Benelli Nova Range Report

[Luis Leon]

I just today got the Benelli Nova tactical model. This is my first shotgun and I am impress with its quality and looks. I've never shot a shotgun before so I figure I was in for a treat, in one word, OUCH!

I shot 20, 2-3/4" slugs; 5, 00 buckshot shells, and 25 7-1/2 shot shells. Man! where can I get those reduced recoil slugs?

I shot at an NRA B8 pistol target at 25 yards with the Remington Sluggers, my best five shot group was 3-1/2" for 5 shots... 1-1/2" for 3 of those shots. To say I was impressed with the accuracy is an understatement. I was able to keep five shots in the 9 and 8 rings of a B34 at 25 yards.

The 00 buckshot put 6 of its 9 pellets into B34 silohuette target at 25 yards, at 25 feet all the pellets where in the kill zone of a B34 target. The 7-1/2 shot shells also pattern impressively at 25 feet. They also kicked a lot less than the slugs.

In order to torture myself thoroughly I set up some clay birds on the ground from 10 yards out to 25 yards. They were easy to smoke shooting as fast as I could using the 7-1/2 bird shots shells all the way out to 25 yards. I love the ghost ring sights as you're basically just looking through that rear ring.

I can't imagine shooting 3 inch or 3-1/2 shotgun shells through this unless I wanted to hurt myself. All in all I'm very happy with my purchase so far, next some sort of shoulder pad. All of the shooting was offhand... I have to work up the courage to bench her with slugs...

Regards,

Luis Leon

 

[MrMurphy]

I have a Nova SP Tactical and with Remington Reduced Recoil slugs, it's like a .308 (manageable). Full power slugs, I managed four before chickening out (and I'm not recoil shy). RR slugs, I can shoot 20-30 and not even get bruised.

At 100 meters from the prone chest hits on a silhouette are easy, headshots I can do on demand, but are a bit trickier since the trigger's heavy. This is with reduced recoil slugs.

I shot mine Wednesday introducing a friend to shooting and he loved it. At 7 yards birdshot demolishes paper targets.


www.ammoman.com should have reduced recoil slugs cheap, also check most gunshops, they can order them.

 

[Shadowman]

Thanks for the posts:

I'm contemplating a purchase:

Ghost ring or rifle sights? I'm leaning towards ghostring but wonder if it will interfere with an Eotech or other headsup sight

Mercury recoil reducer?

Going price?

 

[SteelyDan]

Just curious, what were you wearing? Um, that sounds a little strange as I re-read it, so permit me to rephrase. How thick was the clothing on your shoulder while you shot? Because perceived recoil varies greatly depending on whether you're wearing, say, a T-shirt or a parka over a wool sweater. I've heard enough good stuff about the Novas to consider trying one, maybe.

 

[45R]

I have to work up the courage to bench her with slugs

Its not as bad as you think. Just make sure you set up very well and the stock is tight in the pocket Otherwise your going home icing that shoulder.

I usually shot at least 1 or 2 Benellis when I'm with the HS/LC crew. I love'em! The Nova is a great shotgun.

 

[Luis Leon]

Benelli Nova

MrMurphy,

Thanks for the reply, I tried ammoman's website but didn't see any rr slugs. I will continue looking for them locally. SteelyDan, I was wearing just a tee shirt, next time I will wear something more substantial (maybe a big pillow). My shoulder is still sore today.

Shadowman, I know Benelli sells a recoil reducer for the Nova. I looked at a Nova with the rifle sights, and like it much better with the ghost rings. Its seems very easy to acquire that front sight through the huge ghost ring. There is a button on the pump handle which allows you to eject the shell in the chamber without feeding another from the magazine, which is a nice feature. I paid $340 plus tax for mine.

45R, I shot an IDPA match today, and after the shoot I kept all the shot up targets as I intend on putting some big slug holes through them at 50 yards, I will keep what you said in mind. But I'm giving my shoulder a couple of more days off.

I hoping this is not a dumb question. Would getting the recoil reducer for the Nova lessen the recoil of standard 2-3/4 slugs to that of reduced recoil slugs?

Regards,

Luis Leon

 

[Dave McCracken]

Luis, the reducer will reduce felt recoil or kick. So will adding weight, and better form will do more.

Starting with the lightest loads you can find and working up is a darn good way to acclimate.

 

[MrMurphy]

The reducer does in fact reduce kick (I shot another Nova with one, the uses it for high altitude geese with magnums), but it also adds weight to the stock and changes the balance somewhat, which I didn't like.


If ammoman doesn't have them, some of the other ammo websites will, that's just the first one that came to mind. I know other guys have gotten 30 or 40 or 50 rounds of RR slugs at a time from them.

 

[CalebM]

You might want to check out Gunbroker.com for your slugs. I was looking on there the other day and there is a pretty wide selection.

 

[45R]

Luis Leon-
The first time I shot slugs off a bench.... I pouded my shoulder so hard. I was shooting a 10/22 before I decided to bench the shotty

Take a couple days off and work you way up. The most fun I had with a shotty was cranking out 15 rounds of slugs in a 3 minute period at a THR shoot with my 870. The next day my shoulder was a little sore and shooting the M1 Garand felt like a BB gun.

Take your time and enjoy it!


45R

 

[Luis Leon]

Nova

After working up the courage to go out again... My wife decides to go to the range with me, and as I haven't told her about this recent acquisition I couldn't shoot it in front of her without a lot of explaining. I will try some of the suggestions offered and post another report down the line. Thanks again to all.

Regards,

Luis Leon

 

[rick_reno]

I put a mercury recoil recducer in mine, Brownells has them. I think it does help with the recoil, and I like the way the balance shifted ever so slightly to the rear. The gun points better now. I believe it added 14 oz. of weight to the shotgun.

 

[9 m&m]

I also have a recoil reducer in my Nova. It helps alot with recoil. I used to almost be scared to shoot the mighty 3 1/2in but now I would go outside right now and shoot and shoot and shoot them. (If I had all that ammo of course!)

 

[bbrown609]

Am I the only one on these boards who has never shot buckshot at any time other than with the barrel pointed at a deer. Never felt the need to take them to the range with me. My father told me when I was younger that it kicked more than bird shot, that's all I needed to hear. I also have never shot slugs at anything other than deer. My father gave me some advice on elevation at different ranges and that has worked fine. Same goes for 3 inch shells, #4s, or #6s. I don't torture myself shooting these shells unless it is at game. I find that while hunting, I don't pay any attention to recoil. I think that if I did shoot these shells at the range, I may develop bad habits because of the recoil. I shoot my .270 at the range before the beginning of deer season a time or two just to make sure my scope is still on. I don't shoot it again until a deer is in the sights. I do all of my practice with 7 1/2s, 8s, and .22 rifle and pistol. This has worked fine for me and is cheaper. Anybody else feel the same as I?

 

[Luis Leon]

recoil reducer in Nova

rick_reno & 9 m&m,

Thanks for your replies, I was hoping to get first-hand reviews on the recoil reducers just like you guys wrote. I will be ordering that recoil reducer, but I still have to give her a few more tries without it.

bbrown609

I don't believe it is about "feeling a need" to shoot buckshot at the range, or the and I quote "I also have never shot slugs at anything other than deer."

I like to shoot, I don't consider it torture, maybe I learned something at the range that day. If the only bullets, shotshells, slugs, 00, 000 etc, I shot were only at game animals, I would do very little shooting.

I agree about the .22s being much cheaper to shoot, and I do shoot thousands of .22 per year. But sometimes I want something louder, bigger and badder to shoot just for fun, is that bad?

I went back to the range today and shot 25 2-3/4 slugs, I didn't get as beat up today as my first time. I was very conscious of how I held the butt into my shoulder pocket. At 25 yards, head shots on the standard IDPA target were not hard at all. Hitting the center -0 ring of the target was easy. At 50 yards my first two slugs hit high and right but only 1-1/2'' apart, after that I have a four shot centered group of 2'', 3 of the shots grouped 1-1/2". I shot old bowling pins with slugs at 25 yards, man they really went flying. I also tried the slugs at 100 yards on an IDPA target, 5 slugs, all hit the silohuette but they were all over the place, I will try again to see if I can do better. All the shooting was offhand.

After shooting all those slugs, the 00 buck and 7-1/2 shot felt like reduced loads. The Nova is a fast shooter, I'm very surprised at how fast you can rack that slide and blast away.

Regards,

Luis Leon