Trouble Patterning Benelli Nova

[joshb311]

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!

[chatterbox]

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.

[Tom Foolery]

Are you shooting at a big piece of paper, 30"x30"?

[R AJ]

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.

[SumToy]

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.   

[joshb311]

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.

[joshb311]

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.   

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.

[tyelper]

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''

[joshb311]

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.

[Tom Foolery]

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.

[joshb311]

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. 

[Michigander]

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. 

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.

[joshb311]

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. 

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.

[FttFttVroom!]

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.

[R AJ]

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.