I'm probably going to invest in a Benelli Nova 12 ga., Realtree APG, 26" barrell. It comes with 3 chokes but not a turkey choke. Does anyone have opinions on these guns and an inexpensive turkey choke for it? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
I'm shooting the exact gun now. I've tried several chokes and a ton of different shells. What shells are you looking at shooting? Feel free to PM me with any questions.
Matt
I had a 24" Nova that I used exclusively for turkey hunting before I replaced it with an 870 23" barrel. The only reason why I replaced the gun was so that I could go to a Knoxx Stock. I suggest putting a .670 Pure Gold choke on that baby and don't look back. That gun is a killer and you will not be disappointed one bit at all.
bird
Primos Jelly Head. That thing will kick like a mad mule, but it will be a killer. Or for a few $ more the Pure Gold.
From your original post, I saw the word "inexpensive" in reference to chokes. The $15 HS Undertaker .675 (ported, rated for HTL) threw higher patterns than the Jellyhead .655 in 3.5" Hevi 7s and MagBlends. There are probably other chokes out there that give better numbers/patterns, but I'd give it a try if you're on a tight budget and want to shoot on of those loads.
Quote from: hunter177 on May 17, 2011, 11:57:26 PM
I'm probably going to invest in a Benelli Nova 12 ga., Realtree APG, 26" barrell. It comes with 3 chokes but not a turkey choke. Does anyone have opinions on these guns and an inexpensive turkey choke for it? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
I have a Nova that I've owned since shortly after they were introduced. It's a good solid gun with an excellent barrel but it had a very heavy trigger pull initially. The trigger is really non-adjustable but will smooth out with time. You can dry-fire it (use a snap cap if so desired) and over time it will become lighter and smoother. A friend used to dry fire his each evening when he watched television and it really helped a lot.
The barrel is chrome-lined and is of excellent quality, at least in all that I've seen. It has the same inside diameter as most Benelli barrels, tighter than most U.S. made guns. Chokes with tighter exit diameters tend to work better with most shells, excluding the Federal Flitecontrol Wad shells. The internal geometry of the choke will also greatly influence the performance, so e.d. is not all there is to it of course.
As a general rule, chokes with an e.d. of 640-655 seem to work best with both lead and tungsten-based shot in #6 and #7 shot sizes. I shoot Wright's #3 (.650), SSX (.643) and Hevi-13 (.656) turkey chokes in my Nova and they all do an excellent job. Those chokes range in price from $36.95 to $54.99.
I hope that helps some.
Thanks,
Clark
Quote from: mmusso on May 18, 2011, 12:50:49 PM
From your original post, I saw the word "inexpensive" in reference to chokes. The $15 HS Undertaker .675 (ported, rated for HTL) threw higher patterns than the Jellyhead .655 in 3.5" Hevi 7s and MagBlends. There are probably other chokes out there that give better numbers/patterns, but I'd give it a try if you're on a tight budget and want to shoot on of those loads.
Good advice!
My 28" Nova put 275 in 10" at 40 lasered yards with a $20 Primos Tightwad choke in .655, ammo was Hevi-13 3.5" 2 1/4oz 7's
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Nova is allot of gun for the money - when they first came out , the one thing that impressed me was the high quality barrel - It is hard for me to figure out how Benelli turns a buck on the nova cause the barrel alone looks like it costs more to make than what they charge for the whole gun .
Of all the nova's I've seen all of them shot pretty much dead on , like mentioned they are bored a few thousandths tighter than the other makes , so choke down accordingly.
I placed a aftermarket recoil pad on mine {limbsaver}, and the recoil is not that bad even with nitro's
--Shannon
Hi hunter177,
I bought a Nova this year just before season started in APG w/ the steady grip stock. I put the Hevi Shot choke on it and it is an awesome turkey gun. I like the 3" hevi 13 # 7's in it. There are a lot of great chokes out there that I'm sure will shoot real good in that Nova. If you get one with the steady grip stock, ( a heads up) you have to loosen the stock just a little, to remove the trigger assembly for cleaning . Good luck and let us know how you like your new turkey stick.
Quote from: bird on May 18, 2011, 09:27:33 AM
I had a 24" Nova that I used exclusively for turkey hunting before I replaced it with an 870 23" barrel. The only reason why I replaced the gun was so that I could go to a Knoxx Stock. I suggest putting a .670 Pure Gold choke on that baby and don't look back. That gun is a killer and you will not be disappointed one bit at all.
bird
I have been wanting to get a Nova. Maybe one day I will. I think the all black Novas look very good. I do think they are a very nice shotgun.
I have a 24" APG Nova with a factory Benelli recoil reducer in the stock, a slip on cheek piece, and a Nikon Turkey Pro Scope,
Indian Creek Black Diamond Strike choke with Win. Extended Range High Density #6, 3 1/2" shells and it shoots amazing !!
I feel that you do your turkey gun a grave injustice if you don't equip it with the best choke and shoot the best ammo available.
You, at best, only shoot a few shells a season. My Nova has given many a strutter a " dirt nap" and has performed flawlessly !!!
Been thinking of getting one. A friend has a black nova in box that he won at a nwtf banquet. I can have it for $350. Ive heard they shot well.
I'm currently hunting with Nova w/ 26" barrell. I hunt with the full choke that comes with the gun and do not hunt with expensive shells (very inexpensive actually, Kent's Diamond Shot 3 1/2", #5's, 2 1/4 oz). Great pattern at 20. A little loose when you get out to 50 or more but thats a boat load of shot and have had zero problems with "holes" in the pattern. I effectively dropped 2 turkeys at 45 yds. this season with this gun. However, I do reccomend a recoil pad 'cause it'll kick like a mule. Save your money when it comes to the rest of it. Just my 2 cents.
Quote from: beardblaster on May 20, 2011, 02:37:15 PM
I'm currently hunting with Nova w/ 26" barrell. I hunt with the full choke that comes with the gun and do not hunt with expensive shells (very inexpensive actually, Kent's Diamond Shot 3 1/2", #5's, 2 1/4 oz). Great pattern at 20. A little loose when you get out to 50 or more but thats a boat load of shot and have had zero problems with "holes" in the pattern. I effectively dropped 2 turkeys at 45 yds. this season with this gun. However, I do reccomend a recoil pad 'cause it'll kick like a mule. Save your money when it comes to the rest of it. Just my 2 cents.
I used the same shell the #5 shot in a 3.5" Kent, killed a bunch of Turks during 2 Springs and Falls with 'em. My longest shot I measured was 46 yards and they performed great. This was from a .665 Carlsons non-ported choke tube. Never shot for pellet count targets but was always satisfied out to 55 yards with putting pellets in the kill zone on a target.