Opinions please!

[mikkeeh]

I want to get a Mossberg 500, nylon stock and 18.5 IC primarily for HD. I occasionally get talked into going deer hunting with some friends. In years past i have used a smooth bore with rifled slugs with reasonable success.
My question:
Would that setup...with a red dot scope or similar...be an OK rig for slug hunting? Or will I loose alot of accuracy with the 18.5" barrel.

I know the optimal setup would be a rifled slug barrel....but I would use it so seldom, Im not sure I can justify buying the extra barrel.
SO.....what do you think???

 

[chas08]

A few years ago I was invited to hunt Illinois during their three day shotgun or muzzleloader season. after having been drawn for the tag. I had to get a gun together for the hunt. I chose my 870 express with a 18.5 cyl bore barrel and a B-Square receiver mount topped with a tasco 2.5x shotgun scope. I sighted in at 100yds and it shot a group of about 5 inches with a Breneke KO slug. I killed my deer that year at about 65 yds. It dropped him like a stone. If I were going to hunt deer exclusively with a shotgun I'd probably buy a cantilevered rifled slug barrel and shoot sabots. But for a one time hunt and using what I had available. The 18.5 barrel did just fine. Dead is Dead.

 

[mio]

i have a rem 870 and an win 1300 both are smooth barrels and both shoot rotwiel slugs well enough to kill deer. in fact i got a doe with the winchester last fall and it has a short barrel (not sure of length).
having said that the swamp i hunt in doesnt allow for shots over 60 yrds and i rarely shoot as far as 50 yrds.

 

[john1911]

Lots of deer have been killed with smooth bored, bead sight shotguns. A little practice surely helps.

Having said that, a good sighting system (scope or iron sights) makes the task a lot easier. Rifled barrels and sabot slugs will increase your maximum effective range.

Rifled, sighted barrels can be found pretty economically priced for Mossbergs.

http://www.tjgeneralstore.com/moss-bbl.htm
http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0005579212148a.shtml
http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/brandlisting?brandid=1843

Shop around and I'd say you could find a barrel for less than $150.

 

[Dave McCracken]

That setup is usable, if you hold up your end.

Re sights, most folks can do OK with a plain bead out to 50 yards with a bit of practice.

My two defensive 870s have short barrels, 18 and 20".They have a lot of defunct MD whitetails to their credit. They DO have peep sights, mag extensions and good triggers. And I have lots of empty slug hulls behind me.

The equipment will work, mostly it's us that come up short.