Nova all the way. 2nd choice is the 870.... I personally don't like mossberg. I shoot a nova with a tube full of shot vs the plug, a carlsons improved mod. choke, and put a sling on mine, there isn't anything that gun can't do... I replaced my plug with a piece of PVC pipe full of no8 shot, and while it makes the gun heavy as sin, the extra weight really makes a difference when hammering away at snows or larger high altitude birds, as the extra weight sucks up alot of recoil.... Does the 870 or 500 shoot 3.5 inch shells? I honestly don't know.
The reason why I bought my nova was the fact it has an all composite stock/receiver, and the only exposed metal is the barrel..... A huge plus when hunting salt marsh.... And the rotating bolt makes it one of the smoothest pumps out there.... Ive hunted mine hard for 5 years and not a single hiccup......
That's my

, but it's your dollar