novatkyhntr

Nova 26". Good all around gun. I use mine as a home defense gun and a hunting gun. It even does a good job at clays.

I'm gonna agree with M1014, that kind of customer service is absolutely, 100% totally UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

Go with the Nova, the 835's are beasts. Don't get me wrong, I like Mossberg, but the 835 is just TOO heavy, and if you decide on a synthetic stock, the recoil is too much. I've owned both guns, and I've noticed a lot of load problems with the 835. Oh, just on a note StarLynx, if you've got a Nova with a 3" chamber, it's either a slug gun (which by the way, you shouldn't be shooting shot through a rifled barrel), or it's a 20 Gauge. I have a 12 Gauge Nova, and it's a 3 1/2" chamber. My Nova also came with a 10 year warranty just like the 835. The only thing I've found in favor of the 835 is the fact that the Nova is just a hair more expensive than the 835. I paid $20 more for my Nova than my 835, but in my opinion, it was 20 bucks well worth it. [ 02-03-2004, 08:47 AM: Message edited by: novatkyhntr ]

I'm gonna agree with Mossberg Man. I don't even think Benelli makes a gun chambered in 410. If you're looking for a pump, go with the Mossberg 500 youth. If you're looking for a semi-auto, go with the Saiga from EAA. They have less recoil than my 22 Mag. The only drawback is that they only come chambered for the 3" 410 shell. But they're a **** of a lot of fun to shoot, a good friend of mine has one.

I've got three favorites for my Benelli. I use either the Undertaker from Hunter's Specialties, the MAD Max from Drury, or the Gobble-Stopper from Tru-Glo. These pattern best with 5's or 6's and I've been really impressed with the reliability and performance of these tubes.

I am a happy Mossberg owner, and a happy Nova owner. 9 chances out of 10, I'll grab my Nova before my 500 when I go out into the field.

Yes, being a Southpaw myself, I've looked at both. The left hand SBE is just a mirror image of the right hand version.

On the M1 and the SBE they now make the Steady-Grip stock, which gives you the shoulder stock and the pistol grip, but I'm not sure about the shorter barrel. I personally would go with the SBE. I like the 3 1/2 shells for Gobblers and Deer, and they do have a slug barrel available.

The Nova's got a good pop to her. I did buy the reducer and it made quite a bit of difference. But everyone does handle recoil differently, and it's also determined on how you shoulder the gun. Keep her in tight and she won't beat you around too much.

I had a similar problem with my Nova when I first bought it. I sent it back to Benelli myself, not going through the dealer. I got my gun back in a week and it worked better than it did when I first bought. I was very impressed with their customer service, even though I was hot that I missed a crapload of quail on my hunt.

I'll agree with birddog and tj. I like the Winchester Super-X Rifled slugs, you know, the inexpensive ones you can buy in a 15 round value pack at Wal-Mart. But each gun is different and will get the best accuracy with a different load. Find out what works for you.

I use either the H.S. Strut Undertaker or the Tru-Glo Gobble Stopper with Federal Grand Slam 3 1/2" #5's. I've had really good expreriences with both. A friend of mine also uses the Mad Max from Mark Drury (MAD Call). I'm SERIOUSLY considering switching to it. I counted 89 in the kill zone with the Undertaker and the Tru-Glo, and my friend counted 91 with the Mad Max at 35 yards, along with 70 pellets at 45 with the Max. [ 01-23-2004, 05:47 PM: Message edited by: novatkyhntr ]

I've found that Nova's with a camo finish will generally just a hair under 370.