The Mossberg 500

[8MM Mauser]

The Mossberg 500 is an American gun made by an American company. It comes in a dizzying array of configurations. It offers up a quality shotgun at a pricepoint that most anyone needing a gun for self-defense or hunting can afford. It is such a quality design that the US military uses it to breech doors, and the US navy keeps it ready to go on it’s ships in case of an enemy boarding action. The Mossberg 500 is a great gun at a great price. I love my cheapo Mossberg.

So, with all that in mind I took a crack at writing a review. let me know what you all think! I don't post this here necessarily to self-promote, but to get your feedback on how you think I did. The folks at this site have led me through much of my journey into shooting without even knowing it (yup I'm a lurker) and I want to know what you think. Thanks for playing!

http://benjaminraber.hubpages.com/hu...erg-500-Review

[BigD_in_FL]

and a shotgun is not a precision instrument anyway!

I'll disagree with this statement. However, you said this was your only shotgun, so you have a lot to learn about other types and the tolerances involved.

You might wan to include a mention about the combo sets that are available. As you found out, the 18.5"barrel is lousy for clays and bird hunting, but Mossberg offers a 28"barrel either as a combo or as an addition - in fact many folks buy the Mossberg because of the combo sets.

Not bad for a review of your only gun, though....

[8MM Mauser]

Thanks for the input. I will add mention of that. It's not my only gun, just my only shotgun. I've been shooting pistols for 5+ years and rifles for about 2 years.

In any case thanks for the feedback. I love writing and I love guns!

[breakingcontact]

I'll offer up some advice if you're trying to build a brand/name for yourself. (If not, ignore and enjoy)

Buy the website benjaminraber.com or whatever you'd like, don't use hubpages.com or blogspot or wordpress in your name.

Also, mix the images/video links with text. The way people consume information has changed drastically and so does the way information is presented.

[Doug S]

Entertaining read. Thanks for sharing.

[8MM Mauser]

I'll offer up some advice if you're trying to build a brand/name for yourself. (If not, ignore and enjoy)

Buy the website benjaminraber.com or whatever you'd like, don't use hubpages.com or blogspot or wordpress in your name.

Also, mix the images/video links with text. The way people consume information has changed drastically and so does the way information is presented.

Thanks for the advice. I've thought about that a little, but I'm still in school and all that. Hubpages is really more of a place to "test the waters" so to speak as well as a place to store my various writings and whatever else digitally, for free, I actually make a little on it, so that I won't lose them in case of hardrive failure. Plus Hubpages stuff pays to appear in google search results, which is something I couldn't do. Weirdly, they seem to really push it on foreign google sites. I get a lot of traffic from google.fr (France) and google.ph (Philippines.) Interesting advice to not use my name though, why is that?

In other words, I'm not ready to brand myself yet. I do understand and appreciate your advice though!

I know what you mean about weaving pics into the text more. You're very right about that.

[8MM Mauser]

Thanks Doug! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Pfletch83]

There is very much you have to learn when it comes to ye' old scattergun. The write up was a good read.

Try different loads and distances with your shotgun.

Also the bit about your shotgun hitting high or low can be fixed with how you mount the gun to your shoulder and your cheek weld, if you lower your head after bringing the gun up to your shoulder the gun will shoot off kilter a bit.

But if you bring the gun to your eye level you'll be surprised by the results.

Chokes also play an important role in down range performance along with the size of the pellets you'll be using for a given task.

A shotgun is a highly versatile firearm and that understanding comes with experience.

Keep at it good sir.

[g.willikers]

I thought it was an excellent article.
Although another barrel or two would improve things.
Do you have a birthday coming up?
If so, start laying hints.
No ties, no socks, a 28'' barrel with changeable chokes, folks.
And maybe even a rifled barrel with sights.

[8MM Mauser]

There is very much you have to learn when it comes to ye' old scattergun. The write up was a good read.

Try different loads and distances with your shotgun.

Also the bit about your shotgun hitting high or low can be fixed with how you mount the gun to your shoulder and your cheek weld, if you lower your head after bringing the gun up to your shoulder the gun will shoot off kilter a bit.

But if you bring the gun to your eye level you'll be surprised by the results.

Chokes also play an important role in down range performance along with the size of the pellets you'll be using for a given task.

A shotgun is a highly versatile firearm and that understanding comes with experience.

Keep at it good sir.

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Shotguns are very new to me. Before this shotgun I had fired a 20GA as a cub scout and about 5 rounds when I passed hunter's safety. Everything else had/has been rifles and Pistols (mostly Pistols.) I got this because, like I said in the article, it offers a great deal more power than a pistol as a home defense weapon. So you are absolutely correct, i have a LOT to learn about shotgun and I appreciate the advice about aiming. It's still a bit disorienting with only a bead sight (i'm mostly used to lining up the sights on my Ruger MK II or on poly-framed autos). I've thought about ghost rings but I think I prefer to keep it simple.

I'm excited to get more experience with this gun and shotgun's in general. Something about shotgun's has always enthralled me.

[8MM Mauser]

I thought it was an excellent article.
Although another barrel or two would improve things.
Do you have a birthday coming up?
If so, start laying hints.
No ties, no socks, a 28'' barrel with changeable chokes, folks.
And maybe even a rifled barrel with sights.

I can't tell you how bad I want a 28" barrel that takes chokes. My dad has an old Stevens 20GA with a 26" barrel and he easily outshoots me at clays. Soem fo my family up north have real skeet guns (my Grandpa shoots a Browning Citori) and I would be embarrassed if I shot with them. :0

I've looked into longer barrels and I'm probably going to have to wait for christmas (poor college kid...with a kid!) but that's ok. the clays game is VERY new to me, but their is a cool trap/skeet course at a gun club not 30 minutes from my house, so once I can acquire a longer barrel I might join, it's really cheap if you work a couple weekends a year and it would be a great chance to meet like-minded people as well.

Thanks for the advice!

[Pfletch83]

Not a problem 8MM.

In my case it was the reverse I learned on a shotgun then moved on to rifles and handguns.

After you have the gun mount worked into your muscle memory things will begin to fall into place.

Just remember that shot size and choke in the shotgun world are in many ways comparable to bullet weight and barrel twist rate in the rifle and handgun world, only you have a bit more wiggle room due to the pattern.

The main thing to focus on with shotgunning is the target not so much the bead.

Of all the shots I've taken at game I can barely remember placing the bead, all I recall for the most part is looking at the target, bringing the gun up,and squeezing the trigger.

[Dumpy]

Nice write-up! I just got my 500 at a pawn shop with a 24" Slugster barrel with no front sight. Darn thing was full of dog hair and sludge, so I had to completely tear it down and rebuild it. Thing shot skeet like a boss at varying distances. Love it! I have never shot skeet before, but found that I'm actually pretty darn good. Also shot with a NEW Pardner, and I found that I was just as accurate with both guns. Maybe it's newb luck, but the 500 surpassed any expectations I had for it.

[Justice06RR]

Good article and review. The M500 is definitely one of the most popular shotguns in the market.