Can I use my Mossberg 590 for hunting?
- Thread starter MrMex
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I would say it depends on where, what, and how you hunt. I used to hunt with a Winchester 1400 with the Poly Choke cut off, and my uncle has a NEF smoothbore 10 gauge slug gun with no sights. Based on these two guns used during a year's worth of days, I'd say that a choked barrel isn't as necessary as most would think.
The following are my own observations with bird hunting, but since my hunting experiences, methods, and habitat might not jibe with yours, what I would use for pheasants might not jibe with your opinions...
I would say 75% of the prairie chicken and sharptail hunting I have done would be better accomplished with no choke compared to a modified. Sunny days and no wind, and they get up within ten yards. Cloudy days and wind and you'll be seeing 40 and 50 yard flushes, lots of luck with any choke.
Ducks coming to the decoys, most are under 25 yards, and most nontoxic shot patterns tighter than lead, so you would be okay with no choke. Jump shooting, depends on how sneaky you are. I wouldn't feel handicapped without a choke.
Geese, probably need a choked barrel, at least with the luck I have decoying them...
Quail with a dog, or even without one, one doesn't need a choke.
Pheasants with a pointer, don't need one, pheasants without a dog, I'd say yes. Late season pheasants with or without a dog, I'd take a modified.
Doves definitely need a choke...
Hungarian Partridge, not a lot of experience with the few around here, but they get up far enough away to need a choke.
Turkey is supposedly a no brainer, but the big guy in the picture got his two birds one weekend with his NEF single shot 10 gauge slug gun (no choke) and Federal Premium #4s:
He doesn't shoot if they aren't within 20 yards of his decoy.
Some shotshell loads seem to have "choke" built into the wads and buffering. Federal Flightcontrol wads are an example. One summer years ago, I patterned shotguns and loads until my shoulder started going numb from the turkey loads. 90% of what I saw would be what anyone would expect, but then some patterns defied logic. One of my brother's Ithaca M37s would always put more Federal Premium #2s into a 6" circle at 30 yards than Federal #4s, time and again. Shot up a whole box of each, because I knew that the #4 load had a lot more pellets.
If all I had was a 12 gauge with no choke, it wouldn't bother me a bit to hunt any gamebird, but I would sure run a ton of shells through my gun and see if I could find some loads that would tighten up patterns when needed.
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Smitty in CT
Member
MrMex said:
How many rounds does your gun hold??
If you have a 6-shot (5 in the tube, 1 in the chamber), it looks like the barrels for the 835 will work on the 590. You CAN'T shoot 3-1/2" shells from the barrel because the ejection port isn't big enough and it won't allow you to eject them, but anything under 3" should work fine.
Anybody out there have both a 6-shot 590 & an 835?? This would be great information for everyone if someone has both and can tell us...
Kimber1911_06238
Member
No slugs in overbored barrels!!!
Keep reading everyone saying that mossberg smoothbore barrels can be used for slugs, not true. Many mossberg barrels are overbored, meaning that the slug can turn sideways in the barrel and blow it up...very dangerous. If you have a shotgun with an overbored barrel you can't fire slugs through it....
Keep reading everyone saying that mossberg smoothbore barrels can be used for slugs, not true. Many mossberg barrels are overbored, meaning that the slug can turn sideways in the barrel and blow it up...very dangerous. If you have a shotgun with an overbored barrel you can't fire slugs through it....
Carl N. Brown
Member
If hunting under 2 + 1 magazine restrictions:
Be aware that some 590 (8 shot tube) may have a plug
for a 500 (5 shot tube) that will allow more than two
in the magazine.
Make sure that the plug actually does limit your magazine
to two rounds of the ammo you will be carrying in the
field.
I used a length of wooden dowel to make a plug that
barely accepts two 3" shells but will not accept more than
two 2 3/4" shells.
Plugs in 835 3 1/2" turkey guns may limit you to two 3 1/2"
but they will accept three 2 3/4" and if caught, it is a
hefty fine even if you only put two in the magazine.
Be aware that some 590 (8 shot tube) may have a plug
for a 500 (5 shot tube) that will allow more than two
in the magazine.
Make sure that the plug actually does limit your magazine
to two rounds of the ammo you will be carrying in the
field.
I used a length of wooden dowel to make a plug that
barely accepts two 3" shells but will not accept more than
two 2 3/4" shells.
Plugs in 835 3 1/2" turkey guns may limit you to two 3 1/2"
but they will accept three 2 3/4" and if caught, it is a
hefty fine even if you only put two in the magazine.
Smitty: Mossberg barrel interchanges are linked to magazine tube length.
You can use any Mossberg barrel on any Mossberg shotgun (within reason, pump/auto barrels don't mix insofar as I know) provided you stick with the same magazine tube length and nut style. The 590 has a different barrel nut that makes the gun easier to field strip without tools. Because of this, the lug that goes over the magazine tube is different from that of a Mossberg 500 barrel and you can't directly stick a 500 barrel on a 590.
But.
Both the 500 and 590 (and probably others) have the same thread on their magazine tubes. You can drop a 500 barrel onto a 590 if you also stick a 500 mag tube on there that matches the type needed for said barrel. You can stick any barrel from any 500 on any other 500 as long as you have a mag tube to go with it.
You can even stick a 3.5" barrel on a 3" gun if you're a glutton for punishment, but the lifter/extractor/ejection port won't work right because the shells are too long, so single load only. Plus, Mossberg will probably be pretty cross with you if you break your gun (and/or injure yourself blowing it up) and then want service for it.
You can use any Mossberg barrel on any Mossberg shotgun (within reason, pump/auto barrels don't mix insofar as I know) provided you stick with the same magazine tube length and nut style. The 590 has a different barrel nut that makes the gun easier to field strip without tools. Because of this, the lug that goes over the magazine tube is different from that of a Mossberg 500 barrel and you can't directly stick a 500 barrel on a 590.
But.
Both the 500 and 590 (and probably others) have the same thread on their magazine tubes. You can drop a 500 barrel onto a 590 if you also stick a 500 mag tube on there that matches the type needed for said barrel. You can stick any barrel from any 500 on any other 500 as long as you have a mag tube to go with it.
You can even stick a 3.5" barrel on a 3" gun if you're a glutton for punishment, but the lifter/extractor/ejection port won't work right because the shells are too long, so single load only. Plus, Mossberg will probably be pretty cross with you if you break your gun (and/or injure yourself blowing it up) and then want service for it.
Carl N. Brown
Member
590's are straight cylinder (at least my son's is).
My 835 was overbored (turkey choke) and was not
suitable for slugs. The mid section is greater diameter
than the base of the slug, so the slug wobbles then it
hits the more contricted choke. I suspect there is
more damage to the slug than to the barrel, except
the barrel leads badly and accuracy is nonexistant.
Straight cylinder or improved cylinder bore for slug ONLY.
NO over/bored tight/choke turkey barrels.
I do not believe the 590 and 835 barrels are compatible
with either the 590 magazine tube or 835 magazine tube.
As I recall, the magazine tubes are different in length.
My 835 was overbored (turkey choke) and was not
suitable for slugs. The mid section is greater diameter
than the base of the slug, so the slug wobbles then it
hits the more contricted choke. I suspect there is
more damage to the slug than to the barrel, except
the barrel leads badly and accuracy is nonexistant.
Straight cylinder or improved cylinder bore for slug ONLY.
NO over/bored tight/choke turkey barrels.
I do not believe the 590 and 835 barrels are compatible
with either the 590 magazine tube or 835 magazine tube.
As I recall, the magazine tubes are different in length.
MudPuppy
Member
I use mine for hunting, works just fine.
I was shooting clays and then set it down on a plastic wrapper of some sort and it melted and got stuck on he barrel. Granted, I should have be paying more attention, but it was a PIA.
I've got a shroud on it now though.
Personally, I find normal guns incredibly boring. That's my opinion. But more importantly, find out for yourself what you like.
I was shooting clays and then set it down on a plastic wrapper of some sort and it melted and got stuck on he barrel. Granted, I should have be paying more attention, but it was a PIA.
I've got a shroud on it now though.
Personally, I find normal guns incredibly boring. That's my opinion. But more importantly, find out for yourself what you like.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
Mudpuppy, a couple figures.....
50-75K,best estimate of all shotgun rounds I've fired.
40-60K, best estimate of handgun rounds.
20-30K, Centerfire rifle rounds, mostly in 30-06, then 7.62 Russian, 30-30, 7X57, 6.5X55, 45-70 and some oddballs like 6MM Rem, etc.
Maybeso 50K rimfire, almost all 22 LR. Sorry I can't be more exact, I started shooting 22s in the late 40s.
And enough ML stuff to go through at least 10 lbs of 3X black powder. Started that in the 60s.
I've owned upwards of 50 firearms, from pocket autos to 14 lb benchrest machines firing teeny groups Way Out Dere..
None of them were boring. Most were fairly close to stock.
You may want to rethink how you regard standard firearms....
50-75K,best estimate of all shotgun rounds I've fired.
40-60K, best estimate of handgun rounds.
20-30K, Centerfire rifle rounds, mostly in 30-06, then 7.62 Russian, 30-30, 7X57, 6.5X55, 45-70 and some oddballs like 6MM Rem, etc.
Maybeso 50K rimfire, almost all 22 LR. Sorry I can't be more exact, I started shooting 22s in the late 40s.
And enough ML stuff to go through at least 10 lbs of 3X black powder. Started that in the 60s.
I've owned upwards of 50 firearms, from pocket autos to 14 lb benchrest machines firing teeny groups Way Out Dere..
None of them were boring. Most were fairly close to stock.
You may want to rethink how you regard standard firearms....
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