Stupid question on shotgun barells

[snatale42]

Ok, I'm a handgun guy buying my first shotgun. The one I'm 99.99% sold on is the Mossberg 500 12ga Turkey Thug Edition. But I want to be able to shoot slugs since that will be the most use it gets for now (range) until until I can go and learn how to hunt turkeys with it. I'm looking online for a second barrel and don't know whether I should get a smooth barrel or a slug barrel, suggestions? Also is Smooth Bore / Cylinder bore the same thing?

 

[Kalamity023]

They should have smooth slug barrels and rifled slug barrels for that model. With the rifled slugs a good smooth bore slug barrel should be sufficient. They're fairly accurate to 75-100 yards. I don't recall ever seeing a specifically manufactured barrel with a modified or improved cylinder choke at the muzzle. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. You'll be ok I'd you stick with a barrel made for slugs.

 

[billt]

With a smooth bore you can only shoot Foster slugs. If you're going to shoot sabot style rifled slugs you will require a rifled barrel, because those projectiles are solid and not hollow. They require a rifled bore to stabilize them. You can shoot sabot type slugs out of a smooth bore, and it won't harm anything. But you will lose a lot of accuracy.

 

[fstroupe]

To answer your question, "smooth bore" is a barrel that is not rifled. "Cylinder bore" is a barrel that has no constrictions (no choke whatsoever). I'm sure you know, but "choke" is a constriction in the barrel to hold the pellets in a tighter pattern, and is not really desirable for self-defense, or shooting rifled slugs (Foster slugs).

 

[Fitch]

Actually, the Mossberg 500 6 Shot 12 GA is a great choice. They make 11 readily available replacement barrels from 18.5" Improved Cylinder home defense to rifled barrels with scope bases, to 28" ventilated rib ported barrels. Where appropriate they have interchangable choke tubes.

What to get depends on what you want to use it for. IMO: for slugs, a rifled bore is the best (most accurate). One with an integral scope rail is even better if accuracy to 75 or 100 yards is desired.

An 18.5" barrel suitable for home defense will be about $100.00. Load it up with some 2-3/4" 00 Buck and you have what just might be the best home defense weapon on the planet. They make all sorts of little clips and holders that will let you put a light on the front of it.

My home defense shotgun is a Mossberg 500 20 GA with 18.5" Improved Cylinder barrel on it. I load it with Federal PowerShok 3" Magnum #2 Buck. Makes a nice uniform 12" diameter circular pattern of 18 #2 Buck holes at 24'.

I kept it simple: Bead sight works just fine at home defense distances.

I will add a simple light holder to it one of these days.

Fitch

 

[bellyfat]

i have another sugestion. if you shoot alot, take the but plate off and stuff a 1 pound roll of solder in the hollow stock. it will reduce the recoil.
i own a maverick 88. its just a little cheaper version of the 500. and it kicks like a mule . i shoot traps and skeet with it and after a box goes thru it its pretty painfull to shoot.
the extra weight reduces the recoil and it wont harm the gun at all. and its removable if needed.

 

[Fitch]

i have another sugestion. if you shoot alot, take the but plate off and stuff a 1 pound roll of solder in the hollow stock. it will reduce the recoil.
i own a maverick 88. its just a little cheaper version of the 500. and it kicks like a mule . i shoot traps and skeet with it and after a box goes thru it its pretty painfull to shoot.
the extra weight reduces the recoil and it wont harm the gun at all. and its removable if needed.

I will investigate that, today in fact. I'd like to try it before my wife shoots the little Mossberg. Anything I can do to reduce the recoil for her is going to be a good thing.

I think I have a bag of soft lead shot someplace. If I do, perhaps I can figure out a way to epoxy some of that into a plug that fits, and if I use mold release it will still be removable (as long as the cavity doesn't mechanically lock it). A pound would reduce the recoil by ~15%. That would be a good thing. This is definitely worth checking out.

I've also considered getting a youth stock for it that has an inch shorter LOP. That would be a lot easier for her. She's only 5'-3" and the current LOP (14.5" I think) is definitely too long to be comfortable for her. I'm 5'-8" and it works for me but a little shorter would be okay with me too.

I have a fun project for the day.

Thanks!

Fitch