, almost as if they just exited the muzzle. Nest trial will be at 100 yards.
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 14/06/21 09:32 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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How did you get a scope mounted on it?
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 14/06/21 10:17 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Quote:
I shot my Beretta double at 50 yards yesterday and my hand loaded North Fork 350 grain SS is printing both barrels close enough for hunting; approx one inch center to center, almost as if they just exited the muzzle. Nest trial will be at 100 yards.
Nice - what, pray tell, is a North Fork 350gr. SS - is it a .458 dia. bullet in a sabot, or is your rifle a .458 of some sort?
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 03/08/21 02:57 PM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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I tested it out at 100m with some home made slugs, unfortunately it broke the chain holding the gong every shot, damn these things have some whack behind them.
https://youtu.be/AuTvrSRWhjY
| crshelton |
| (.333 member) |
| 06/08/21 12:03 PM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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260rem,
I bought the rifle used; it was the owners deer gun in Iowa. The hardware on the scope is a pistol mount and the hardware fastened to the rib with 3 screws is custom. It is not easily removed as the former owner hunted deer with it for 10 years before his untimely death; a heart attack while dragging out a huge buck.
Daryl asked "Nice - what, pray tell, is a North Fork 350gr. SS - is it a .458 dia. bullet in a sabot, or is your rifle a .458 of some sort?" It is a .458 North Fork semi spitzer bullet.
https://www.northforkbullets.com/458-350.htm
My Beretta rifle is a .45-70 (.458 2.1) and each barrel is MOA accurate. 100 rounds of 300 grain ammo came with the rifle, but it did not regulate well. So, I began playing around with heavier bullets and found that they shoot/regulate much better. The NF 350 and Remington 405 grain bullets show promise as big game bullets.
I also intend to shoot some of the 350 SS bullets in my .45-90, but at higher velocities than in the DR.
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 29/08/21 09:21 PM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Interesting, I might look into a pistol mount and see if it's possible to do to the beretta without ruining it.
But for big deer it's definitely fine as is, I'd just like to use it on pigs and running pigs at 50m,a s ope even a low powered one is a big advantage.
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 01/10/21 08:27 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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I was talking to one of my local smith's that's interested in making a Mount for it.
I ordered a 200mm length of picatinny rail and the plan is to remove the rear sight and machine about 100mm-150mm of the rail it have a lug that will sit into the recess.
Then machine the centre of the rail so it has sort of rear sight the same height as the current notch so it should shoot normally without the scope still.
Then tap two additional screws into the 1/4 rib.
That's should give me the option to shoot it as us, with a red dot or with a 1-4 Leupold spot hog scope.
| crshelton |
| (.333 member) |
| 01/10/21 11:36 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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That sounds promising! Good luck with it.
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 26/10/21 01:30 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Finally scoped it, turned out to be interesting but it turned out pretty good if a completely unorthodox idea for SxS shotgun.
The Smith managed to use the existing Ut out from the original sight, he only needed to add a single screw hole so there was no molestation to the original look of the gun and its completely reversible.
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 26/10/21 04:19 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Looks like nice work, 260rem. The short scope will make hitting at 50yards or further
tks for the reply, crshelton.
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 26/10/21 09:12 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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I can hit gongs at 50m no problem with the open sights, out to 100m off of a shooting stick. So this arrangement will let me push it out a lot faster and easier.
It will now be a 100m pig gun now as well as deer slaying machine in both the thick stuff and semi open as well.
| crshelton |
| (.333 member) |
| 30/10/21 10:21 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Scope looks fine on your gun.
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 30/10/21 09:17 PM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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I was a bit worried it would look very out of place, but it kind of works and I will try a red dot out on it too.
A small light reflex of some sort.
NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 30/10/21 11:23 PM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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Each to their own, but a piccatinny would not be on a side by side of mine.
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 31/10/21 08:24 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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260Rem
Try one of these.
These can be mounted on a weaver or picatinny rail (20018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcO2XfFTBDQ
http://www.sportingshooter.com.au/gear/kahles-red-dot-sight
The 20019 model requires a separate base that can be milled into the top rib.
Very light & they can withstand the recoil easily
| 260rem |
| (.375 member) |
| 31/10/21 10:06 AM |
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Re: Beretta 741 Silver Hawk slug review.
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More me, but my options were very limited unfortunately, at least if I didn't want to drill any holes otherwise a Contessa European mount would have been preferable.
I've got a Kahles HD actually, but I was using it on another gun, thinking I might go Docter this time around.
I also gave to mill out the centre to make a semi ghost ring rear sight for it.