Mudcat Stew
Member
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2008
- Messages
- 37
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
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