The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - i realize i don't know much about shotguns beyond small game hunting.

cajun47 · April 21, 2012, 12:42 PM

sure i went deer hunting a few times with buckshot but never saw anything and i thought i could take one at 100 yards cause of all the hunting stories i hear. boy thats false, in my case anyway.

over the years i tried many hunting 12 ga(for small game) and found the mossberg 500 the best fit for me. every time i see a 500 for $100 used, i buy it. i own 4 now. 2 with a mod choke, one with improved cylinder, and one with a fixed full choke 30 inch barrel.

i took them to the range with some average 2 3/4 00 buckshot and a few slugs. remington, winchester, estate, federal, brands. all the shotguns and all the brands of buckshot did ok at 25 yards i guess but i wasn't impressed. im looking for a tight pattern. at 50 yards they where all pathetic imo.

shooting slugs, even at 25 yards, looked like i was shooting a musket, barely hitting a poster board at the edges. the improved cylinder is the only one that did well at 25 yards, dead center but a few inches low. am i right assuming full and mod choke aren't good for buckshot and slugs? if i cut that 30" barrel to 20"(for sd/hd) would buckshot be tighter, slugs more accurate?

are the hornady tap and federal flitecontrol what im looking for in buckshot?

April 21, 2012, 12:42 PM	#1
cajun47 Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2007 Location: swamp people Posts: 539	i realize i don't know much about shotguns beyond small game hunting. sure i went deer hunting a few times with buckshot but never saw anything and i thought i could take one at 100 yards cause of all the hunting stories i hear. boy thats false, in my case anyway. over the years i tried many hunting 12 ga(for small game) and found the mossberg 500 the best fit for me. every time i see a 500 for $100 used, i buy it. i own 4 now. 2 with a mod choke, one with improved cylinder, and one with a fixed full choke 30 inch barrel. i took them to the range with some average 2 3/4 00 buckshot and a few slugs. remington, winchester, estate, federal, brands. all the shotguns and all the brands of buckshot did ok at 25 yards i guess but i wasn't impressed. im looking for a tight pattern. at 50 yards they where all pathetic imo. shooting slugs, even at 25 yards, looked like i was shooting a musket, barely hitting a poster board at the edges. the improved cylinder is the only one that did well at 25 yards, dead center but a few inches low. am i right assuming full and mod choke aren't good for buckshot and slugs? if i cut that 30" barrel to 20"(for sd/hd) would buckshot be tighter, slugs more accurate? are the hornady tap and federal flitecontrol what im looking for in buckshot?