The Benelli Nova can shoot 2 3/4" and 3" shells, in addition to the 3 1/2" shells. Just recently I had to make a choice between the Nova and the Remington 870 Wingmaster. After doing a lot of reading on this and other forums I decided that it was bordering on a Ford vs. Chevy decision. Both are fine guns with their share of supporters. From what I've read, the Nova is easy to take down and clean, tough, dependable, and by all accounts a quality gun. Some posts talked of taking it to Argentina for some big dove hunt, and it passed with flying colors while other shotguns bit the dust. Go to http://talk.shooters.com/index.html and do a search, you'll find a lot of positive comments.

Supposedly the Nova kicks more, becuase it's lighter. The Wingmaster is even lighter, so who knows what "they" are comparing it to. You can get a recoil kit, fits in the stock, runs around $50.

I went with the Wingmaster because it "felt" right. The balance, how it felt bringing it to my shoulder, etc., not becuase of anything negative I found about the Nova.