[Black92LX]

i am looking for a combo gun. my main use will be trap and skeet, but definatly want to start whitetail hunting.i am in ohio so i have to use the shotgun, so my main question is do i really need a rifled barrel? or will a 24'' cylinder bore slug barrel work??

I am looking at the mossberg 500 with the 28'' and 24'' cylinderbore. i found it for $250. but can't find the combo with the 24'' rifled barrel around here. (anyone know places online??)

so will i be alright with just the cylinderbore barrel.

and no i don't want the 870 Express. i have been shooting the mossberg for awhile now and i love it. a fella at work has been trying to sway me for awhile but it's not going to happen.

thanks for the help
Jeremy

[5ptdeerhunter]

You don't need a rifled barrel. I can shoot fine at 80 yards with my smooth bore. I have never shot it farther then that but it shoots great out to there.

I have a friend with the Mossberg 500. He bought the smooth bore and then bought a rifled barrel for it. He just bought it for more range I think. His smooth bore is 26" I believe and it shoots great.

I personally use an 870 but if the 500 fits you better then stick with it.

[coldshot03/04]

I would recommend the Winchester Black Shadow 1300. Mine has interchangable choke tubes and they also make a choke tube with rifling for sabot slugs.
I paid $230 for the shotgun & full, improved choke tubes came with the gun.;)

[Black92LX]

5ptdeerhunter what type of ammo do you like to use for derr hunting in the smoothbore?

[TNT]

For a smoothbore shotgun you can use any 2.75" slug. I like Winchester's Rifled Slugs, 2.75" 1oz slug, it travels at 1600FPS. A box of slugs are pretty cheap at $2.00 or less. I used a smoothbore for several years hunting deer and then bought fully rifled shotguns so I could also use sabot rounds. The deer don't notice the difference though.:D

[Art Eatman]

This seems to be more about shotguns than actual hunting, so I'll move it to that forum...

:), Art

[CasualShooter]

Most states that allowed only shotguns for deer hunting used to require the use of buck shot only and did not allow slugs. Reason generally was to limit effective range of the projectile(s) in the interest of human safety.

I believe that Illinois was one of these.

Have I missed something lately? :confused:

If you are wanting to do this as a matter of choice, fine. :)

The proper combination of 12 ga barrel or choke and rifled or sabotted slug should be very effective out to about 100 yards. :D

I bought an extra 20 inch barrel with rifled choke and iron rifle sights for my 870, via mail order, and the barrels are very easy and simple to change.

I am pretty sure that the same can be done with the Mossberg 500; but, I haven't examined one that closely.

Replacement barrels for both the Remmington and the Mossberg are advertised by Sportsman's Guide, Bass Pro Shops, and Cabela's, among others, for about 1/2 the price of the gun. :D

[CasualShooter]

Most states that allowed only shotguns for deer hunting used to require the use of buck shot only and did not allow slugs. Reason generally was to limit effective range of the projectile(s) in the interest of human safety.

I believe that Illinois was one of these.

Have I missed something lately? :confused:

If you are wanting to do this as a matter of choice, fine. :)

The proper combination of 12 ga barrel or choke and rifled or sabotted slug should be very effective out to about 100 yards. :D

I bought an extra 20 inch barrel with rifled choke and iron rifle sights for my 870, via mail order, and the barrels are very easy and simple to change.

I am pretty sure that the same can be done with the Mossberg 500; but, I haven't examined one that closely.

Replacement barrels for both the Remmington and the Mossberg are advertised by Sportsman's Guide, Bass Pro Shops, and Cabela's, among others, for about 1/2 the price of the gun. :D

Sorry about the double post. Don't know how I managed to do it; but, it happened once before. The system allowed me to edit but not delete it. Go figgure. :confused:

[Legionnaire]

What kind of terrain do you plan to hunt? I have three different barrels for my Mossberg 500. It normally wears a 26" vent rib for small game. I'd have no problem putting a foster-type slug through an improved cylinder choke on target out to 75 yards or so. I also have a 24" rifled slug barrel with a cantilevered scope base with a Leupold M8 4X mounted. With sabot slugs, this is "hunting accurate" out to 125 yards or so (although I've never shot it past 75 yards, either). Finally, I have an 18.5" cylinder bore with rifle sights that gets loaded with foster-type slugs (Remington Sluggers) when I'm hunting heavy cover.

Generally speaking, try fosters through your improved cylinder choke and see what you can do consistently. I think the rifled barrel with integral scope mount is a good idea if you want to mount a scope regardless of anticipated range. I like the fact that the scope mounts to the barrel this way, rather than to the receiver. When I swap out the barrels, the scope goes with it, and I don't have to reinstall it each year ... just test if for zero. That convenience is worth the extra bucks, IMHO.

[kudu]

Here in Indiana shotguns are required to hunt deer. My cantilever rifled slug barrel on my Rem 11-87 will put a 3" patern downrange at 100 yards with rem copper solid sabots, only drops about 6", real good accurracy on rifled barrels but you have to pick and choose sabots for just the right combo. Indiana just let hunters use the .410 with slugs in the last hunting season, thats about the equivalent of hunting with a .380 pistol.:rolleyes:
Most states that are shotgun only will also have handgun hunting allowed also, something to think on there.

[Legionnaire]

Most states that are shotgun only will also have handgun hunting allowed also, something to think on there. Yup. That's why I have a .243 Encore. From a bench, four inch group at 200 yards. Took a doe with it last season at about sixty yards.

[JeepDriver]

I have the Mossy 500 Trophy w/ cantilever scope mount. It a 24" fully rifled barrel with a parkerized finish. Mine was $325 out the door with a Simmons 2.5X scope. I sighted it in for 50 yards, which is just a little high at 25. and about 1" low at 100 yards usinf Remington Copper Solids. I've only had it one season and only taken on deer with it, but I've been very happy with the set up.

http://www.fototime.com/9B06874CD3E8314/standard.jpg

[Black92LX]

here is the deal i want the gun mainly for skeet and trap. i don't really have a lot of time to hunt as of now but can make a weekly run to the club to shoot some clays. so the mossberg 500 is $219.99 for just the 28'' barrel. for 250.00 i can make it the combo with the 24'' smoothbore. i don't really do much hunting, actually haven't ever deer hunted, but hopefully will go this coming season. so why not spend 30 more dollars to have the ability to hunt whitetail, granted it's not the best equipment possible but it's better than nothing right. since i don't really hunt a lot i don't see paying the extra 100 for the rifled barrel (that combo is 350.00). so i guess the main question is will the smoothbore be alright for the time being until i get more into hunting then invest the money for the rifled barrell.

thanks for all the help everyone
Jeremy

[Legionnaire]

Yup, smoothbore should do alright, but with a bit less range than the rifled barrel. The typical smooth bore slug barrel comes with rifle sights, and they should be more accurate than the bead on your vent rib barrel. I'd go ahead and get the combo. If/when you decide you want the rifled barrel, take the smooth bore to a gunshow and get a few bucks for it.

[2nd Amendment]

I've used both and haven't seen much of a real difference. Smoothies work just fine to probably 80 yds or so, assuming the gun is in good shape.

Casual, bucshot for deer? As far back as I can remember Indiana at least has always been slugs. Illinois is an...odd...state though so maybe... I can't imagine trying to slaughter Bambi with bucshot. :)

[Black92LX]

slugs are allowed in ohio.