Mossberg 590 Scope and Rail thoughts?

[rmgill]

I'm looking to take a tactical shotgun class sometime soon and I'd like something more accurate than looking down the barrel on my 590 when it comes to slug work. I've been pondering a 30 or 40mm red dot site for some time. Question is, which one? I don't want a super duper over the top scope, but then I don't want a cheap one that's going to loose zero 3 rounds into firing some 3" magnum slugs at the range for zero purposes.

Also, what scope mount? Picatanny or the more usual civilian types? The nice thing about the mossberg is that it is tapped on the top of the receiver so I don't have a lot of work to add a scope mount and the scope/rings, easy, just what's going to work? Also, should I think about a quick detach system like ones that Leupold makes (I can't find the 590 on their list of items though).

The 590 in question is my home defense weapon and is the first thing I'll go grab if I need to get serious about a problem.

Any thoughts?

 

[nitesite]

In my estimation many tactical training schools will discourage using optics in their shotgun courses.

It's my belief that for home defense the simpler the better. That's why my 590 w/ ghost ring sights remains in its stock configuration.

 

[rmgill]

Hmm, my model doesn't have the ghost rings on it. Easy to add the back sight, but the front goes on the barrel end and is brazed on.

 

[RK_INT]

Added Value

This is one man's uneducated opinion. I've never been to a shotgun course. I keep telling myself I'm going to get out next month, but it comes around and... well you know.

The thing with mounting a red dot to the top of the receiver, like many things with weapons is give and take. You're getting rapid target acquisition and more precise slug placement (perhaps). But you're risking loss of zero with heavy use and missed shots later on.

You'll certainly lose the time on your over-the-top reloads if you choose to use that method, as well as increased fragility to a weapons system that is otherwise quite robust. Field of view and situational awareness drops. Increased weight, and loss of maneuverability are also negative factors. I've got an 8rnd model and it's not like it floats like a butterfly as it is. Once you start adding a sidesaddle or bases, rings and an optic things get a mite bulky.

If you do choose to go that route, they do make shotgun specific red dot scopes for hunters, and I believe it's as simple as drilling and tapping the rear receiver, if it isn't already, and getting a serious working base and rings, i.e. Badger Ord. I would probably feel most comfortable using this setup when executed by a gunsmith who I know has had success with this. This of course costs money.

For me and my decision making process, I am forced to weigh the cost and time of mounting a red-dot to my home defense shotgun against the above caveats and it doesn't look good for the optic. Besides, select-a-slug drills or slug only fire , from my limited comparison shopping, seems to make up a relatively small portion of the curriculum vs. birdshot and buck.

All of this of course is unsolicited rabble. Your choices will most certainly vary. Just stuff downloaded from my usually faulty logic process. But a forearm mounted weapon light... hmm, now your talking...

 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Have your local 'smith install proper ghost ring sights. Mossberg sells a decent set of sights for about $60. XS Sights makes some really nice tritium ghost rigns sights, but they run closer to $125 or $150 IIRC. Either option will increase your guns usable range from ~25 yards to ~100 yards or more. It's definitely money well spent.

Enjoy your tactical shotgun course. I wish I had the time and money for another gun class...

 

[Titus]

I put a CompM2 on my Mossberg with a Sidearmor receiver rail. I only shoot slugs myself. When I was thinking about doing it (cause I can't help loving red dot sights and shooting slugs), I "borrowed" a ProPoint III off my wife's lever action to see if I would like it. Oops. Next thing I know, you can turn those dials as much as you want, nothing happens. So she got an upgrade for her birthday or Christmas or whatever it was. Haven't had any problems with the Aimpoint, of course.

Previously, I had been using the ghost ring barrel set that Mossberg sells. That one is $125 vs. $63 for the sight kit only, but I wanted the barrel too, so that made sense for me at the time. It was a good sight, but I'm just too spoiled with red dots anymore to go back to the irons. I don't know that a lot of people agree with me but then they shoot buckshot and stuff, which I imagine they will want you to do at a shotgun class.