Which gun?

brian4321

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So I'm an avid deer hunter and here in Illinois the firearm season is shotgun only and up till now I've been hunting with an H&R/NEF Partner single shot 12 with a rifled slug barrel and it's been a great gun, have harvested many deer with it, but it's time to upgrade to something with a softer recoil and a scope... I have a Benelli supernova that I love but a slug barrel is $450 new, but found a good used one online for $350...next option is the local gun shop is running a deal on a Mossberg 500 package that includes a rifled slug barrel plus two smooth barrels for $440... Next option is the same gun shop also has a Remington 870 with only a rifled barrel for $320... Any advice from the "gun guys" ?
 

aspeck

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Slug barrel for the Benelli or the 870. I have a Mossberg, but have not been a huge fan of them. My Mossy is sentimental ... a 16ga bolt action with family ties.
 

MTboatguy

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I have had a Mossberg 500 for over 30 years now and have never had a complaint with it, I have done a lot of shooting with it over the years, but if you are looking for less recoil, I would just put a new recoil pad on your current gun, the Limb Saver recoil pads are really nice, that is what I ended up putting on mine and it shoots like a whole new gun.
 

dwco5051

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I am guessing that the mossberg package comes with a slug barrel, long barrel and the 18.5" tactical barrel. If so are you planning on hunting deer, small game and setting it up as a home defense gun during the off season? If the extra barrels are not going to ever be used the 870 money wise is a better deal. I prefer the Mossberg my self as a tactical weapon as reloading can be slightly faster and having at one time in my career instructed Navy personel on the range with the 500. It is more a matter of individual preference as both are of equal quality. Think Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge. Later in life I worked for an agency that carried the 870 and had to qualify with it. Your choice but if you need all three barrels the Mossberg would be a good choice. I am sure some will disagree but at least you didn't ask about which is the best 2 cycle oil:):):)
 

RobertThoreson

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I own a pardner pump 12 and from what I have experienced, it is basically the same as the 870. Only the receivers are different and they are really cheap at Walmart. Being a heavier gun, felt recoil will be less. Iv had mine now for 15 years and it is still solid
 

brian4321

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Problem solved, I picked up the used Benelli barrel on eBay for $316... I know Benelli's are overpriced but I really like the gun and I think it'll serve me just as well as the other two
 

brian4321

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Now as far as tapping for a scope, I'd really like to tap the barrel for a cantilever mount, cuz I also use the gun for waterfowl and small game and don't want to have to take off the scope mount every time... Anyone know if I can do the cantilever mount on the barrel? I've researched some but haven't found a clear answer
 

Bob_VT

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You did good. The Benelli is a great gun and steps avobe the Mossberg or Rem
 

brian4321

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but if you are looking for less recoil, I would just put a new recoil pad on your current gun, the Limb Saver recoil pads are really nice, that is what I ended up putting on mine and it shoots like a whole new gun.

I considered that but wasn't sure how much they help
 

gm280

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If you can't find a cantilever scope mount, what about a long eye relief scope instead? That way you can drill, tap and mount a regular scope mount and buy a long eye relief scope. Just an idea.

Another option is you can't find a cantilever scope mount is to have a machine shop machine one for you. Not that hard to make a scope mount. You could use aluminum, regular steel or even stainless steel, whatever you like. Either way, make sure you get one that has a lot of screws to mount it with. The recoil can really work on scope mounts. JMHO
 

brian4321

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I like both idea's gm280, I'll have to check into that.. has anyone ever used the B square receiver saddle mounts? I've read mixed reviews on them...max range would be 150-200 yards
 

angus63

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I recently decided on a new hunting shotgun too. I went for an 870 express 28". Versatile and robust. Lots of options if I choose to modify magazine, barrel, sights, etc... Hitting a dinner plate regularly with slugs. Gonna try turkey shot soon. Good luck and be safe with your choice! Price was right too. Weapon, soft case, strap kit, 50 rds of slug and shot for just under $400. Hard to beat...
 

gm280

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I recently decided on a new hunting shotgun too. I went for an 870 express 28". Versatile and robust. Lots of options if I choose to modify magazine, barrel, sights, etc... Hitting a dinner plate regularly with slugs. Gonna try turkey shot soon. Good luck and be safe with your choice! Price was right too. Weapon, soft case, strap kit, 50 rds of slug and shot for just under $400. Hard to beat...

amgus63, try some other slugs to see which wants seem to group the best. They are so many out there that it can take a long time to get to the best for your gun. I say that because you just never know when that buck of a life time walks up. Don't want to be off anymore then your ammo allows. JMHO
 

angus63

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amgus63, try some other slugs to see which wants seem to group the best. They are so many out there that it can take a long time to get to the best for your gun. I say that because you just never know when that buck of a life time walks up. Don't want to be off anymore then your ammo allows. JMHO

I actually thought the same way and bought ten 5 round sample boxes of different slug and shot. Frankly, I did not notice any advantage of brand or weight on the slugs at about 75yds with just a bead sight. I was never that good with my ancient Weatherby, so it says a lot for the new fire stick to stay inside a six inch radius now propped on a table! I am very happy with my choice. I did like the look and feel of the Mossberg 500 though and Christmas is coming....
 

gm280

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I actually thought the same way and bought ten 5 round sample boxes of different slug and shot. Frankly, I did not notice any advantage of brand or weight on the slugs at about 75yds with just a bead sight. I was never that good with my ancient Weatherby, so it says a lot for the new fire stick to stay inside a six inch radius now propped on a table! I am very happy with my choice. I did like the look and feel of the Mossberg 500 though and Christmas is coming....

The only thing I can say is, you can never ever have too many guns. I have to admit, I do have some guns that I have never even loaded and fired. But I bought them so cheap, that I had to buy them. Guns never go down in price, but certainly do go up in price, if they are quality brands. But I also have them in a huge gun safe and well protected. JMHO
 

KJM

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I'm just curious why you would need a scope on a shot gun. Even with slugs the effective range is so limited that I don't see where a scope would be much advantage. I've shot a few moose with slugs and they are very effective up close but drop off so fast at a distance that I just don't see the need for a scope. That said I was using a smooth barrel with a rifled slug, would a rifled barrel make a big difference and would you still use a rifled slug in it?
 

gm280

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I'm just curious why you would need a scope on a shot gun. Even with slugs the effective range is so limited that I don't see where a scope would be much advantage. I've shot a few moose with slugs and they are very effective up close but drop off so fast at a distance that I just don't see the need for a scope. That said I was using a smooth barrel with a rifled slug, would a rifled barrel make a big difference and would you still use a rifled slug in it?

KJM, a scope is not only used for long distant shooting, it is also used to clarify closer game and make certain you are on the vital area with your gun be it a center fire rifle or even a slug shotgun. It allows you a much better sight picture for shooting any gun. I lot easier to sight in a game animal via a zeroed in scope and rifle and/or shot gun then open sights.

Any rifled barrel will shoot longer more accurately and better shot to shot groupings then a smooth bore barrel. The spin imposed via the barrel rifling helps keep the projectile stabilized and more of a straight line trajectory. The spinning action is similar to a gyroscope effect on the bullet or slug.

Here is something really interesting about bullet spin. Take a standard barrel twist rate of 1:12. That means the bullet will make one revolution every 12 inches of forward movement. Then see how fast a bullet is fired at. For an example let's say 2800 FPS. So the bullet will spin over 2800 times in one second and that translates into 168,000 RPMs (2800 X 60). Now that is spinning really fast and that RPM makes the bullet stabilize for better on target grouping. Just some interesting facts about bullet technology. Just think about a 1:7 or 1:8 twist rate with a bullet traveling at 3200 ft/sec. Some amazing RPMs.
 

dwco5051

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I'm just curious why you would need a scope on a shot gun. Even with slugs the effective range is so limited that I don't see where a scope would be much advantage. I've shot a few moose with slugs and they are very effective up close but drop off so fast at a distance that I just don't see the need for a scope. That said I was using a smooth barrel with a rifled slug, would a rifled barrel make a big difference and would you still use a rifled slug in it?


I thought that too until I turned 64 or 65. Open sights were getting harder to use and I missed what would have been an easy shot years before on a deer that was walking slow at about 60 or 70 yds. That was a good excuse to buy another rifle so I got a Ruger 270 as I didn't own anything in that caliber. While deciding what scope to buy the youngest boy was home on leave and gave me a long eye relief fixed 1.5 power scope he was using on his slug gun while stationed down south. For all the reasons gm280 stated it put me right back in the ball game. Now 13 years later the only open sights I use are on my flintlock during deer season. One of my Mossbergs has ghost ring sights and I still can hit thrown clays with it and would not hesitate to use it on deer as I can keep slugs in the proverbial pie plate at 50 yards with the 18.5 barrel.
 
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