SamF Posted January 11, 2004 Share Posted January 11, 2004 I'm planning on getting a new pump shotgun (my first) and right now I'm kind of in a battle between the Benelli Nova and the Mossberg 500... I like the look and features of the nova, but the mossbergs I hear can really take a beating. I also like that the mossberg guns come with ported barrels. I'm kind of curious how easy it is to get barrels ported. I'd imagine it isn't too involved and can easily be done with a trip to gunsmith? Anyway, anyone out there who have tried both of these shotguns have any opinions that can help me? For reference, I plan to do mostly skeet and sport shooting with the gun, but may get into hunting later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birddog Posted January 11, 2004 Share Posted January 11, 2004 Well for starters consider fit to be your first concern. It's been a while since i've shot a 500 and do remember I didn't like it a bit *my opinion. However I've recently popped a few shells out of a nova and thought it fine. it's a lot diferent than my old 870 wingmaster magnum duck gun I use -I think I'm a bit biased towards my 870- but putting that aside, I liked the nova. One other thing- i've had considerable work done to my 870 .. an adjustable recoil pad, A trigger pad, the once fully choked 30" barrel has been choked out to #2 sheet, ported and new large dia. red front bead installed.. so it's been 'made' to my liking. I sent it out to R & D CUSTOM BARREL SERVICE who did the barrel work on it and they did an EXCELLENT job. I don't recall what they charged me on an itemized basis but, thier site currently quotes $65 for porting with a turn-around time of 1-3days! Add your shipping to that and you've got a first class job!! Hope this helps and good luck in your quest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fezman Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 ive had a mossburg 500 for over 10years that i bought very used at a gun show for 100$. the only problem ive ever had with it is the slide sticks some times because of a worn roll pin in the forestock it has served me well and taken way too much abuse. also there is a ton of after market stuff for the 500 that just isnt readly available for the nova. if i was in the market for a pump gun i would go with the mossburg again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birddog Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 fezman's right... the 500's i know about have taken a good share of abuse real well! The guys I know that own them are happy with 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamF Posted January 12, 2004 Author Share Posted January 12, 2004 Such a tough decision... I guess I should go to the gun store and handle both weapons to see how I like them. The Mossberg LOP might be a little short for me actually, where the nova is a little bigger and would probably fit me better... The nova is also a nicer-looking gun IMO, but it seems most people I talk to say you can't beat the reliability of the mossberg... Well I still welcome more opinions. It will be a bit before I actually go to make the purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waxed Canvas Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 Why do you want a ported barrel? They are loud and frankly when ducks or phesants are coming in, you will not think about the recoil. The Nova can be retrofitted with a recoil reducer anyway. The nova offers rust resistance in the camo version with a chrome barrel. If you are a waterfowler, this is muy importante. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birddog Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 Waxed Canvas - porting helps eliminate barrel jump along with recoil making second shots quicker and easier. you are right tho... you do get a bit of a "crack" when you're beside it... but, not when you're shooting. As for adding a pound of wieght to a gun to reduce recoil...I think you guys gotta be crazy not to port a barrel before adding weight!! Think about that ... you're increasing the wieght of a nova by roughly 15% turning an 8 pound gun into a 9 pound gun... plus throwing off the feel and balance by stuffing it all in the stock... not for me - no thanx! [ 01-11-2004, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: birddog ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamF Posted January 12, 2004 Author Share Posted January 12, 2004 I just read a great review comparing the tactical versions of the exact 2 guns I'm comparing here. In that review the nova came out a little ahead of the mossberg. I'm leaning towards benelli now. The barrel porting isn't all that important to me. This is going to be my first gun of probably many down the line so I can live with it, and if I really want it I can always have it done. The extra features of the nova also impress me. The final test though will be handling each gun to see how I like it. Thanks for the opinions guys, it was all helpful. Feel free to continue the discussion... Who knows I may yet change my mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1014 Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 Sport Shooting-COOL,Jan 2004- "Gun Test" magazine calls it Benelli over the other one.I"ve shot a military 590 which I guess was okay,not a lasting impression for me,a very imposing looking weapon but a real pig too handle.Now about the Nova,smooth,sleek,user friendly,doesn't need extra aftermarket gadgets to so call enhance it,put a Factory mag extension on it,& go.Barrel porting optional,more like barrel shroud for people burns &barrel protection. Later M1014 [ 01-11-2004, 09:02 PM: Message edited by: M1014 ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedd Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I don't intending to step on the feet of happy mossberg owners but, the nova is sweet! I have one and for a pump the thing is as M1014 says, smooth, sleek and user friendly. Benelli re-wrote the books on what a pump could and should be. birddog- I take it the porting helps a bit eh? [ 01-13-2004, 07:29 AM: Message edited by: jedd ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamF Posted January 14, 2004 Author Share Posted January 14, 2004 I've read that the optional recoil reducer, when installed in the nova, actually balances the gun better and does help a great deal with the kick, making it less of a chore to put 100-200 rounds through the gun in a day (like when shooting skeet). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birddog Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Sam - disregarding whats been said previously.With your last post in mind I think you narrowed down your options too much. If you're considering a gun for clay target sports such as skeet or sporting clays I think you'll be better served by an automatic or a double. For a few dollars more you have these autoloaders to choose from: ( that I'm aware of) Stoeger 2000 synthetic - @ $400 Charles Daly VS-MC synthetic - @ $400 Traditions ALS 2100 Synthetic- @ $450 Remington 1100 Synthetic - @ $470 For an inexpensive double look at the Stoeger Condor O/U - @ $400 just a thought.... jedd - yea the porting helped out on the 870. I have 4 shotguns that are ported and would say it helps a great deal ... some have said recoil reduction up around the 30% mark but, the real noticable factor is muzzle rise. The barrels are less jumpy for sure!! [ 01-14-2004, 11:08 AM: Message edited by: birddog ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamF Posted January 14, 2004 Author Share Posted January 14, 2004 Well I'm not getting the gun for any specific purpose. I hope to shoot skeet with it but I plan to try hunting etc as well. If I really get into clay target shooting, I'll probably invest in a nice Browning O/U or something like that specifically for the sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
novatkyhntr Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fezman Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 i just have to put in my 2cents again and say that if your not that serious about what you want to do with your shot gun get a used mossburg 500 if you decide later that you want to get serious about shooting skeet or clays you will realy need to get an o/u. you should be able to get a used mossburg for aroud 150 and shoot the heck out of it for a while. also you can swap out the barrels on the mossy in about 30sec i keep myn under the bed with a 18.5 bbl on in and take my o/u out to shoot skeet and hunting and toss the mossy in the truck just incase i start to miss alot or have to hike a while (i have a neet sling set up on the mossy). the short bbl realy sprays and makes evan a crappy shot look good on the skeet field. but the recoil is punnishing after 25 shots or so . another thing to think about is weight. the mossy with the 18 or 26"bbl and plastic stocks is very light and it seems to me that i carry my gun more when im hunting than shooting it. evan on a good day in the field 20 shots is a lot and the recoil is not a problem. un like skeet or just blasting away. ill take the light weight gun over the heavy one in the field any day. evan my deer rifle is a light weight model 94 winchester carbine w/ iron sights or just my .357 revolver. i'm lazy and the hike is enough work for me and to have to lug around a 10lb gun on top of all the other junk that i take its just too much for my lazy bones. keep it simple , for a starter gun go cheep,(but not junk) easy to take care of and light to carry, go mossy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrecker Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 i think the benelli nova is the better gun becouse i duck hunt in alabama iv had my nova stuck up in the mud and under water iv used it to help me staind up when iv fell and the magnum problom i have the 3.5 and i hunt every thing i want to with it where my father owns one of those over priced shot guns that hes scared to get dirty or scratched Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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