18 inch "home" modified barrel on a Mossberg 500

[Mudcat Stew]

Picked up a Mossberg 500 12 guage at a pawn shop for $100. It looks to be the same basic model sold at Walmart. Guns a little scuffed here and there, miniscule rusty spots... but in great working order.

I bought for home defense and have cut the barrel from 26 inches to 18 5/8. No choke, to speak of. I never was much of a shotgun guy, but the thing handles really well with the shortened barrel and that sound it makes when you rack it, is a bit addictive.

I shot it with the shortened barrel yesterday.

At 10 yards it was shooting all the pellets on 2 3/4 inch 7.5 shot in a 20 inch circle with about 85% hitting in a 12 inch circle.

Using #1 buckshot, it put all 16 balls in an 11 inch circle.

This was much tighter than I anticipated.

I went down to 5 yards and was getting roughly a 3-4 inch pattern on 7.5 and on the buckshot.

Overall I think it will make a great home defense weapon, I do plan to make some aesthetic changes. Refinishing the stock, with a richer color and glossy finish, removing the anodized black from the aluminum receiver and polishing it up to give it a "nickle" effect and re-bluing the rest of it.

My question is
Is there any "ballistic" sort of info on an 18 inch barrel. As tight as it shot, I am wondering it is still huntable. I am curious if I could use if for dove or if a rifled slug for deer would still be viable?

If you have any experience with this or a link to anything, I would appreciate it very much.

Regards,

Mudcat

 

[rcmodel]

Barrel length has nothing too do with pattern.

Your CYL bore barrel will probably shoot rifled slugs great.

It would also work great for dove at close ranges.
Say setting on a pond when they come in to water in the morning & evening.

Pass shooting a harvested field at 45-50 yards?
Not so much.

rc

 

[Mudcat Stew]

Thanks for your thoughts RC. I may go pick up a box of rifled slugs and check it out.

I don't duck hunt, but a buddy of mine does quite a lot. He tells me steel shot shoots tighter patterns for some reason.

I may try steel with pass shooting, just to see if it works. But I imagine, I'll take me side by side out that day.. just in case it doesn't.

 

[rcmodel]

Steel shot is generally considered to shoot one choke tighter then lead shoot.

So using that logic, your CYL barrel would shoot steel shot about like an IMP CYL bore.

Still not going to pattern tight enough for long range dove.

rc

 

[Mudcat Stew]

That makes sense. Thanks.