Mossberg 500 sighting question

Hey all,

This is my first post, please bear with the noobie.

I recently purchased a Mossberg 500 Persuader, a Picatinny rail, and NcSTAR DBB142 red dot reflex sight. I took it to the range this weekend and put several slugs through it (Remington low-recoil rifled slugs) at a distance of 50 yards.

I lined up the dot smack center on the bullseye and kept hitting low and to the right--almost completely off the page (7" x 7" off bullseye). I adjusted the windage and elevation to compensate accordingly, but to no avail, still couldn't hit center--still low and right.

The range officer came over to assist and said that the sight had reached it's max travel. I thought how can that be? The sight was labeled as appropriate for a Mossy 500.

I was posting this as I am curious if anyone else has had any trouble sighting in their shotgun with a red dot sight; and if you have any suggestions beyond selling the reflex sight and getting a fixed power telescopic.

Thanks,
Nick

Thank you, everyone, for the feedback. Sorry for the lengthy reply.

My intentions are to use this gun for home defense and it's the first gun I've owned. I know while inside of my home that, if I have to use it, I may have to fire at a distance of less than 25 feet and sighting in a tight hallway may be kind of silly.

Let me explain why I need optics at all: at my local range they mandate you have either front and rear sights or optics. Since there was a gun show near me recently, I picked up the rail and the reflex sight. I immediatly installed it when I got home.

The range doesn't have a dedicated shotgun area, we have to go out onto the rifle range and use slugs (targets set at 50 and 100 yards), using sabots for rifled barrels, rifled slugs for smooth bore. Since my Mossy 5 is smooth, I had bought a spread of slugs to get a feel:

• Remington Reduced Recoil 2.75" 1 oz. Law Enforcement
• Remington Slugger 2.75" 1 oz.
• Fiocchi Aero 2.75" 1 oz.
• Federal Tactical (Low Recoil) 2.75" 1 oz.
• Federal Power Shok 2.75" 1 oz.

Due to time, I only got through the Remington's and the Fiocchi's, having to save the Federal stuff for later.

I started with the Remington Reduced Recoil to sight in at 50 yards. (All ready 6 times the max distance I expect to use the firearm.) I was hitting nothing but sand many yards in front of the target, but kept moving my red dot "up" (raising the barrel and not adjusting elevation on the sight), above the target until I hit the paper. That being my reference point, I ran out of Red. Recoil and had to go to Sluggers--wow what a punch! From there I was only able to hit 7" low and 7" right.

After the Sluggers, I used the Fiocchi's which I found very similar in feel and "accuracy." Also, this is when I took the NcStar off and fired using only the bead on the barrel. Same results, though I am happy my eyes work that far!

Switching gears, I went with the NcStar red dot for 2 reasons, and I won't lie: it looked cool, and the price was right for my application. I suppose that I got what I paid for, and am considering putting it up on eBay since, out of the box, it can't satisfy my needs.

I will give the sight one more try moving it forward on the rail. I had it at the back, near the safety; since, from what I have seen, that is the most common installation location. I'm a bit hesitant about cutting up a soda can and using it to shim the rail--does that really work?

I do have good news though: I just explained all of this to my wife as I have been typing it and she said "well, maybe you just keep the Mossberg upstairs under the bed and you buy a new gun to use at the range." Awesome! I guess I go and get a Remington 870 or another Mossberg, with a lengthier rifled barrel.