Beretta 686 vs. Browning Cynergy

pinetree · August 26, 2009, 06:32 PM

I have been wanting a Beretta 686 White Onyx for some time now. A buddy has a Cynergy and it is very nice. I can get the Cynergy for $400 less than the Beretta. My priority is hunting, then clays. I have a semi Beretta 390 that is 12yo and is my primary dove, duck and goose gun. Either gun would be field grade.

edit - Just noticed the Cynergy for the great price only has a 26" barrel... Does that saw the jury?

Thanks,
tjg

oneounceload · August 26, 2009, 06:39 PM

You really need to shoot both of them to see which one fits you better. Both are great guns, but their typical stock dimensions are not similar - typically, if one of them fits you well, odds are the other will not. In that price range, you may also want to consider a SKB:

http://www.skbshotguns.com/over-and-...ield/index.php

BigJimP · August 26, 2009, 06:44 PM

I'm a Browning guy - but OneOunce is right - if one fits you, the other one probably will not fit you. Your key issue here is Fit - not how they look - and you need to know the drop at comb, drop at heel, length of pull etc that fits you - or they both may be a mistake for you. Shotguns do not come in one size fits all .......

I'm also not a big Cynergy model fan / most of my guns are from the Citori model lineup - and while I think the jury is still out on the longevity of the Cynergy lockup system, it seems to be doing just fine.

As you probably realize, there are a lot of models of the Cynergy out there ( 17 in the current catalog ) / and in the 686 too ..... If you can, shoot similar models and see if they fit / take them to a patterning board if you can / you can't tell by shooting targets.

BigJimP · August 26, 2009, 06:50 PM

Barrel length - if its too short, I tend to "whip" the gun vs "swing it smooth" - and a 26" O/U is too short for me / but I'm 6'5" and 290 lbs .. and I like my O/U's in 30" barrels at about 8 1/2 lbs for a general purpose gun hunting birds, Skeet or Sporting Clays.

But all that's a personal choice / some of my buddies shoot 26" barreled O/U's and they think my guns are like big overweight sewer pipes out there ...

A longer barrel to me, helps me with the longer sight plane - so the lighter the gun, the longer barrel I want as well. I have a 7.2 lb Benelli semi-auto / very light gun in 12ga / and I bought it in a 30" barrel - and added 1 lb to it so I could swing it smoothly. My 17 year old grandson / thinks its the coolest gun in my safe - he loves it / and he isn't that big yet .....so a lot of this comes down to personal preference...

Lawyer Daggit · August 27, 2009, 02:15 AM

I agree with one ounce.

I love Brownings but find that their shotgun stocks tend not to fit me as well as Beretta stocks- I own two 686's- an untralight and a silver pigeon sporting.

I can heartily recommend the Beretta's.

HiBC · August 27, 2009, 02:52 AM

I'm not much of a shotgunner,but I'd have to agree the way to choose between platforms is "What fits"
I do not know the Browning,but I can say my 686 Essential has served me well for many years.Its a 26".I don't really sight and use technique.I focus on the bird,mount and shoot.I tend to use Skeet 1 and IC or IC and Mod

olddrum1 · August 29, 2009, 12:52 AM

Go with the 686 over this particular model of Browning.

sjeeperman · August 29, 2009, 10:58 PM

I own both a Silver Pidgeon & the Browning Cynergy in 12ga. Both are 28" barrels. The Cynergy is heavier but I think it swings better. It happens to fit me better due to the fact of stock adjustability. Also, the Browning still has that $500 goody/rebate deal going on if I'm not mistaken ?

As someone has stated before, shoot both and buy what fits you.

PetahW · August 31, 2009, 05:00 AM

JMO, but the 686 is the world's gold standard for svetely-designed, great-handling, O/U shotguns - especially in the smaller/scaled framed frame gauges, like 20.

The Cynergy is just the latest hype/buzz in Citori's - arguably the runnerup (in Citori standard models).

.

Skan21 · August 31, 2009, 05:08 AM

Hey OneOunce, why didn't you reccomend the SKB's to me? Any reason?

Waterengineer · August 31, 2009, 06:16 AM

Ouch! That's going to leave a mark.

oneounceload · August 31, 2009, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Hey OneOunce, why didn't you reccomend the SKB's to me? Any reason?

Which thread? OK - hey Skans, look at the SKB's!....

I own two - great guns for the money.....I will say my oldest shoots my 20 better than I do......

BigJimP · August 31, 2009, 03:19 PM

quoted from above: "the Beretta 686 is the world's gold standard for svetely-designed, great-handling, O/U shotguns - especially in the smaller/scaled framed frame gauges, like 20"

I'm not saying the Beretta 686 isn't a decent gun ...but I don't feel like I purchased a "non gold standard gun" - in the Browning Citori XS Skeet family - with a 20, 28ga or the .410 .....

Here is my family of XS Skeet model Citori's ( in 12, 20, 28ga and .410 ) - the 20, 28ga and .410 are all built on the Browning 20ga receiver - and all 3 have 30" barrels / they're my primary guns for Skeet, Sporting Clays and bird hunting ..... I find them to be solid, nimble and great handling guns .....that I'll stack up against any 686 made. Beretta 686 feels small in my hands and has way too much drop at comb and heel to fit me .......

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...1&d=1236031020

Both Beretta and Browning make good serviceable guns ...but if you're looking for the "gold standard" in a 20ga -- maybe the Krieghoff K-20 ....

http://www.krieghoff.com/index.php?o...d=32&Itemid=77

Dave McC · September 1, 2009, 08:14 AM

Beretta vs Browning.

Ford vs Chevy.

Get the one that feels best to YOU...

August 26, 2009, 06:32 PM	#1
pinetree Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2001 Location: Cumming GA Posts: 626	Beretta 686 vs. Browning Cynergy I have been wanting a Beretta 686 White Onyx for some time now. A buddy has a Cynergy and it is very nice. I can get the Cynergy for $400 less than the Beretta. My priority is hunting, then clays. I have a semi Beretta 390 that is 12yo and is my primary dove, duck and goose gun. Either gun would be field grade. edit - Just noticed the Cynergy for the great price only has a 26" barrel... Does that saw the jury? Thanks, tjg Last edited by pinetree; August 26, 2009 at 06:44 PM.

August 29, 2009, 10:58 PM	#8
sjeeperman Junior Member Join Date: May 25, 2008 Location: Louisville Ky Posts: 9	I own both a Silver Pidgeon & the Browning Cynergy in 12ga. Both are 28" barrels. The Cynergy is heavier but I think it swings better. It happens to fit me better due to the fact of stock adjustability. Also, the Browning still has that $500 goody/rebate deal going on if I'm not mistaken ? As someone has stated before, shoot both and buy what fits you. __________________ Got to love the smell of gunpowder in the morning.

August 31, 2009, 05:08 AM	#10
Skan21 Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2009 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 463	Hey OneOunce, why didn't you reccomend the SKB's to me? Any reason? __________________ "An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life."- Robert Heinlein Some of you guys need to trade in a few of those Safe Queens and see if you can get a good deal on a Sense of Humor.- Me

August 26, 2009, 06:39 PM	#2
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	You really need to shoot both of them to see which one fits you better. Both are great guns, but their typical stock dimensions are not similar - typically, if one of them fits you well, odds are the other will not. In that price range, you may also want to consider a SKB: http://www.skbshotguns.com/over-and-...ield/index.php

August 26, 2009, 06:44 PM	#3
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I'm a Browning guy - but OneOunce is right - if one fits you, the other one probably will not fit you. Your key issue here is Fit - not how they look - and you need to know the drop at comb, drop at heel, length of pull etc that fits you - or they both may be a mistake for you. Shotguns do not come in one size fits all ....... I'm also not a big Cynergy model fan / most of my guns are from the Citori model lineup - and while I think the jury is still out on the longevity of the Cynergy lockup system, it seems to be doing just fine. As you probably realize, there are a lot of models of the Cynergy out there ( 17 in the current catalog ) / and in the 686 too ..... If you can, shoot similar models and see if they fit / take them to a patterning board if you can / you can't tell by shooting targets.

August 26, 2009, 06:50 PM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Barrel length - if its too short, I tend to "whip" the gun vs "swing it smooth" - and a 26" O/U is too short for me / but I'm 6'5" and 290 lbs .. and I like my O/U's in 30" barrels at about 8 1/2 lbs for a general purpose gun hunting birds, Skeet or Sporting Clays. But all that's a personal choice / some of my buddies shoot 26" barreled O/U's and they think my guns are like big overweight sewer pipes out there ... A longer barrel to me, helps me with the longer sight plane - so the lighter the gun, the longer barrel I want as well. I have a 7.2 lb Benelli semi-auto / very light gun in 12ga / and I bought it in a 30" barrel - and added 1 lb to it so I could swing it smoothly. My 17 year old grandson / thinks its the coolest gun in my safe - he loves it / and he isn't that big yet .....so a lot of this comes down to personal preference...

August 27, 2009, 02:15 AM	#5
Lawyer Daggit Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Posts: 1,181	I agree with one ounce. I love Brownings but find that their shotgun stocks tend not to fit me as well as Beretta stocks- I own two 686's- an untralight and a silver pigeon sporting. I can heartily recommend the Beretta's.

August 27, 2009, 02:52 AM	#6
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,286	I'm not much of a shotgunner,but I'd have to agree the way to choose between platforms is "What fits" I do not know the Browning,but I can say my 686 Essential has served me well for many years.Its a 26".I don't really sight and use technique.I focus on the bird,mount and shoot.I tend to use Skeet 1 and IC or IC and Mod

August 29, 2009, 12:52 AM	#7
olddrum1 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Mid Missouri Posts: 807	Go with the 686 over this particular model of Browning.

August 31, 2009, 05:00 AM	#9
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	JMO, but the 686 is the world's gold standard for svetely-designed, great-handling, O/U shotguns - especially in the smaller/scaled framed frame gauges, like 20. The Cynergy is just the latest hype/buzz in Citori's - arguably the runnerup (in Citori standard models). .

August 31, 2009, 06:16 AM	#11
Waterengineer Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Location: Aurora, CO and Palm Beach, FL Posts: 863	Ouch! That's going to leave a mark.

August 31, 2009, 03:19 PM	#13
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	quoted from above: "the Beretta 686 is the world's gold standard for svetely-designed, great-handling, O/U shotguns - especially in the smaller/scaled framed frame gauges, like 20" I'm not saying the Beretta 686 isn't a decent gun ...but I don't feel like I purchased a "non gold standard gun" - in the Browning Citori XS Skeet family - with a 20, 28ga or the .410 ..... Here is my family of XS Skeet model Citori's ( in 12, 20, 28ga and .410 ) - the 20, 28ga and .410 are all built on the Browning 20ga receiver - and all 3 have 30" barrels / they're my primary guns for Skeet, Sporting Clays and bird hunting ..... I find them to be solid, nimble and great handling guns .....that I'll stack up against any 686 made. Beretta 686 feels small in my hands and has way too much drop at comb and heel to fit me ....... http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...1&d=1236031020 Both Beretta and Browning make good serviceable guns ...but if you're looking for the "gold standard" in a 20ga -- maybe the Krieghoff K-20 .... http://www.krieghoff.com/index.php?o...d=32&Itemid=77

September 1, 2009, 08:14 AM	#14
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Beretta vs Browning. Ford vs Chevy. Get the one that feels best to YOU...