Available in lengths of 26, 28 and 30-inches, Beretta’s Steelium Plus barrels are cold-hammered, and feature forcing cones that extend 14 inches down the bore.

Probably the most significant change with the new Plus over previous A400 Xtreme models is incorporation of the barrel technology that has made Beretta a leader in clays competition into a hunting shotgun. Despite these observations while testing, I did not realize how much the characteristic muzzle rise has been reduced until I watched video of myself shooting the new A400 Xtreme Plus! An added bonus to all this recoil reduction – stress on mechanical components is lessened, so service life of the gun should be increased. I’ve found that target acquisition on follow-up shots comes quickly, both in the duck marsh and shooting doubles on the skeet field. It shoulders and points well, due in part to the slim-necked grip.

The gun feels lighter than its 7.4-pound weight. Although it would be difficult to actually verify this claim, I can attest that the new A400 Xtreme Plus is soft shooting as advertised, with minimal muzzle jump. So, how does all of this work? Honestly, this system works really well! Total recoil reduction of 70% is the result claimed. Soft textured rubber covers underside of slim-necked grip to facilitate handling. Recess between neck and stock is integral to Kick-Off recoil reduction system, which keeps rearward movement during firing in front of shooters face. When fired through a tight choke, this loading continues to fold ducks out to 50 yards.Ī400 Xtreme Plus Soft-Comb stock with Micro-Core butt-pad. Recognizing this, I developed an ultra-lite 7/8 ounce high-velocity steel waterfowl load with modest recoil more than 30 years ago. There’s no argument that heavy recoil and muzzle-lift have a negative effect on shooting technique and accuracy, particularly on follow-up shots, and this often causes marginal hits and outright misses. But here’s the catch – to kill the bird you must hit it, and tough waterfowl typically require multiple pellet hits to bring them down. These shoulder-pounding loads can however, deliver a greater volume of pellets, which suggests improved lethality. Not so… In reality, 3-1/2 inch loads do not extend the effective range of the shotgun. The common belief is that these mega-shells perform better than the smaller 2-3/4 and 3-inch loads in terms of knockdown power and range, particularly when shooting steel shot at ducks and geese. It’s a fact that waterfowlers have come to love their 3-1/2 inch shotguns. With The Beretta A400 Extreme Plus, It’s all about the recoil… Clay autographed by Hall of Fame shotgunner Dan Carlisle after his world record setting performance in May 1990 (left) author in the marsh with the perfectly fitting A400 Xtreme Plus (right).

Versa max chokes explained