Benelli Nova setup help!!!
 

I recently just purchased a Benelli Nova with the 28” barrel. I decided to try out the factory full choke with 3 inch Winchester longbeard xr’s in #6 shot. I made two shots with a good rest and both were around 3-4 inches to the right. I then purchased a Carlson choke in .650 for the Winchester longbeards and shot it today. The size of the groups decreased drastically but each shot was 4 to 5 inches apart. It’s now shooting all over the place. I’m pretty confident that it was a very well squeezed off shot. Is there something I’m missing as to why it’s shooting so weird? Is it the sights? Thanks!

What type of sites?


JW

at what distance are you shooting things at
are you shooting off a bench and a rest, or free handing things?

and like asked, what sights do you have on this gun
just a bead on end of barrel, or do you have a real set of sights?

if not you can always maybe add some to what you have, or add a scope to the set up and make adjustments as needed then!

I was shooting at 20 yards, while sitting down and taking a rest off of my knee. It doesn’t have actual sights just the bead that aligns with the red piece on the end of the barrel

well bead sights are not perfect for aiming, they can be off center a little and thus have things hit off where your aiming,
SO< options tend to be , learn to self adjust(free)
buy some add on sights, like I stated(truhlo makes many tha attach to the rib on the gun barrel if it has one)
like these
http://www.truglo.com/firearms/turkey.asp

or again, adding a scope or like sight system, B square makes a mount for your gun, rather cheap and easy to intall, not damage to gun, can be removed when wanted!


or your other options can be, from getting a different barrel(shorter one's gets my vote with sights or again a scope)

I also shoot the Nova and I’ve had good luck with the Hevi shot Magblend through a Jellyhead choke... can’t recall the actual dimensions on it. As already stated, do your sighting in using bags of some sort. I had to drill and tap mine for a red dot due to my aging eyes. Lol.

If it is hitting in different locations from shot to shot, I suspect the shooter is the problem not the gun. If you are right handed and the gun generally shoots to the right, then you are pulling the gun off target with your trigger pull.

I am in the camp where shooting errors especially ones that indicate no particular pattern are the indian and not the bow.

Clamp on SITES (not magnetic you'll loose them pronto) Tru Glo sites that are adjustable for windage and elevation are available to fit your Nova.
Just measure the thickness of your rib.

I used them on my Black Eagle for years.

Then as I always suggest use cheapy trap loads to fix your Point of Aim.
When you have your POI where you want then use a Turkey load.
1. As others said - being off from one shot to the next is because of "Flich".
You pulled the trigger rather than a gentle squeeze. You inadvertently jerked the gun pulling the trigger.

2. Why? Turkey loads are a magnum mixture of powder and shot and the resulting recoil hurts with multiple shots. This causes flinch.

3. Using trap loads is far cheaper on the wallet than expensive Turkey loads.

Before I dedicated a shotgun just for turkeys I'd take my sights off after season. I didnt like them for waterfowl or upland. There I used the Eagle as a shotgun and not a rifle.
We point a shotgun but aim a rifle.

For turkeys because of trying to hit a small target. That is the head, we aim! So it's more like a rifle as we use such a tight pattern.

Lift your head up off the stock just a fraction and you have a woofer and possibly a wounded bird you eont recover.
Using a good set of back and front sites forces you to keep your head down. Thus a better shot!



JW

I have a Nova as well and have taken it turkey hunting with success. My suggestion would be to add a truglow sight as well, but also: 1) to sight in with trap loads at a shorter distance than 20 yards (it is cheaper than turkey loads) and check the impact center point. If okay then increase the distance.. If not you have a problem beyond operator error., it may be the sights or the barrel.2) If okay at a shorter distance (say ten yards) go to 15 and then 20, 25, 40. to check if the aim point off-center increases. If nothing else this will tell you your maximum distance to shoot. 3) You must have a study rest when sighting in for accuracy and not just your knee, try a shooting bench and sand sandbags to hold steady and eliminate/reduce operator error.

also, something I didn;t mention, is MAKE sure the barrel is seated correctly?
next, you do NOT have to drill and tap this gun to add a scope, they make a simple and fast on.off removal mount, that effects nothing to remove and replace if wanted
so, you can add a scope, and leave rib as is, NOT adding sights, and then be able to go from turkey gun to regular shotgun like set up FAST<
you WILL most likely have to RE ZERO things when you go back to the scope, but it should be darn close so, not a big deal to fine tune!

drilling and tapping, is more costly and modifies the gun , not a huge deal, but will deter some, and could void any warranty the gun HAD< as you now altered the gun!

the B square mount I am talking about is like 30 bucks only?
so again, NOT costly at all, as to hiring a smith to drill and tap things!
and when shooting for accuracy, you should be using a rest, and not your knee;'s or like ways, too much human side effects can alter things!

get to a REAL range and use a real rest to get things where they need to be!, save you time and money in ammo, due to slight human errors !