I have been running into some issues trying to pattern my Benelli Nova. I have a Kick's .655 and have been shooting #6 shot per the guide on the Kick's website. Winchester Super X, Winchester Supreme and Federal Strut Shock in 3 inch all are providing less than desirable results at 25 yards. The pattern is so sparse at 25 yards that I honestly am scared to try any farther out at present. Does anyone have any suggestions for a round that would perform better with the Kick's? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Maybe your gun doesn't like the kicks?
Maybe try a JH .655 in it and see if that does better. I only suggest a different choke because you have tried 3 different shells with no luck.
Are you shooting at a big piece of paper, 30"x30"?
Describe why the pattern is not sufficient at 25 yards.Those shot have to be hitting something and it should be almost a hole in the paper at that distance.
As Tom Foolery mentioned shoot at a small spot on a big sheet of paper and then draw a 10" diameter circle around the densest area.
Get you some junk shells. (8's or 9's) Shoot at 50 feet to find POA/POI. Play around with the cheap ($5 a box) to see if the gun/you can and will shoot the same spot over. Then move out to 30 or 40 yards. :anim_25:
Quote from: RAJ on February 12, 2012, 08:47:15 AM
Describe why the pattern is not sufficient at 25 yards.Those shot have to be hitting something and it should be almost a hole in the paper at that distance.
As Tom Foolery mentioned shoot at a small spot on a big sheet of paper and then draw a 10" diameter circle around the densest area.
I agree. The shot HAS to be hitting something. Just not my targets. At 25 yards (75 feet exactly) I get about 75 to 100 pellets on the paper. Every once in a blue moon I manage about 130 to 150 on the paper. I have counted all of them to be sure. If I hit 10 or 12 in the "kill zone" it's nothing short of miraculous. I have put the targets up against four foot by four foot sheets of plywood to be sure I'm not sailing the rounds outside the paper. The shot is spread all over the place.
Could the wadding be getting overly affected by the choke and dispersing the shot too soon? I notice that I usually find them about 10 to 15 feet in front of me after shooting a few rounds. I thought that they should be traveling farther with the shot than that.
Quote from: SumToy on February 12, 2012, 12:35:00 PM
Get you some junk shells. (8's or 9's) Shoot at 50 feet to find POA/POI. Play around with the cheap ($5 a box) to see if the gun/you can and will shoot the same spot over. Then move out to 30 or 40 yards. :anim_25:
I'm shooting good. I have chambered a round or two (thousand) in my lifetime. I definitely haven't fallen off there. The POI test was done after my first three rounds didn't pattern like I thought I should have gotten out of them.
i know your gonna think im crazy by asking this but are you free handing your shot,,,,,i have shot about 50 rounds the past week in 4 guns 3 remmys and a nova, i wasnt getting crap on paper until i sit down and shot off of a firm knee,,,,,,then i started throwing 130-150 in 10''
Quote from: tyelper on February 12, 2012, 08:37:11 PM
i know your gonna think im crazy by asking this but are you free handing your shot,,,,,i have shot about 50 rounds the past week in 4 guns 3 remmys and a nova, i wasnt getting crap on paper until i sit down and shot off of a firm knee,,,,,,then i started throwing 130-150 in 10''
Nah, I don't think you're bonkers... I thought I was for a minute or two after firing the first round with the Kicks. I have tried shooting while standing, sitting, kneeling, sitting on my turkey stool, on my stool with my back against a tree... all with the same results. I thought maybe I wasn't bracing good enough as well. The 3 inch shells have a nice thump to them for me. I'm a lightweight and I weigh 155 soaking wet so I had considered that I might have been getting poor results from recoil.
So at 25yds you are getting 75-100 pellets on a 30"x30" sheet of paper? And you are then drawing a circle over the densest part of the pattern? I have no clue as to what could be happening if that's the case.
The wad should be laying right infront of you if your choke is working properly.
Quote from: Tom Foolery on February 12, 2012, 09:09:27 PM
So at 25yds you are getting 75-100 pellets on a 30"x30" sheet of paper? And you are then drawing a circle over the densest part of the pattern? I have no clue as to what could be happening if that's the case.
The wad should be laying right infront of you if your choke is working properly.
I'm at a loss as well. I'm stumped and kinda sore that I spent so much on a choke that doesn't perform well in my gun. I haven't given up on it yet, though. I spoke with a gentleman from Kick's Industries today and he suggested that I try the Winchester High Velocity or Winchester Extended Range.
I found both shell types at a local gunshop today but almost had an heart attack when I saw how much the guy had them marked for. His HTL was only about 20 percent more expensive than his lead shot. (Which was about 35 percent higher than any other retailer I have come across anywhere else. Made me sick to my stomach.
I'm hoping I can find some to experiment with in enough time to prepare myself properly for the upcoming season.
I had the same results with my Nova when I tried to pattern it. It took me a lot of money and frustration to figure out the issue. What I eventually found was that when the barrel was threaded for the choke, it was threaded crooked/off center. I found this out once I chipped the back edge of my full choke. :o
If you look from the muzzle end of your barrel with the choke out, you should be able to tell. The lip that the back edge of the choke seats against should be perfectly centered in the bore, mine wasn't. Honestly, it's probably something I should have caught when I was cleaning/polishing the barrel, but who ever expects that to be an issue.
I'm not saying that is your problem, but you might check it out. Benelli sent me a new barrel and chokes, no questions asked.
Quote from: Michigander on February 18, 2012, 09:40:32 AM
I had the same results with my Nova when I tried to pattern it. It took me a lot of money and frustration to figure out the issue. What I eventually found was that when the barrel was threaded for the choke, it was threaded crooked/off center. I found this out once I chipped the back edge of my full choke. :o
If you look from the muzzle end of your barrel with the choke out, you should be able to tell. The lip that the back edge of the choke seats against should be perfectly centered in the bore, mine wasn't. Honestly, it's probably something I should have caught when I was cleaning/polishing the barrel, but who ever expects that to be an issue.
I'm not saying that is your problem, but you might check it out. Benelli sent me a new barrel and chokes, no questions asked.
You got me wondering so I pulled my choke and looked.... the "lip" you're speaking of does appear to be ever so slightly off on one edge. Is there any way that I can measure this with a caliper or other method to be sure that my eyes aren't playing tricks on me? The threads seem fine, as the chokes seat fully when screwed in and it doesn't appear "lop sided". I just would be embarrassed if I went through the hassle of requesting a new barrel from Benelli and found out that mine was ok all along.
I would send it back, getting too close to season for you to mess around spending money trying to figure if it's something else. I've never heard of someone having as much trouble as you are having. It has to be the barrel.
Shoot at a 30"x30" piece of paper on your four foot by four foot board and have a small dot as an aim point. Do not shoot at a piece of notebook paper even on a billboard as that tells you nothing when having problems.
Have you tried Win lead number 6 shot in this combo? The supreme or XX 3-2-6 in general likes tight chokes. Good luck on this.
Quote from: RAJ on February 18, 2012, 07:09:18 PM
Shoot at a 30"x30" piece of paper on your four foot by four foot board and have a small dot as an aim point. Do not shoot at a piece of notebook paper even on a billboard as that tells you nothing when having problems.
Have you tried Win lead number 6 shot in this combo? The supreme or XX 3-2-6 in general likes tight chokes. Good luck on this.
Yes, I've been through every Winchester round made except for the Nitro Turkey and Xtended Range. It has me frustrated a little but I'm determined to figure out what is going on. I sent William from Sumtoy a PM the other day and he offered up a bit more advice. I may end up asking him if he would be willing to help me out a bit further since he's so close by and obviously knows his stuff.
I'm just really hoping that there isn't an issue with barrel.
can you take a pic of the end of your barrel so we can see what your saying about being off to one side i looked at mine and had no idea what you were referring to,,,,
Quote from: tyelper on February 18, 2012, 09:05:51 PM
can you take a pic of the end of your barrel so we can see what your saying about being off to one side i looked at mine and had no idea what you were referring to,,,,
There appears to be a bit less of a lip on one side where the choke seats inside the barrel. It's kinda hard to judge and my eyes have fooled me before. I will see if my caliper will make it down into the barrel and try to measure it to be sure.
I did notice a little bit of carbon buildup around the outside of the choke. I didn't think much of it at the time, though.
well mine shoots 6-8'' high i have had to take all my sights off and use factory bead and with just catching the very tip on my vent it still shoots high,,,,,
put a bigger bead on front to make it shoot lower.
Quote from: joshb311 on February 18, 2012, 10:08:14 PM
Quote from: tyelper on February 18, 2012, 09:05:51 PM
can you take a pic of the end of your barrel so we can see what your saying about being off to one side i looked at mine and had no idea what you were referring to,,,,
There appears to be a bit less of a lip on one side where the choke seats inside the barrel. It's kinda hard to judge and my eyes have fooled me before. I will see if my caliper will make it down into the barrel and try to measure it to be sure.
I did notice a little bit of carbon buildup around the outside of the choke. I didn't think much of it at the time, though.
So you are saying that you are missing a 30"x30" piece of paper at 25 yards. Or just getting 120 or so shot in it,right?
I started out a few years ago, trying to get a Nova to shoot. I tried a Jelly Head, SSX, Carlson's, several different shells, and finally gave up on the Nova.
I traded the Nova, and started the whole process over again with an 870. Much better patterns with the 870, especially with an Indian Creek .665 choke. Now I also have a BPS, and I'm getting even better patterns with an Indian Creek .665 choke in it.
If the Nova works out, great. If it doesn't do what you want it to do, there are other options available.
josh, good luck getting ahold of the jack wagons at benelli
Quote from: tyelper on February 20, 2012, 10:51:15 AM
josh, good luck getting ahold of the jack wagons at benelli
I called them several months ago when I was inquiring about their mercury recoil reducer that goes in the stock. I had absolutely no problems getting in touch with anyone then. I called the support number when inquiring as well. Hopefully I won't have any issues.
Quote from: Michigander on February 18, 2012, 09:40:32 AM
I had the same results with my Nova when I tried to pattern it. It took me a lot of money and frustration to figure out the issue. What I eventually found was that when the barrel was threaded for the choke, it was threaded crooked/off center. I found this out once I chipped the back edge of my full choke. :o
If you look from the muzzle end of your barrel with the choke out, you should be able to tell. The lip that the back edge of the choke seats against should be perfectly centered in the bore, mine wasn't. Honestly, it's probably something I should have caught when I was cleaning/polishing the barrel, but who ever expects that to be an issue.
I'm not saying that is your problem, but you might check it out. Benelli sent me a new barrel and chokes, no questions asked.
I did a little tinkering again this evening and it is looking like my barrel may have the choke threads tapped off center after all. I thought I was noticing more of a "lip" on one side when peering down the barrel without a choke in place. I put my factory full choke in and am definitely seeing an inconsistency around that edge where the choke sits flush against.
I'm going to a local gunsmith tomorrow and have them give me a second opinion and try to confirm or disprove my fears.
My short barreled 870 came that way from the factory, very noticable difference. It shoots fine though.
Hope you get it figured out before season.
Quote from: Michigander on February 20, 2012, 09:04:13 PM
Hope you get it figured out before season.
Yes, same here. There have been numerous circumstances that have started to conspire against the upcoming season for me lately. I am about to give Benelli a call and hopefully at least this aspect of it will be able to be resolved.
they will probably tell you the same thing as they did me today box it up send it to us we will bench test it and send it back when we figure out the problem,,,,,,
Quote from: tyelper on February 21, 2012, 05:20:55 PM
they will probably tell you the same thing as they did me today box it up send it to us we will bench test it and send it back when we figure out the problem,,,,,,
Right on. I didn't get around to it today. Did they happen to give you any kinda idea on turnaround?
4-8 weeks,,,,,,,,i did like guys suggested and took my bead sight off of mine took a sight that snaps on vent that was about half again higher and came up with pretty good results, benelli told me today that the italians made these guns to shoot high, because of the duck hunters, they said when the gun is aimed at the belly to feet on a pass over it is suppose to cover the duck with shot,,,,,,,,
dangest thing i have heard, but they told me to get a perfect poi i needed to raise my front sights,,,
ok somebody help me out here after reading his first couple of post he says his wad is 10-15 feet from him after he soots, now please someone correct me but shouldnt his wad be about 30 yards toward the target if he is shooting 40 yards,,,sounds to me they reason for such a wide pattern is your choke is stripping the wad from shot wad to hard causing the pattern to open up way to early,,,,,,
just a thought im no guieness here!!!!
sorry,,should i say taller,,not bigger
Quote from: tyelper on February 20, 2012, 10:51:15 AM
josh, good luck getting ahold of the jack wagons at benelli
I'm not sure why you had issues getting in contact with someone. I called this afternoon and got right through. The woman that assisted me was extremely friendly and helpful and provided me with a return authorization number after only about three minutes on the phone. She said that I would have to return the barrel only for evaluation. She asked if I was currently in the middle of any hunting seasons and she did warn me that although Benelli typically has the shortest turnaround time in the industry, that they are currently under the heaviest backlog that they have ever seen. (Spring seasons I can only assume.) She said that it would be four weeks and I should have it back.
If all goes well, it should be back in right around opening day or shortly thereafter hopefully. I should have gotten on the ball with this sooner but overall I am pleased with the experience I have had with them so far.
They told me that it would take a month to get my barrel back as well. Actually only took about two weeks. Hope its the same for you. I thought their customer service was great a well.
Lucky guys!I had to send my vinci back last year before season and i didn't get it back for 5 months!And that was after calling them and gander mountain several times.To their credit they sent me a brand new one,but i would have just been happy with repairing my first one.Anyways,does your nova have the tapered rib,high in the back,low near the muzzle?My vinci has one of those and no matter how you shim it it will shoot high.I'm thinking about having a low profile rib extension made to make the rib parallel to the reciever/barrel,then that would make the poi adjustable with the stock shims again.I pm'd sumtoy about it,just waiting for a reply about it,but i did the same thing temporarily by putting a tall fiber bead on it with magnetic base,it works but i,d rather have a better solution for the long term,as this is primarily my waterfowl gun,but it will see the woods this spring!.....good luck and good hunting,ward
Quote from: Michigander on February 23, 2012, 07:15:43 PM
They told me that it would take a month to get my barrel back as well. Actually only took about two weeks. Hope its the same for you. I thought their customer service was great a well.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that this will be the case for me. I stopped by the gunsmith on the way into town just to have him confirm for me. The choke threads were definitely tapped off of center. Quite a significant amount, actually. I didn't notate the exact amount, but it was definitely substantial.
I wrapped up the barrel and dropped it at FedEx today. Knocking on wood and doing a little dance in hopes that I'll see her back before I know it.