Rem 870 or Benelli Nova?

I have a seven month old beagle and I just bought a shock collar at Cabelas yesterday. Much the same story, just a great dog, well behaved inside and out but the breed makes em want to go like he** outside. If I let ours loose he’d be in the next county in no time.

I spent about a half hour talking to the dog guys in Cabelas and they recommended this one because

it’s rechargeable – don’t have to buy batteries

it’s waterproof

good luck with the product

Beagles are smart dogs. This model has an audible tone that you always use before the shock. I expect that it will be just a couple weeks till the audible tone will usually be all that’s needed. Mine’s home charging up and haven’t gotten it on the dog yet. Some good training materials came with the collar. Some of the units on the collars are pretty big and I didn’t want to put a brick around his neck. This one was sized appropriately.

Link.

Get one you wont regret it..

thanks greg,

Unfortunately, work decided to block cabelas.com so I can’t see the product. Could you tell me what the brand and model is that you bought and what the price tag is?

Sportdog SD400. I paid 159.99 They had one other brand that was cheaper but they said they had regular trouble with that one…

The nice thing about Cabelas, if you’re not happy for whatever reason, they take it back…

I have the exact collar on my 12yo Lab. the 4th one I’ve had on this dog. The first sportdog collar and I love it, it also has a beeper on it and he reacts to that almost as well as the shock. The collar and transmitter are both rechargeable…

I also have a 3 year old beagle and i would say it doesn’t take much for them to listen, i have a tri tronics one and all i have to do hit him with lowest setting and he listens right now!

Have you tried working her with a Haltie collar? It fits them around the muzzle and neck,has a ring for your cord underneth the hounds chin.When you pull on it the dog has no choice but to turn and look at you.Repetition is the key to getting them trained to not run wild.I have used this with great results on some hardheaded dogs.Beagles are a very mild mannerd dog and truely want to please you.Give one a try and if you dont get the results your looking for,then invest in a shock collar.

The Sport Dog brand is a good choice. I run a two dog system now and have used SportDog brand for three years. Very happy with the product and their customer service is A1.
A couple things to remember with collars- let the dog where it for a few weeks before you touch the transmitter. If you put the collar on when the dog goes out to have fun, the association will be made that the collar means fun time. Next, when you start using the collar for correction- make sure the dog knows why it is being corrected.
As stated in an earlier post, beagles love to track. Keep in mind that playing in the yard is no substitute for being out in the field. If at all possible take the dog out for runs daily and field work at least once a week. This will greatly help the dogs well being.
there are some great tips on collar training in the dog forum at IDOHunting. Good luck and have fun.

You will love your shock collar when you go buy it. First, it will make your life that much less stressful. Second, it could save your dogs life. If a dog is more apt to run it could be running itself into harms way if not wanting to listen.

The one thing that I would say is, buy a video or read a book as to how to effectively condition a dog to a e-collar. You can ruin a dog real fast if not done right. It is easy to do, but it takes work. Don’t just put it on and then start using it. Learn about it, how to use it and then start with the dog.

Good luck with your new collars and take the time to learn about them before using them. You will love them and you will be happy you have them.

Thanks for the tips guys.

I definetly feel better giving a few small jolts then having to watch her run full speed into oncoming traffic.

I’ll let you know how things turn out

Please remember it is a not a training collar, but a reinforcing collar. A dog must understand why it is being disciplined. Please do all your training first, and then put on the collar. Shocking a dog that is running when they don’t know it is wrong, is counterproductive.

I have seen dogs get shocked for running, and all it does is make them run faster to get away from the pain.

I guess what I am saying is use common sense with the collar. Nothing against you at all, but the way some people use these collars borders on stupidity and mistreatment, so I get a little worked up about it. Used properly, they are wonderful.

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You will love your shock collar when you go buy it. First, it will make your life that much less stressful.

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I do love my new shock collar. The wife, I Da Woman, on the other hand, truly hates it. She does seem to be getting more comfortable with it and the complaining has diminished considerably!

Thanks Farmboy and I understand what you are getting at. The future wife and I knew what we were getting into when we decided on a beagle. We had 2 books read front to back before we even picked her up.

Like I said, when it comes to being inside, she has been pretty easy to train and most of it was done with positive re-inforcement. I had her potty trained in probably 2 weeks and she sits like a lady while waiting for her dinner and knows when to get in bed. Its just that outside air that drives her nuts and the last thing I want to do is lose her.

Plus, she is my fishing buddy and has to lick every fish before it is released:

don’t bother with SportDog, get either a TriTronics or Dogtra, yes they cost a little more, but they are proven products.

and as far as using it on the dog. An E-collar is used to re-enforce a KNOWN command. you should not teach your dog with that collar, you will burn your dog out and change his/her attitude for good. make sure you pick up book or dvd with instructions on how to collar condition a dog. i use the Fowl Dawgs training series and Fowl Dawgs 1 has a good collar conditioning program.

just don’t slap the collar on and start pressing the button.

also, I would suggest not using the tone feature as a constant prior to electric stimulation. the dog will learn that it can get away with trouble until it hears the tone, IE: screwing off, but never being corrected. I have a Dogtra collar with a vibrate feature, i taught the vibrate/page to mean “here”. that way i can silently call him back when hunting late season pheasants.

Nice cover up Bomber. Why don’t you tell them why you really need the collar. It’s okay your better half shouldn’t mine to much

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don’t bother with SportDog, get either a TriTronics or Dogtra, yes they cost a little more, but they are proven products.

and as far as using it on the dog. An E-collar is used to re-enforce a KNOWN command. you should not teach your dog with that collar, you will burn your dog out and change his/her attitude for good. make sure you pick up book or dvd with instructions on how to collar condition a dog. i use the Fowl Dawgs training series and Fowl Dawgs 1 has a good collar conditioning program.

just don’t slap the collar on and start pressing the button.

also, I would suggest not using the tone feature as a constant prior to electric stimulation. the dog will learn that it can get away with trouble until it hears the tone, IE: screwing off, but never being corrected. I have a Dogtra collar with a vibrate feature, i taught the vibrate/page to mean “here”. that way i can silently call him back when hunting late season pheasants.

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I agree with everything Perch says here…although I used a different training program. There are many good ones out there!

I have used SportDog brand on dozens of dogs and my customers have then purchased SportDog brand. I am very satisfied as are my customers. There are many good trainers out there using them also.

I’m convincing my fishin’ partner to chase waterfowl with me this fall. He’s rather new to shotgunning. I’ve shot both guns. What say you, hunting bretheren?

I’ve not shot a Nova. I’m currently and have for 10+ years been shooting an 870 Super Magnum. Love the gun for bang it around, just gonna work scenarios. I don’t think you can go wrong with the 870. Just be sure to get a 3.5″ capable gun.

Not sure. I am biased towards 870. I shot a Nova once. Seems like pump was hard to cycle? My advice for any young sportsman would be to get a Wingmaster if they can afford it. Later in life you will appreciate the decision like I did.

cpetey:

I have both and shot my 870 until my 50th B-day when my family and friends bought me a Nova. I haven’t shot my 870 since then, but I will tell you if you go that route to make sure that you have the ability to shoot all shell sizes as mentioned above!!! Earlier in my life I probably would have loved the 3″ and 3.5″ capability and may find a reason to shoot those heavier loads again soon.

I really love to be able to get the ducks in close now, so my old 870 still would be a fine gun to shoot 2 3/4″ #2 & #4 Kent steel through killing them effectively all the time.

I like both guns!!!

Mark

I have not heard good things about the 870 Express as far as fit & finish, but the 870 Wingmaster has a great reputation. I’ve shot a Nova once and liked it.

That is a great point Ralph. I buy guns that are ugly for the most part. Simply because I plan to abuse them. My 870 is orange with rust and the synthetic is beat to heck. However, it’s a shooter. Sorry for making that assumption.

I’ve had a Nova since the first year they were introduced (1998?) and have been very pleased with it. It is ugly. Who cares. The 3 1/2 chamber is nice, as is the magazine bypass button (I actually used it once – and was able to quickly echange a duck load for a goose load – and I hit the goose!). Oh, and one of my favorite features is how crazy-simple it is to tear apart. That’s a big deal at the end of a rainy/snowy day in the duck blind.

With no tools, you can field strip it in seconds. My buddy gives me the ol’ stink eye when he’s over there fumbling with pins and springs trying to tear down his 870. I like that.

I shot a wingmaster for probably 20 years and just a few years ago upgraded to an ExtremaII.
I never had any issues with my wingmaster, I just wanted to get something new but the wingmaster goes with me everytime I leave the house to go hunting because it has never failed me.
I would go with the 870 wingmaster!!

Fellas, stoked to find the skulls and bones of ido. Thanks for the beta. Id like a full camo setup. How does the swing weight and recoil compare? Im leaning towards the remington, cause eventually ill need parts and this gun has been around for awhile. Im willing to spend the extra cash (im already gonna be covering peteys bar tabs for his guiding services)

Welcome!!

I would imagine parts availability would be fairly equal since they are both reputable guns. Now as for swing/feel. You should try this out yourself if at all possible. What fits you might not fit me. It’s like finding the right glove.

Can’t wait to see your pics this fall!

Thanks kooty.
Looking forward to shooting instead of slinging line this fall.
Gonna shoulder both very soon.

I have the Nova in both 12 and 20 gauge. I love them. They are hands down the easiest guns I’ve ever cleaned. I use the 20 for grouse and pheasant (when they are holding tight). The 12 I use for everything waterfowl and turkeys as well as pheasant. I like the one piece stock and receiver. The fit and finish is quality Benelli. I also like the add-on recoil reducer that fits into the stock. This comes in handy when pluggin geese with Mag loads. I’ve had the 12 through some seriously nasty weather. No rust and no failure. The factory tru-glo front sight is a nice touch.

Well here is my 2 cents. I own both guns. Duck hunt with the nova(5+yrs) and love it due to the fact that I could clean the gun in the duck blind if needed and not bring any extra tools. Also it comes apart in 8 or less pieces. I deer hunt with the 870 (10+yrs) I like it but it just has so many pieces to take a part to clean. both guns have never failed me. But I would buy another nova if I had to. Its the classic which truck is the best Dodge Chevy Ford? Good luck