I have a new Mossburg 500. I love it! I have been practicing my skeet shooting and having a great time. It came with a longer barrel for hunting which is the one I use and it came with a slug barrel which is shorter. What I want to know is...can I use the slug barrel to fire regular buckshot through. The shorter barrel makes it easier to handle in the house? Thanks!

------

-- Omega Man (wish i were h@rry seldon.com), October 17, 1999

Answers

NO....

The slug barrel is "Rifled"..... as I understand it.

One or the other..... ONLY I am told.

-- ElkHunter (Elkhunter@theguttpile.com), October 17, 1999.

Yes, you can fire buckshot thru the shorter slug barrel. It has little to no choke and the buckshot will tend to spread a bit more without the choke. Inside of a house, I don't think you would see any difference. Take it to the range and fire buckshot and some skeet loads and see how the patterns look with both barrels, then make the decision as to what to use in the way of ammo.

-- Gene on Cape Cod (carvgene@gis.net), October 17, 1999.

Yes, you may even find that 00bk will give a tighter patern through the short cld. bore barrel.

-- Billy (BILLY2269@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.

I would also like to ask a shotgun question - recently bought a Mossberg 12 gauge and the dealer suggested I buy 00 buck. I live on 7 acres in the country and hear my neighbors firing their shotguns all the time. The local range does not permit shotguns. What is the danger in firing on my property? What is the range of the ammo? What is the spread of the ammo? Do I have to build a berm to fire into - how big? Would it be better to use smaller shot for practice? Help, please!

-- dakota (none@thistime.com), October 17, 1999.

I've heard no,check with the manufacturer at mossberg.com

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.

I bought a Mossberg 590 "special Purpose". It came with a 20" barrel and I am able to shoot anything through it. The 590 and 500 are almost the same gun.

-- Cory Hill (coryh@strategic-services.net), October 17, 1999.

Always insure that you know where your shot will end up.It is absolutly you responsibility to to ensure nothing is downrange of you that you do not intend to destroy.If you're old enough to own a firearm you're old enough to be safe and responsible.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.

Anyone here have a Web-site for accessories for The Mossburg, such as front and rear pistol grip, and mini flash light attachment. Thanks

-- Les (yoyo@tolate.com), October 17, 1999.

Les-

try Cheaper Than Dirt, I know the accessories you want for the Mossberg in their catalog, but can't guarantee its on the web-site

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/catr.htm

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), October 17, 1999.

I bought a bunch of cool stuff from here:

www.gunaccessories.com

-- Cory Hill (coryh@strategic-services.net), October 17, 1999.

In re. slug barrels. Look inside with a light, if it is rifled (ie. you see grooves), do not shoot buckshot through it. If it is smooth, then you can shoot buckshot through it. Shooting buckshot in a rifled barrel is bad for the accuracy and the barrel.

In re. shooting on your rural property. If you hear neighbors doing it all the time, then you most likely can too. However, you may want to speak with the sheriff first, so as not to get interrupted while practicing... :) Make sure you have a good backstop to shoot at while practicing. You don't want a bunch of lead flying around high in the air to land who knows where...

-- James Collins (jacollins@thegrid.net), October 17, 1999.

Thanks Plonk!...---...

-- Les (yoyo@tolate.com), October 17, 1999.

Be careful what you shoot through the longer barrel - it holds a tighter shot pattern - if you happen to shoot a slug through it, it will mess up the shot spread and could damage the barrel.

If you want to shoot shot through the short barrel, go ahead. Just realize that the shot will spread further and could potentially damage more of your house or hit someone else.

-- Deb (v.mcclell@columbus.rr.com), October 17, 1999.

The shorter barrel does not have rifleing. I have the same shot gun and I have it out fitted with the 20" barrel. I also habe the wood stock on it. Some people will remove the wood stock and add the pistol grip. I have this grip also but have found it to be hard on the wrists if you shoot alot. Keep the wood stock, use the 20" barrel, and 00 busk is a perfect round to secure your hallways. A slug will fly accurately for 100 yards. It is 50 caliber in size or 1/2 inch round. Use caution when you shoot this round in your home. It will pass through your walls. 00 buck will also but the slug will pass right through four walls, constructed of dry wall and 2x4's. Your seven acres is big enough to fire any shoot gun round. Use good judgement, dont shoot across roads of your neighbors unless you plan on pissing them off. I have better control with my 500 when I shoot it with the wood stock installed. Good question you asked, good luck.

-- 00Buck (Moss@burg.com), October 17, 1999.

No Mossberg answers but an invitation for any Hari Seldon/psychohistory/Asimov/Foundation Trilogy/Nighfall discussions. Email works. (noticed your reference to Hari in your email address.)

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), October 17, 1999.

My Walmart has the Mossberg for $189 - good deal, but it only has 6 shots. Are you sure they make them with 8? I also saw a Maverick model 88 which looks almost the same for $10 less, but I guess it's probably worth it to get the Mossberg brand.

-- @ (@@@.@), October 17, 1999.

Buckshot - The larger the shot the longer the range. Fired at a 45 degree angle OO buck can travel quater of a mile or a bit further. Smaller buck shot patterns better but does not penetrate as well. For indoors work use bird shot as it to will pass thru a wall but normally slows down a bunch in doing so. The shot column at indoor ranges is essentially a tight wad of pellets traveling at near sonic speeds. It could be a ball of sand and it would be devistating at those ranges. Birdshot for hunting. #1 buck shot for personal defense out of doors. Followed by a slug. Load thus #1 buck, slug, #1 buck, slug... till the tube is full. This is a load intended to be used for combat. Hunting can be done well with #6. It will do just about any small critter you want to forage. It is not wise to shoot a 200 pound animal if you have no way to store and carry the food. Stick to small animals. Trapping is a good thing to learn because a trap works for you when you are resting. Snares are more humane, easier to carry and if you know the trick (a leg hold can be improvised with a snare and a stake) you can catch some pretty big stuff with a snare. But I digress.

Anyway, if you have a quater of a mile of clear open field behind your house you will be ok firing against a SOLID backstop. Embankments (unless very steep) tend to allow richocetts all it takes is one small stone in the right spot. Make yourself a good 2x6 wall 4'x4' and pile dirt against the back side. Shoot against the front. Slugs do not damage chokes anymore. When steels were lower grade this was true. Slugs should not be fired thru choked barrels because they are LESS accurate when used that way. Well. I won't even try to appologize for the sloppy spelling and presentation here. I was in a hurry.

-- Michael Erskine (osiris@urbanna.net), October 17, 1999.

Has anyone seen, lately, the tubes that you can use as shotgun speed loaders??? I remember seeing these plastic tubes with their sliding pusher which you could use as a speedloader, just tuck the open end into the shotgun feed throat and push. ZIP ZOP your shotgun is loaded.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), October 17, 1999.

Chuck: The shotgun speedloaders take some practice to use. Many shooters use them in USPSA Matches, but I have seen many good runs trashed because the shooters were not familiar with the speedloaders.

-- George in NePa (grc0702@aol.com), October 18, 1999.

Mossberg has NOTHING on their site re use, care, cleaning and repair of their instruments. I sent an e-mail to them about that (actually polite, hard as it may be to believe by some of you here), and have received NOTHING in response. Of course, it's probably too late now for them to get something together and posted within a few weeks, but it couldn't hurt if you-all would bug them about the lack of info on their site other than the specific sales pitches.

-- A (A@AisA.com), October 18, 1999.

George:

Happen to have a source??

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), October 18, 1999.

I just heard on the radio today that shot spreads about 1" per yard. or a 36 to 1 ratio.

-- Gene on Cape Cod (carvgene@gis.net), October 18, 1999.