NFR 870 vs benelli nova

[Josh Brower]

i am looking for a first shotgun, and have come down to the benelli nova, and the remington 870 express. any opinions on either?
thanks for any help. forgot to mention, it will be used for trap and such, no hunting now.

[andrew]

I've never fired a Benelli Nova, however, I have fired my father's Super Black Eagle and think that it is an awesome semiauto. However, for a first time gun that has 'many' after market options/mods and accessories the 870 is hands down the "Jeep" of Remington Arms in my honest opinion. Want a slug barrel no problem, need chokes no problem, oh crap dropped it in the drink no problem you didn't pay a mint for it!

[Roper]

I'm kinda old school and can't get past the look of the Nova. If you're not going to beat on up in the field, I'd spend a few more bucks and get a Wingmaster, nicer wood...:thumb:

Funtion wise they both are bomb proof, you'll pass it down to your great grandkids before it wears out...

[Itchy Dog]

I'd get the 870 for now. Save your money for when you want a Benelli SBE.

[Josh Brower]

the thing about that, it my mom wouldnt let me get another one later on, but i dont want to save up for another 8 months to get the SBE. i have looked at all of the benelli's and all of the Rem's and the only ones in my range are the nova and the 870 exp. i like the look of the nova's but have heard mixed opinions on them, and the 870 for that matter. no one that i know has the nova, so i cant shoot it, but i have shot the 870. would be nice if somewhere would let you shoot one, but havent found anywhere or anyone that has one yet.

[WT]

my mom wouldnt let me get another one later on.

How long do you plan on living with your mom for?
Get the 870, you'll have it for life.
WT

[Roper]

the only ones in my range are the nova and the 870 exp.

Define your range in dollars. What's the max you can spend on a scattergun? I think you'd be surprised what you can afford.

Tell me your limit and I'll go "shopping" for you...:thumb:

BTW I know you're still at home, so I have to ask how "big" are you? You don't need a youth sized stock, do you?

[Josh Brower]

if a 6'2" 215 lb guy needs a youth stock, then yes. so no i do not need a youth stock. my limit is 350, but would like to stay around 300-320. and preferably not a mossberg, heard bad stuff about them.
will ya buy it too? hehe just kidding.

[Kaari Dahl]

I own an 870 express. Do yourself a favor and find a used 870 Wingmaster instead of the Express. better gun all the way around. Used 870's are very easy to find.

Or............ find yourself a used Beretta A390 or 391. It's a semi auto and will be a great gun for whatever you want to do. Upland, waterfowl, skeet, trap...it'll do it all with ease. It's the 5-weight of shotguns.

[Josh Brower]

the beretta's are a little spendy for my budget. i was looking for new, rather make sure there is no problems, and that i have the warrantee just incase.

[Roper]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=78161341

and I only spent 10 minutes looking...

[Jon Borcherding]

I own both. 870 Express Super Mag and the Nova.
Get the Nova. It is as indestuctible as a pump gun can be. It can broken down without tools. It has fewer metal parts. You can field strip it and clean the stock/receiver in a dishwasher!
The Rem came from the factory with lousy machine work in the chamber and had to be sent back to Rem for a new bbl. It still jams on occasion due to rough machine work.
The only downside to the Nova is that it looks like something off the set of Planet of the Apes. Trust me, you'll get used to it.:thumb: If you buy a bunch of choke tubes (besides the ones that come w/it) they'll work in your SBE when you upgrade to a semi auto. Stay away form the camo version. The camo stuff desolves easily with some solvents. An added feature of the black model is that all black guns cause severe panty bunching among anti-gunners.
ENJOY! :thumb:

JonB

[Josh Brower]

roper, i am looking for a new one, rather be 100% sure there is not any problems with it from use, or abuse, and there would be a warrantee on it, if there is a problem with it. i have always liked the nova, bat have been told away from it by alot of people. another thing i like about the nova is that it is chambered in 3-1/2 where the 870 is chambered in 3, so if one day i needed to shoot a 3-1/2" turkey load, i could.

[Josh Benjamin]

both are great guns for the $$$. if it were me, for whatever it's worth, i'd buy the 870, simply because it's more modify-able...as someone else said, it's the jeep of the shotgun world. if you want to change a stock, go to cabela's and order one...or go anywhere else for that matter. the stock you get is the stock you're stuck with with the nova. barrels, chokes, stocks, etc etc etc are available everywhere for the 870. now...if i was buying one or the other for a specific purpose...like say i wanted to buy a turkey gun(I do), that will just get used for turkey hunting, i'd buy a benelli supernova with a thumbhole stock and a short rifle-sighted barrel, however versatility goes to the 870 hands down IMO.
you should look at both, handle both and if possible shoot both before you decide. don't decide over the internet.
if i were to guess, the size you're at, either of the 2 will be too short out of the box to fit you properly, but a recoil pad should adress that issue directly. and unless you're an abnormally large 12 year old, you will likely be able to make your own decisions soon on what gun to upgrade to(super black eagle).

[Josh Brower]

i am 16. i have handled both, and have shot the 870. i have been trying to find a place, or somone that would let me shoot the nova so that i can see how i like it. i am only going to be using the gun for trap, and in a few years, if i do not the an SBE, maybe duck, grouse, or turkey. i am leaning towards the nova, but have been told to get the 870 numerous times. if the nova had been around as long as the 870 has, i am sure A LOT more people would like it.

[Josh Benjamin]

i love the nova...don't get me wrong. i just don't think it's as versatile as the 870. if all's you're going to use it for is trap shooting, then depending on how much you plan on shooting, you may have issues with how long either gun lasts. when i shoot sporting clays, i shoot 300 rounds in a day. over the course of doing this numerous times every weekend, wear and tear will become an issue. the other issue if you plan on shooting it a bunch will be recoil. i know it doesn't kick that bad when you go and shoot 20 or 30 times, but after 100, 200, 300 rounds, it will hurt, trust me. the nova kicks hard, even with the little mercury thing in the stock.

[alpinetrout]

That's a tough call. I have a Nova and love it, but I can't say that either gun is particularly better than the other. It comes down to aesthetics and how much customization you want to do to it. I like some of the 'tech' features on the Nova such as the shell stop button and recoil reducer-ready stock. Like you mentioned, it also has a 3 1/2" chamber in case you feel like beating yourself up (that's where the recoil reducer comes in).

[Josh Brower]

josh, that is exactly why i want to find someone that has one, or fine somewhere that will let you shoot it, so i can shoot it ti see what it is like. i have not been able to find a range or like that will let you rent a gun.

[andrew]

Forget both...after spending a few moments on the Benelli website I think you should go straight to the M4! I'm 31 and had a fleating thought of "hell I should join the Marines...that is a bad ass shotgun!"...then image of Virgil in "Full Metal Jacket" came to mind and then the enevitable getting shot at changed my mind:clown:

[Josh Brower]

you want to buy it for me?

[Josh Benjamin]

i would truly believe that you'd be happy with either gun. pick one and buy it, you won't be sorry. it's a ford versus chevy versus dodge discussion. they're all good for the money. worst case scenario you spend another few bucks on a sims recoil pad to lengthen the pull...not sure if wades in bellevue will let you shoot shotguns indoors but it might be worth a phone call. you can rent and shoot pistols there for sure.

[Smooth]

Roper,
Nice find for 10 minutes...but don't you have to have a Federal license to purchase from Gunbroker.com or ship to a dealer with a license? to be resold to you? Just curious...

[Josh Benjamin]

yes...must be shipped to FFL if it crosses state lines. most gun shops will do it for you for a fee. i've been quoted $20-30.00 per gun.

[Josh Brower]

i already called wades and the guy told me they were a pistol only range.

[Kaari Dahl]

i already called wades and the guy told me they were a pistol only range.

I've bought a shotgun from wades before... one of the worst buying experiences I've ever had...

If you're going to get the 870 Express, just watch the sunday paper ads. They're on sale literally every other week at big 5, joes, etc.

[Itchy Dog]

Yeah, what CWUGirl said about the Express...Or if you fancy the looks of the Wingmaster, give Kesslering's in Burlington a call. If there's a shop around that has a better selection and prices I'm not aware of it. It's worth the drive.

[SightCast6X]

Smooth,

to purchase from Gunbroker all you have to do is win the auction and then have FFL transfer done by a local FFL shop like, Wades, DJ's, etc. They give you a copy of there FFL with either blue or black ink and you mail for fax it.

It will be shipped to the FFL and then after a background check you get your gun minus a FFL transfer fee ($20-35). Really simple and I do it all the time.

G

[Scott Behn]

Don't be too impartial to buying "used". There are alot of "diamonds" out there as far as used prices are concerned. I bought my 870 express for a whopping $20.00 just because the orginal owner didn't like shooting a pump and bought himself an 1187.

It's not too tough to establish whether or not a particular gun that you're looking at is in bad shape. I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other, but just keep an open mind to either type of sale...

from a die-hard Remington supporter

:cool:

[pilchuck steelie]

Salmon, Trout, Steelheader, Don't overlook the opportunities to buy used 870's. There are alot of very clean 870's available for under $300. One great place to look for used guns is DJ's in Bothell. They will negotiate the price. As for your choice of the Nova vs. the 870: I own a number of shotguns, m12's, Browning o/u and sxs, Beretta o/u and several 870's. I have hunted with an 870 for over 30 years. The 870 is my day in day out, go to shotgun. I hunt mostly waterfowl, but used one for pheasants for years. The 870 is dependable, easy to use, easy to get parts for (if you should ever need any. I've only had to replace one firing pin in these 36 years.) I am so confident and loyal to the 870, that I've bought 4 of my 5 sons (when they turned 12) an 870 Wingmaster for their first shotgun. The one who didn't get an 870, got an Ithaca M37, because he's left-handed. As others have said, Buy the 870 Wingmaster, not the Express. Better gun, better looks. A good clean used one for $300 is an easy find. Keep it cleaned and oiled, it will come up shooting evey time. Clean it when you're done using it, don't abuse it and let it pit and rust. I hate to see one of these great shooting machines abused. But, to each his own. As for chambering, 3" is plenty. If you can't kill with 2 3/4" or 3" ammo, 3 1/2" shells aren't going to help you. I only shoot 2 3/4" 1oz. or 1 1/8 oz. Steel #2's for ducks. I have used this load since steel shot became required for waterfowl hunting. Back in the day, when lead shot was legal, I used 2 3/4" 1 1/4 oz. #4 or #5 for ducks, #2's for geese, and 1 oz. or 1 1/8 oz. of #6 for pheasants and pigeons, #8 for grouse. This is all I've ever used or needed for 36 years.
As for Novas, If you like plastic, then buy one. Good luck. And by the way, you might enjoy www.duckhunter.net, over there I go by dekecarver.

[Josh Brower]

well, i finally settled on one. i picked up the nova today, and a free case too. thanks alot all of you for the help.

[Josh Brower]

i shot 2 boxes today, one reduced recoil and one pheasant dove load, and neither really kicked harder than the other. the recoil isnt bad at all, and it feels better to me to shoulder than the 870 does. i need to learn to open the action a little slower, it kept throwing a clay every time i opened the action. thanks again to all that helped with this.
Josh

[Davy]

No idea on the Benelli, they have a great rep. I have a Benelli 12 Auto I won at a benefit but have never used it. I have and still hunt with an 870 Wingmaster I have had since new when 12. Whats that ? 39 years and holdin? I have a cpl new ones as well, one for the 3 1/2"s, a regular 20 and the smaller youth 20ga that makes a great brush gun. This year Remington has gone back to putting real wood stocks on the Express. That's a plus too. As far as I know the actions have remained the same. I always revert to "Old Faithfuls though. The old 870 and the 760 for hooved game.

[Mr.E]

So what did you decide on?

I just purchased the super nova today and broke it in. I have been shooting my Wing Master for about 15 yrs and I have to say hands down the Nova is an upgrade. What ever you decide on they are both good scatter guns.

[Josh Brower]

decided on the nova. i posted about it 2 posts up. i shot mine and my neighbor's 870 and the nova kicked less shooting the same load. i am very very happy with my nova.