1st off Welcome to Realtree Buckshot:)
I have a Wolf by CVA and I think it is a great gun for the $.
I think I paid like $135 for it last year. I use it more than my T/C Thunderhawk which is a inline 209 primed gun also. I think the optima comes with a nickel barrel, thumbhole stock and the extra 2" you mentioned of barrel length. I keep 'em in a coffee cup at 100 yards(100gr777/295grpowerbelt) with the Wolf. It like pellets as opposed to loose powder.
The Optima is the same gun, basically less 2" of bbl.
I like the shorter barrel for the thick woods I hunt.