Slugs w/Mossburg 835

Redlg155 · July 28, 2001, 01:15 AM

Fellow SHooters,

I am seriously considering purchasing a Mossburg Model 835 for deer hunting the fall but one thing keeps me from purchasing one. That little warning on the camoflauged barrel that says that you should not use the barrel for slugs.

I understand it has something to do with the barrel being "overbored" to help in the recoil department, but I don't understand how this affects the use of slugs. If slugs were used in this firearm, would there be any safety related problems?

I remember purchasing one when they first really hit the market. They still had a safety that you had to depress a button before being able to move it into "fire". And I still rememeber the booger kicked like hell. Either way I'm willing to give it another try. Perhaps things have gotten better in ten or so years.

I'm looking for input from any folks who have shot slugs out of the M835. I have shot buckshot, but no slugs out of the one I had previously owned. I would love to be able to just screw in a rifled choke rather than spending $150 plus for a new rifled barrel just to shoot slugs. Yes..I do understand manufacturers warnings should be followed and not deviated from, but I'm still at a loss as to why you shouldn't shoot slugs out of the barrel.

Good Shooting
RED

Dave McC · July 28, 2001, 07:27 AM

Because accuracy becomes a cruel joke, Red. Slugs depend on achieving a good fit between them and the bore for what little accuracy they have, a overbore bbl may be too much for them to get obturation, the seal between the slug and bbl to contain the gases behind the projectile. A mild overbore MIGHT not do it,but the 835's overbore is not mild.

The old Ithaca Deerslayer had a bbl that was effectively a full choke the full length of the bbl. It took lots of research and load development to come up with anything better.In fact, that Ithaca is an excellent choice now.

Other great slug shooters are just about any kind of shotgun other than doubles with a standard bore, tight bbl to receiver fit w/o any slop, and some bench time to research and test out the best slug for THAT shotgun.Open chokes are a good idea and so are sights and a clean light trigger.

Also, you do NOT need a rifled bbl to kill deer with slugs,especially if you hunt thick stuff. Best guess, in the last decade,maybe 20 whitetails "Slugged", farthest 65 yards, closest 8 feet, average about 35 yards.

As for rifled tube chokes, my deer 870 has one. At 100 yards, it groups less than an inch tighter than my chokeless HD 870, both with the best slug, both giving good accuracy. However,I've not compared results at 100 yards to those with a different tube, non rifled, screwed in. At 50 yards, that Deer 870 has almost 2" larger groups with a Skeet tube than the rifled one. Go figure(G)...

Lots of old threads on this, research will pay off big time...

HTH...

July 28, 2001, 01:15 AM	#1
Redlg155 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2001 Location: NW Florida Posts: 2,307	Slugs w/Mossburg 835 Fellow SHooters, I am seriously considering purchasing a Mossburg Model 835 for deer hunting the fall but one thing keeps me from purchasing one. That little warning on the camoflauged barrel that says that you should not use the barrel for slugs. I understand it has something to do with the barrel being "overbored" to help in the recoil department, but I don't understand how this affects the use of slugs. If slugs were used in this firearm, would there be any safety related problems? I remember purchasing one when they first really hit the market. They still had a safety that you had to depress a button before being able to move it into "fire". And I still rememeber the booger kicked like hell. Either way I'm willing to give it another try. Perhaps things have gotten better in ten or so years. I'm looking for input from any folks who have shot slugs out of the M835. I have shot buckshot, but no slugs out of the one I had previously owned. I would love to be able to just screw in a rifled choke rather than spending $150 plus for a new rifled barrel just to shoot slugs. Yes..I do understand manufacturers warnings should be followed and not deviated from, but I'm still at a loss as to why you shouldn't shoot slugs out of the barrel. Good Shooting RED

July 28, 2001, 07:27 AM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Because accuracy becomes a cruel joke, Red. Slugs depend on achieving a good fit between them and the bore for what little accuracy they have, a overbore bbl may be too much for them to get obturation, the seal between the slug and bbl to contain the gases behind the projectile. A mild overbore MIGHT not do it,but the 835's overbore is not mild. The old Ithaca Deerslayer had a bbl that was effectively a full choke the full length of the bbl. It took lots of research and load development to come up with anything better.In fact, that Ithaca is an excellent choice now. Other great slug shooters are just about any kind of shotgun other than doubles with a standard bore, tight bbl to receiver fit w/o any slop, and some bench time to research and test out the best slug for THAT shotgun.Open chokes are a good idea and so are sights and a clean light trigger. Also, you do NOT need a rifled bbl to kill deer with slugs,especially if you hunt thick stuff. Best guess, in the last decade,maybe 20 whitetails "Slugged", farthest 65 yards, closest 8 feet, average about 35 yards. As for rifled tube chokes, my deer 870 has one. At 100 yards, it groups less than an inch tighter than my chokeless HD 870, both with the best slug, both giving good accuracy. However,I've not compared results at 100 yards to those with a different tube, non rifled, screwed in. At 50 yards, that Deer 870 has almost 2" larger groups with a Skeet tube than the rifled one. Go figure(G)... Lots of old threads on this, research will pay off big time... HTH...