I’ll admit up front that I’m a little biased on this one. The Benelli Ethos SuperSport A.I. is the gun I set a new world record with, and anytime you make memories like that with a firearm, it becomes a little more valuable to you. So the real question for this review is whether the record gun is also a great everyday sporting clays gun, and for the most part, it is.
In this article
Quick take
Verdict: A soft-shooting, dead-reliable semi-auto for clays, as long as you can live with a higher point of impact.
Best for: Sporting clays and clay target shooters who want a semi-auto that runs everything from 1 oz target loads to heavy turkey loads.
Skip it if: You want a flat-shooting gun out of the box, you prefer wood (look at the Ethos Sport), or you’re buying mainly for upland hunting.
From Skeptic to Believer: The 201-Yard Record
When Benelli challenged me to set a new long-range record with this gun, I was skeptical. My brother and I spent years shooting long-range targets as the Gould Brothers, and I honestly didn’t know if the A.I. barrel would let me go further than I already had. Now to be fair, I’m always up for a good challenge, so we took it out and set new distances with target loads, then pheasant loads, and ultimately broke a clay at 201 yards with tungsten turkey loads.
That left me thoroughly impressed, and it’s what made me a true believer in the Advanced Impact technology. But a record shot and a Saturday on the sporting clays course are two very different things, so here’s how it held up where most of us will actually shoot it.
What Stood Out on the Benelli Ethos SuperSport A.I.
It shoots soft for an inertia gun
For an inertia semi-auto, this is a fairly soft shooting gun, and in normal shooting I didn’t see much muzzle jump at all. Although I would call out that when I put three targets on the clock and ran it as fast as I could, there was a little more jump than I expected. It’s not perfectly flat when you really push it, but recoil is very manageable.
A little front heavy, but it moves
The gun is a little front heavy, and the Briley weighted forend cap is a big part of that. Even so, it moves incredibly well. If you’d rather have it more neutral, Benelli includes a standard forend cap in the box too.
Ergonomics and looks
I’ve always liked the ergonomics on Benellis, and this one feels great in the hands and mounts nicely right out of the box. It looks very nice as well, with a brushed nickel receiver against a blued barrel, red Briley bolt handle and release, and a carbon fiber finish on the synthetic stock (it’s a finish, not actual carbon fiber).
Length of pull adjusts with swap-out butt pads, and drop adjusts with the included shim kit. You can see the full spec list on Benelli’s Ethos SuperSport A.I. page.
How the Ethos SuperSport A.I. Shot
Reliability is where this gun really impressed me. From 1 oz target loads up through heavy turkey loads and everything in between, it flat out cycles reliably, and I haven’t had a single hiccup across the cases of shells I’ve put through it. The only time I ever outran it was shooting from the hip as fast as I could, which you can do with any inertia gun.
Like many Benellis, it has a higher point of impact, printing about 80/20 on the pattern board. That either takes some getting used to, or you shim the gun down so it shoots lower. Shimming only gets you so far and if you’re like me and want your gun to look a certain way. I want to be looking flat across the rib, and if I shim it down far enough to shoot lower, eventually I’m not going to be able to see the rib.
When that happens, I’m going to subconsciously peek my head up when I shoot, and I’ll end up shooting high anyway. Some people like a higher shooting gun and some don’t, so take that into account.
One more tip on the A.I. chokes: choke tighter than you think you need to. Because the barrel is overbored, the chokes tend to pattern more open than their constriction suggests, so instead of shooting a modified, you might want to shoot an improved modified. Once I knew that, the patterns were really good.
The trigger broke at 5 lb 6 oz on the gauge, with a little pre-travel and a nice break. I like it, but it’s different from what I’m used to, and it tripped me up a bit when I was shooting fast. If you’re loading hundreds of rounds in a day, I’d also mention that the loading port can start to eat your hands up a little bit.
Under the hood, it’s a basic Ethos, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s a simple design; the trigger group comes out with one pin, and it’s easy to clean. Even after going a week without a cleaning, it was still working like a champ.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Cycles everything from 1 oz target loads to heavy turkey loads without a hiccup
- Fairly soft shooting for an inertia semi-auto
- Moves incredibly well
- Great ergonomics and a sharp two-tone look
- Simple design that’s easy to break down and clean
Cons
- Higher point of impact, and shimming it down can cost you your rib picture
- Loading port can eat up your hands on high-volume days
- A little front heavy with the Briley forend cap
- A.I. chokes pattern more open than marked, so plan to choke tighter
Who Should Buy the Benelli Ethos SuperSport A.I.
This gun was made for sporting clays and clay target shooters, and if you want a semi-auto for clay shooting, it’s a great option. If you prefer wood, Benelli makes the Ethos Sport, and I’ve got to say I probably prefer that one as far as looks. Either way, you’ve got options.
Final verdict
This gun is always going to have a soft spot in my heart, and it’s always going to be in my safe, because it’s the world record gun. Beyond the memories, it’s a soft-shooting, reliable semi-auto that handles great on the clays course, and the biggest thing to plan for is that higher point of impact. If you own an Ethos SuperSport A.I., how have you handled the way it shoots high?
