All around Shotgun? 835 Mossberg or 590

[WisBorn]

I'm looking at adding a third shotgun to my collection.
1) I currently have a single barrel Nomad that has an 18" barrel. Actually bought it because it is small, cheap, and would work as a truck/ bug out. It also has been my home defense one shot club.
2) I have a Remington 332 O/U I use for clays, and upland.

I am looking at adding a Mossberg 500, 590, 535, or 835. Learning towards the 835 or 590.

The primary purpose would be for Home defense, but it would also be used for turkey hunting.
This is my dilemma . The 835 24" turkey model would be great for turkey, but with its over bore barrel it would be only good for shot shells.
The 590 has a few good smooth bore 20" models that would be great for defense slugs and buckshot, but won't pattern turkey loads very well.

What is your thoughts???

 

[Conelrad]

590. Designed for 2-legged, wingless turkeys...

 

[JCooperfan1911]

835.

You will need the ability to use the heavy 3.5” magnum loads if you ever want to go after turkeys. There are also devastating 18 pellet 00 buck loads for personal defense usages available.

The 835s are also overbored, giving them much the same abilities as the legendary 10 gauge but with much easier to find ammunition.

 

[12Bravo20]

You don't need a 3 1/2" shell for turkeys in most locations. Heck you don't even need a 12 gauge for turkeys. I have used a 410 to successfully hunt turkeys for a long time. And 3" 12 gauge shells do fine for goose hunting too. I have shot plenty of Canadian and snow geese with my Mossberg 500 and 3" shells.

The main thing a 3 1/2" shell does is put more strain on your shoulder.

 

[dodo bird]

590. Designed for 2-legged, wingless turkeys...

I wouldn’t want to be in a dark room with one of these.

 

[Hookeye]

Steel goose loads, that large shot gobbles space. Hence the 3.5"
Yup, some 3.5" turkey loads back in the day were 2 oz of lead shot (maybe even heavier).
Which was slower and lacked pellet energy at distance.
2 oz of #6s in a 3.5" was NOT the answer so many had thought.

Choketube guns got enough pellets on target, the problem was lack of killing power.....
that's when HV (High Velocity) turkey loads came out ( load testing in American Rifleman, around 2000).

With TSS you don't even need a 12 ga for gobblers any more.

 

[Hookeye]

BTW a tight choke turkey gun might be best w an optic.
FWIW I run Magnum Blend 3" in my 870 Supermagnum (3.5" chamber).
Have run WW HV4's in 3" but think 40 yards or so is max for that.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I have an 835 and of all my shotguns (maybe 20) it would be in the bottom 3 choice for home defense. between it and my 1901 lever action it would be close. And the Steven's 124c "straight pull bolt action" would be pretty close behind those.

The stroke of the 835 is LOOOONNGG. It's heavy too. Excellent turkey or even slug gun (I have 2 barrels). But the things that Make it so don't help with hd.

Id take a 500 or even 88 all day for HD over the 835. I think my 835 camo 2 barrel set was 400 dollars 20 year ago. One could get a 500 and extra barrel and outfit the gun better for the same price.

 

[jmr40]

I'd buy an 870 with a 21" turkey barrel that takes interchangeable choke tubes. In fact that is what is in my bedroom. The barrel length is ideal for SD and turkey hunting and with a variety of choke tubes can be versatile enough for most hunting. A little short for a dedicated waterfowl gun, but a good choice for upland game.

But if it has to be a muti-purpose Mossberg I'd lean toward a 500. The 590 and 835 are big heavy, guns that are more special purpose. The 590 for defense, the 835 for steel shot goose hunting. I'm not as familiar with the 535, but you don't need or even want 3 1/2" shells unless you need steel shot goose loads.

With modern shells and choke tubes a 20 ga is more than adequate for turkey. All I've used for several years and I'm not at all handicapped. No way I'd go back to 12 gr turkey load recoil and a much heavier gun to run through the woods with.

I do prefer a 12 for personal defense though.

 

[Hookeye]

I split the diff, turkey/wingshooting/HD.............went w a 23" VR Remchoke 870 Supermag.
Cheap used Express model.
Only 870 I've kept.
Used it on dove many times LOL

 

[Old Dog]

I have one of the old Wal-Mart special 835s, with the 24" "Trophy Slugster" barrel, it came with the vent-rib 28" barrel and the "Accu Mag" choke set (cylinder, modified, full).

It's a great shotgun. Versatility, for sure. Maybe not the best for any one thing but does several things pretty well.

My only other shotguns are an old Remington 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge and my favorite HD SG, the Mossberg 590A1 "Blackwater" edition.

 

[21H40]

Why not one of the semi-auto Mossbergs? Anymore, I really prefer semi to pump for lots of reasons- one being that a decent semi is no longer a reliability nightmare.

 

[earlthegoat2]

The 590A1 with 18” barrel and 6 shot capacity will take 835 barrels.

Won’t be able to use 3 1/2” but TSS and the other heavy alternatives made 3 1/2 way less important.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I have one of the old Wal-Mart special 835s, with the 24" "Trophy Slugster" barrel, it came with the vent-rib 28" barrel and the "Accu Mag" choke set (cylinder, modified, full).

It's a great shotgun. Versatility, for sure. Maybe not the best for any one thing but does several things pretty well.

My only other shotguns are an old Remington 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge and my favorite HD SG, the Mossberg 590A1 "Blackwater" edition.

Ugly camo? May be the same 2 barrel 835 I have.

 

[WisBorn]

I should probably add a little more information!

I am lefthanded so the top tang safety is more ambidextrous. So the 88 Maverick is out. I have not researched Mossberg autoloaders.
I have owned two 835s & one 500 shotgun. I mentioned the 590 because from what I have read it is a little more robust than the 500 and not that much more money.

 

[12Bravo20]

I would personally go with the 590 over the 835. There really is no need for using 3 1/2" shells for most things. I shoot left handed and always stick with the 500 or 590.

Back when I use to go waterfowl hunting, my lowly Mossberg 500 took as many if not more ducks that the guys shooting 3 1/2" shells.

 

[RWBlue01]

I don't know about either one of those guns, so I will jsut pass this on as advice.

I have an old Rem870 and a couple barrels for it. One is a dedicated hunter. The other is my do everything else. Can you do that with the Mossbergs?

I have a VEPR. If personal protection is key, I want the detachable mag.. This allows me to leave it empty until needed. This allows me to decide if I like slugs or buck or ....

 

[12Bravo20]

Yes you can get different barrels for Mossberg shotguns just like you can for Remington shotguns.

One thing about box magazine fed shotguns is that the shells can and do deform after a while when left loaded in a magazine.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I have an old Rem870 and a couple barrels for it. One is a dedicated hunter. The other is my do everything else. Can you do that with the Mossbergs?

I collect shotguns. And especially pumps. Yes the Mossberg can do anything the Remington can, just as well, and cheaper. The Remington and mossberg are the most tested shotguns since the winchester 12. Both are great. Both are made with sorrier fit and finish then they were in the past. There are many years of Remington that had issues intermittently. Both have more aftermarket support than every other shotgun combined.

The OP is also left handed and prefers a tang safety.

For a pistol grip the mossberg tang safety sucks. Otherwise I also prefer tang safety. The older mossbergs can't readily accept a mag extension, if that's a concern.

 

[adcoch1]

I bought an 835 for my ultimate shotgun about 20 years ago, and it was a beast, but I eventually sold it for a 590 because I kept short stroking it. When I thought about it it was never an issue, but I grew up on mossy 500s and the 590 had the same stroke, I have never short stroked a 590. So for me, 590 all the way.