Mossberg 500

blackxd40 · November 12, 2005, 12:34 AM

I have a mossberg 500 with a rifled barrel. I want to shot Game & Field Loads NOT slugs. I have some people say it will just mess up the inside of the barrel so I will not beable to ever shot slugs and some say I will mess up the barrel and gun for eveything and anything. I dont care to every shot slugs I just want to shot targets and clay. So has anyone shot game and field loads in a slug barrel. Thanks

DPris · November 12, 2005, 01:51 AM

You have the wrong barrel for any kind of shot loads.
Don't do it. Any shot patterns that come out will spread very rapidly & you'll get huge & ineffective patterns only good for very close range. Absolutely no good whatever for trap & clays. You may also get some plastic shot cup residue in the rifling that could be hard to get out.
Either trade barrels or trade guns for a smoothbore if you want to shoot shot.
Denis

John 242 · November 12, 2005, 02:27 AM

Denis;
Same with buckshot?

DPris · November 12, 2005, 03:23 AM

You don't want to shoot ANY kind of shot load through a rifled barrel.
The rifling is there to promote spin with a solid projectile. It'll do that with a shot charge, too. Think what happens if the shot column comes out spinning. Centrifugal force will spin the outer pellets outward, the pattern opens up quick, and you get a wide dispersal that'll have big enough holes in it at any distance beyond a few yards to miss a truck (I exaggerate only slightly).
You can shoot a slug through a smoothbore with reasonable success, you cannot shoot a shot charge through a rifled bore with much success at all if you're trying to hunt or do trap, skeet, or clays.
Ever shoot any of the Speer handgun shotshells? They all go through rifled bores, and they all have very limited range as a result.
Denis

yorec · November 12, 2005, 10:34 AM

Buckshot is still shot. It'll go through, but like DPris said - accuracy will be poor...

Clayfish · November 12, 2005, 10:14 PM

Get another bbl. They are inexpensive ( around $100 new and less used. Check E-bay) and it only takes about 30 seconds to change it out. Just unscrew the barrel bolt and slip the bbl out, put the new bbl in and tighten it down. That's it. You can leave the deer woods and go to the truck, switch bbls and bird hunt.

November 12, 2005, 12:34 AM	#1
blackxd40 Junior Member Join Date: September 29, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 3	Mossberg 500 I have a mossberg 500 with a rifled barrel. I want to shot Game & Field Loads NOT slugs. I have some people say it will just mess up the inside of the barrel so I will not beable to ever shot slugs and some say I will mess up the barrel and gun for eveything and anything. I dont care to every shot slugs I just want to shot targets and clay. So has anyone shot game and field loads in a slug barrel. Thanks

November 12, 2005, 02:27 AM	#3
John 242 Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ardmore, OK Posts: 27	Denis; Same with buckshot? __________________ Just a Joe Schmoe.

November 12, 2005, 10:34 AM	#5
yorec Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2000 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,328	Buckshot is still shot. It'll go through, but like DPris said - accuracy will be poor... __________________ What part of "... shall not be infringed..." don't you understand?

November 12, 2005, 01:51 AM	#2
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	You have the wrong barrel for any kind of shot loads. Don't do it. Any shot patterns that come out will spread very rapidly & you'll get huge & ineffective patterns only good for very close range. Absolutely no good whatever for trap & clays. You may also get some plastic shot cup residue in the rifling that could be hard to get out. Either trade barrels or trade guns for a smoothbore if you want to shoot shot. Denis

November 12, 2005, 03:23 AM	#4
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	You don't want to shoot ANY kind of shot load through a rifled barrel. The rifling is there to promote spin with a solid projectile. It'll do that with a shot charge, too. Think what happens if the shot column comes out spinning. Centrifugal force will spin the outer pellets outward, the pattern opens up quick, and you get a wide dispersal that'll have big enough holes in it at any distance beyond a few yards to miss a truck (I exaggerate only slightly). You can shoot a slug through a smoothbore with reasonable success, you cannot shoot a shot charge through a rifled bore with much success at all if you're trying to hunt or do trap, skeet, or clays. Ever shoot any of the Speer handgun shotshells? They all go through rifled bores, and they all have very limited range as a result. Denis

November 12, 2005, 10:14 PM	#6
Clayfish Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2005 Location: Valdosta, GA Posts: 953	Get another bbl. They are inexpensive ( around $100 new and less used. Check E-bay) and it only takes about 30 seconds to change it out. Just unscrew the barrel bolt and slip the bbl out, put the new bbl in and tighten it down. That's it. You can leave the deer woods and go to the truck, switch bbls and bird hunt.