Beretta's A300 Ultima offers improved controls without upping the line's price.
How The A300 Has Been Improved:
- Bolt release and cross-bolt safety are enlarged for improved manipulation.
- Loading port is bigger to make reloading easier.
- Wile 7x7mm rib makes drawing a bead more intuitive and quick.
Asked to make a list, Beretta would most likely make the top five on most shotgunner’s best manufacturers list. There’s little wonder why. Aside from stunning aesthetics, the Italian-American’s smoothbores plain perform—be it at the trap range, in a tactical operation or the field. And contrary to popular opinion, you needn’t take out a second mortgage to pack one out to the duck blind.
Certainly, the Italian-American manufacture turns out its fair share of drool-inducing high-end options, but has been in the budget end of the market for some time. Granted, it’s not turning out the $300 blue-light specials (if you get that reference) available at your local mega box store. But the likes of the 3901 and A300 didn’t and don’t break the bank while offering the quality expected from a gun with the three arrows on its grip cap. And this end ofAf the company’s catalog recently grew a bit larger.
New to the game, the Beretta A300 Ultima. As its designation suggests, the shotgun is an expansion of the existing A300 line of gas-driven semi-automatic shotguns. Yet, gunmaker does a solid job of matching the original guns’ price, while enhancing the system considerably. Beretta has a $799 MSRP on the A300 Ultima black synthetic model and an $899 suggested retail price on the Mossy Oak Bottomlands and Realtree Max5 camo iterations. This track closely to the A300 Outland models, but with some nice upgrades.
A300 Ultima Enhancements
In particular, Beretta aims at hunters with the new 12- and 20-gauge shotguns, improving the controls of the guns. The bolt release is downright massive, the cross-bolt safety is ample and the charging handle enlarged and tubular. Given the launch included camo models, the gunmaker is aiming the scattergun at waterfowlers, who often have to manipulate their gun with gloves on. However, the most appreciated area Beretta super-sized was the loading port, which makes keeping the gun in the hunt much less stress-inducing. The top of the A300 Ultima’s receiver also got the once over, lowering it to make eye-to-bead alignment much quicker and intuitive. To this, Beretta marries a glare-reducing wide 7x7mm stepped rib with a mid bead and fiber optic front, which proves highly visible even in lower-light situations.
Standby Features
Beretta upgrades are welcome, but the company didn’t fix what wasn’t broken with the A300 Ultima. The gun still features the reliable gas system found in its predecessors, which is a plus. As is the inclusion of Beretta’s Kick-Off recoil reduction system, a hydraulic damping system that does a number on felt recoil. The gunmaker claims it cuts felt recoil by 44 percent, which is somewhat believable if you cracked off a shot with the system. Also, the new A300 has a 28-inch MobilChoke pattern barrel in both gauges, which fits a wide variety of choke options that suit your particular needs and hunt.
Overall, Beretta offers a tidy package in the A300 Ultima, one that’s open to a great array of shooters.
A300 Ultima Specs
Gauge: 12, 20
Chamber: 3 inches
Barrel Length: 28 inches
Stock: Synthetic
Stock Color: Black, Mossy Oak Bottomland, Realtree Max5
MSRP: $799 Black Synthetic, $899 Mossy Oak Bottomland and Realtree Max5
For more information on the A300 Ultima, please visit beretta.com.
Get More Reloading Info:
- Tips For Reloading the .30-06 Springfield
- Loving Your Luger: Reloading the 9mm Luger
- Handloading: Tips For Reloading The 7mm Rem Mag
- How To: Tips For Reloading the .223 Remington
- Reloading Bench: The Inside On Reloading For The .30-30 Winchester
Next Step: Get your FREE Printable Target Pack
Enhance your shooting precision with our 62 MOA Targets, perfect for rifles and handguns. Crafted in collaboration with Storm Tactical for accuracy and versatility.
Subscribe to the Gun Digest email newsletter and get your downloadable target pack sent straight to your inbox. Stay updated with the latest firearms info in the industry.
