Benelli Nova needs a choke

[docost99]

I picked up this Benelli Nova for turkey hunting and I need to find a choke for it. It has a 28" barrel, so I don't think I want to go with an extended choke. Is there a recommended flush mount choke? Carlson's?
Thanks!

[Rem Man]

Anything in the 650-655 range!!!!?

[Double B]

I'm running a Hastings .665 extended, non-ported choke tube in a similar gun.  Patterns very, very well with Longbeard XRs.   

[allaboutshooting]

I picked up this Benelli Nova for turkey hunting and I need to find a choke for it. It has a 28" barrel, so I don't think I want to go with an extended choke. Is there a recommended flush mount choke? Carlson's?
Thanks!

If I read it correctly, you're considering a flush mounted choke due to the 28" barrel length, correct? I do understand that but there is another factor to consider when choosing a choke, especially a turkey choke.

Shells designed for turkey hunting normally have pretty high payloads of shot, compared to the shells used in other sports. We may be looking at shot charges of 1.75 oz, 2 oz. or even 2.25 oz. That's a of shot going down the bore of your shotgun. Any shot charge may "bridge", meaning that shot gets bunched and tries to go through the choke side by side. That puts great pressure on the walls of the choke tube. It happens and when it happens a choke can swell or fire-form to the walls of the counterbore of your gun. That's a bad situation.

If you have a flush mounted choke tube, you may not be able to extract it from the counterbore. With an extended choke tube, it may not be easy but normally it can be extracted because you have the extended portion to use in the extraction process.

Another advantage is that the bridging may take place in the extended portion of the choke...if you're very lucky.

Benelli chokes are quite thin by design and thread near the muzzle. They must be tightly seated against the internal shoulder at all times or other bad things can happen. This is much more easily monitored with an extended choke.

Lastly, not all extended chokes add all that much to the total length of your barrel. I have a choke in my hand now that extends 7/8" from the muzzle.

Thanks,
Clark

[docost99]

Thank you for the replies, guys.

[allaboutshooting]

Thank you for the replies, guys.

You're welcome. I love Benelli shotguns. I have owned them for years. My Vinci has a 28" barrel and I never find it to be too long. I have 24", 26" and 28" barrels for my SBE and I also have a  Nova with 24" & 26" barrels.

As you know, your gun has a chrome-lined bore and it will look clean even when it's dirty. Some Benelli barrels will pattern well dirty but in my experience, most won't. The only way to find out is to "Deep Clean" the bore http://allaboutshooting.com/blogs/blog/98772615-deep-cleaning-a-shotgun-barrel and then shoot it without cleaning in between shots, to see if the patterns get better or degrade.

You have an excellent shotgun and I wish you all the best with it.

Thanks,
Clark

[docost99]

Thanks, Clark!

[allaboutshooting]

Thanks, Clark!

You're welcome. Your post caused me to pull out my Nova and take a look at it. Mine is one of the very early models and from both shooting and dry firing, it has a good trigger. I had John Mann at Mann & Son Sporting Goods put a Weaver base on it several years ago and when we lived in Southern Illinois, it was a slug gun with the 24" barrel. Looking at it brought back a lot of memories.

Thanks,
Clark