buckshot in my turkey gun

[neoncowboy]

I have a mossberg 12ga turkey gun...nice camo all over, fiber optic sights, short barrel, full choke.

It's my only shotgun. I've carried it in the field but never shot a turkey with it (damned elusive little creatures that they are).

Next week I'll be working on a site security detail at a hospital in Louisiana. My boss there has assured me that it is safe, there's nothing going on there, the danger has passed and our presence is really just to reassure the DRs and nurses.

I'd still feel better on duty carrying the shotgun, even though I haven't really trained with it.

I have a sling and figure it'll carry similarly to the M4 that I have trained with (but don't have one to take with me): I know how to keep it safe, how to move with it, etc.

Being sort of unfamiliar with shotguns and chokes and all: is it OK to shoot 00 buck through the turkey (full) choke? What about slugs?

Sorry if these are stupid questions, I have a decent amount of training with the .45 and carbine...but have only used shotguns for fun to date.

 

[Preacherman]

I would strongly advise against shooting buckshot through an extra-full turkey choke, and DEFINITELY don't shoot slugs through it!!!

The buckshot will be compressed against each other in passing through so narrow a choke, and will almost certainly deform, leading to unpredictable flight patterns. The slug will also probably be compressed, and if the constriction is too much, you might launch your choke tube downrange along with the slug. Helloooo, new barrel...

I'd suggest a modified choke as a good compromise between pattern and constriction. This should work fine for both buckshot and slug loads.

 

[neoncowboy]

I'd suggest a modified choke as a good compromise between pattern and constriction. This should work fine for both buckshot and slug loads.

OK, thanks. That's why I asked. Like I said, no training whatsoever...just a bunch of skeet with my brothers 870 and lots of walks through the woods looking for turkeys.

I'll take my shotgun down to the gun store and have them set me up for 00 buck.

thanks

 

[foghornl]

Is your Mossy one with the choke tubes, or a fixed-choke barrel version? Which model of Mossy?

The 18-1/2" cylinder-bored plain bead-only barrel for the 500's and Maverick 88's runs about $75 direct from Mossberg. Got mine from a local stocking dealer for $69 + tax a few years back

 

[neoncowboy]

It's a grand slam 835.

I'll either get a new choke for it or buy a evil black 870 before I leave.

 

[foghornl]

If you can't find the choke tubes locally, you can order them direct from Mossberg.

$22/$26 each for standard tubes, $36 each for ported version.

www.mossberg.com

or 1-800-363-3555
Monday through Friday, 8a.m. - 5p.m. Central Time.

 

[mosinjoe]

I have a camo 835 and had a blued version with a modified choke. The blued version threw a wicked pattern out to fifty yards with the modified Accumag coke without a hiccup and would be my choice( and is in my 24' camo 835) for anything from four legged whitetail deer to two legged miscreant. The Mossberg is a formidable shotgun due to its backboring and overbore and so far for me, has been drop dead reliable. Just get the modified choke and you'll be fine.

 

[Poodleshooter]

Modified chokes will probably give your best patterns with buckshot. My 500 does best with a steel shot waterfowling tube marked 'full',which actually measures about what an improved modified tube should be.
I'd bet that if you have a modified tube in the 835, it would probably shoot pretty well.

 

[neoncowboy]

OK, thanks.

I'm about 100% sure that the gun will be left in the trailer everyday and never come into play. Reports I've been getting are that there is nothing going on in the little town we're working out of.

You never know though. Figure it's better to be a little over armed (even if it's with a gun I'm not trained with) than not.

 

[Preacherman]

Guns are like parachutes - it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.