2023 Shotgun Of The Year: Benelli 28 Gauge Super Black Eagle 3

Between its ultra-reliable, smooth-cycling and simple Inertia Driven operating system, and the fact that it successfully addressed the few criticisms leveled at its predecessors, we felt that the original 12-ga. version of the Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 (SBE3) was the clear winner of Shotgun Of The Year back in 2018 when it was introduced. So, when the company unveiled a scaled-down version of the scattergun weighing 18 ozs. less and chambered to fire 28-ga. shells, but with all the same performance-enhancing features, our “Dope Bag” evaluators were quite keen to check it out—and came away from the experience extremely impressed.

“Perhaps the best endorsement possible of the new 28-ga. Benelli Super Black Eagle 3, one of our testers used the shotgun during a local National Sporting Clays Ass’n competition—connecting on 89 of 100 targets—after only a short period of time with the gun. He found it to be exceptionally well-balanced and natural to swing,” wrote our reviewer. “Frankly, none of us found anything not to like with the gun.”

For successfully bringing everything that makes the platform so great to the fans of a tragically underappreciated chambering, we found the Benelli 28 Gauge Super Black Eagle 3 worthy of Shotgun Of The Year. For more information, visit benelliusa.com.

Created more than two decades ago as a way to publicly acknowledge those firearms and shooting accessories from the previous year’s crop of new products that exhibited the highest quality, the most value or that offered welcome innovation, the Golden Bullseye Awards have become one of the gun industry’s most coveted honors. That's why the editors of this magazine take the responsibility so seriously when we meet annually to deliberate and ultimately decide upon the recipients—and the process seemed to be even more significant than usual this time in light of American Rifleman celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

“The NRA Golden Bullseye Awards epitomize what NRA members seek in their shooting and hunting equipment—outstanding performance, innovation and value,” said Doug Hamlin, executive director of NRA Publications. “These are the best new products, truly worthy of NRA members' attention, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all this year’s winners.”