O.K.  I've got more questions if anyone wants to respond.

Alright, I went to the range today to tidy up my guns for deer season.  I shot brenneke M.P. slug load and it did pretty well in my mossberg 500 12 gauge.  The managed recoil one's did a tad better (last time I shot I tried some) but If I did my part, it was right on.  I shot 13 times total and my shoulder is not sore at all.  I made sure to keep it tight.  I don't have my limbsaver on yet because I just ordered it friday.  But about 4 of those shots I put on my backpack and the straps kind of acted like a pad. But anyways, My first question is about your thumb.  When I shot the managed recoil loads, I didn't notice my thumb hitting my nose.  But today it did.  Am I not holding my cheek tight enough to the stock??  It didn't necessarily hurt it just was kind of like hmmm.. I wonder if I can avoid that.

My second question comes to shot.  I patterned my bb shot at 50 yards.  For some reason the range people said they won't allow it at the 25 yard range.  Why, I have no clue.  But I was thinking if I go coyote hunting, it'd be nice to know if 50 yards is doable.  Well, my mossy has the 24" improved cylinder barrel with rifle sight for slugs.  And although it makes a good rifled slug barrel.  It is probably something to be desired for a shot.  It looked like there might have been 3 to 4 bb shot in the kill zone.  There probably wasn't more than twenty that hit my 200 yard nra target at 50 yards.  Which I think is 24" x 24".  So here's my questions pertaning to this:
1. Does a barrel with a choke keep patterns together, even at  extended ranges??  If so, does the barrels mossy make, come with a choke with a decent sight that you could be accurate with at extended ranges.  Seems like all their choked barrels have just a beed or those glowing plastic sticks, whatever they call that.  Would those be any good accuracy wise??
2. I was using winchester 3"bb hi velocity steel.  Would a bb in 2-3/4"(less velocity) actually pattern better due to the lower velocity?  Does anyone even make that?  (the reason I used bb is that is what is legal in my state until after january, then I can use buck.)

My mission for this gun is home defense, hunting (deer, coyotes, and possibly other small game like rabbits and pheasants.  Possibly even Goose.  And of cours trap or clay for practicing.

Maybe I'm asking too much out of one barrel?

What says mike103 or anyone else.  Mike, you have said you regularily use your shotgun, due to where you live, so it seems you may have experience with this.

By the way, the 3" bb seemed to have more kick than the slugs I was using.  Interesting, eh?

One shotgun barrel for many purposes is asking for quite a lot.

First, in order to accept a deer slug down the bore, you know that it isn't choked very tight. That causes large shot patterns. Choke it down to get acceptable shot patterns and you probably cannot use slugs. I recommend having two barrels--a fully-rifled one for sabot slugs, and one with removable chokes for shot shells.

BTW, my thumb hits my nose sometimes when firing both my deer and turkey shotguns. Hurts like hell.

I'm starting to understand this about the barrels.  Maybe I'll bet a different barrel for shot and just keep that barrel for my slug barrel for deer.  It would be nice to be able to do both but hmmmmm...

So it hits your nose too?  I read about this in a gun mag a long time ago.  And that Mike Kokalis guys (I think it was him)says he shoots with his thumb on the same side of his hand instead of wrapping it around.  Seems like you'd have less control but what do I know??????

Quoted: One shotgun barrel for many purposes is asking for quite a lot.

+1

I recommend having two barrels--a fully-rifled one for sabot slugs, and one with removable chokes for shot shells.

+1

Spot on, very sound advice from M4.
For slug accuracy, IMO, a rifled barrel with winchester BRI saboted slugs can't be beat.
Do not attempt to shoot buckshot, or shot for that matter out of the rifled barrel, use it for saboted slugs only.
I too recommend removable chokes, just know that just b/c YOU like a certain load doesn't mean that your GUN will like it.  As with most, you will have to play with loads and shot sizes to find out what the gun likes.
And don't even get me started on turkey chokes

No, please start on turkey chokes.  I'd like to hear your opinion.  So you go the route of the rifled barrel.  Aint those sabot's expensive though??  Well I don't know if I'm going to get a rifled barrel.  Time will tell.  Maybe I can find one cheap.  My first quest I think is to get a choked barrel for buckshot and shot for the other hunting I do.  Then I'll go the rifled barrel route later.  The Brenneke slugs I've used so far seem to be real accurate.  I've only shot them kneeling and offhand but when I did my part they we're right on.  I'm sure the rifled barrrel would be more accurate though.  Well, thanks for all the teaching.

As usual, Mike really knows what he's talking about - I'd like to add my own experience, also... After shooting the shorter barrels, and also using 28' and 30" barrels, I finally settled on a 26" VR barrel with screw-in chokes... That way, I can use it for turkey hunting, and any other type of bird hunting, yet, be able to do a little trap shooting with it once in awhile... Now, here's the rub: a 28" or 30" barrel would be better for trap, duck, or goose hunting - but a little long for many other hunting circumstances - while a 24" barrel is nice for turkey hunting, it's DEFINETLY too short for the other stuff... That's just how it worked out for me - and Mike is right in that if you want to have the perfect barrel for all your needs, you're going to be buying a few of them... Also, sabotted slugs ARE expensive - a good smoothbore slug barrel shooting slugs that it likes, will take a deer cleanly out to 100 yards, no problem - while you *might* get 150 yards out of a rifled barrel shooting sabots...

In my experience, a shotgunner can cover most of his needs fairly well with a 26" VR barrel with a few screw-in chokes(mod, full, turkey choke), and a 20" smoothbore slug barrel with rifle sights - even better if the slug barrel has screw-in chokes, too... Do I own more barrels that that??? Yup - but I could get by pretty well with the above, if need be - and they'd be what I'd buy 1st, if I was starting out....


  - georgestrings

Quoted: No, please start on turkey chokes.

Not trying to get off topic but, but you asked and sounds like your trying to learn.
Kinda goes back to what I said earlier, you have to know what your gun likes.
Trial and error is a big part of shotguns grouping and/or patterning.
I have one gun that will shoot any turkey load I put in it, hold a nice tight group at about 40yds.  ANY shell I put in it.

Bought a new turkey gun.... shot Remignton 2X6 turkey loads beautifully, however, I hunt in Tenn a lot and #2 is not leagal, even if mixed with 6's.  No problem I thought, tried 6's.  If I would lead or follow the turkey by about a foot (depending on his direction of travel) and he wasn't more than 15yds away I would have been fine.
About $300 in chokes and shells of different manufacturers and shot size (including 3 chokes over $50) I finally found the one, the only combo that will work. Yep, a good ol' remington ported turkey chokes for $14.95 from wally-world and #6's.

Trial and error my friend.  Find what YOUR gun likes to eat.

sounds like what I tell alot of people about ar's.  And really any gun for that matter.  They're like people.  Finicky.  I see your point, yet from what I'm learning, I don't think that 24" slug barrel is going to do it for me with shot.  But I'll have to keep patterning.  It may like some other loads.  BUT, I just read a great article in American Rifleman about this stuff.  I just got it today.  Check it out if you guys get it.  Between mike103's vangcomp quote and this article, I'm dangerous now.  Just enough knowledge to do something and screw it up!!!  he he he he he.  I still don't know what I'm going to do next.  I'd like to modify my shotty to make it what I want but I just don't know.  And since it's a mossy it'd be nice to make it like military but my version is like the exact opposite.  It's got a stinking gold trigger!!!!!!!!  That just wont look good with synthetic stock's I don't think.  I almost feel like getting a different one and starting there.  My heads kind of spinning about it right now.  Well, I'll figure something out.

Thanks mike.  I think I've got my next move figured out, it's either send my 24" slug (smooth)barrel to vang comp or buy the 20" barrel with the chokes and then eventually maybe send that one.  Which would you do???  I'm wondering if the 24" smoothbarrel is worth putting money into and if it would help it that much.  I went on vang comps website and it sure seems like it would help, even with just an IC barrel.  It says it creates a choke when you back bore it.  

OK, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.  BUT I WAS JUST ASSUMING THAT IF THE VANG COMP MADE THE GUN SHOOT BUCK BETTER IT WOULD SHOOT ANY SHOT BETTER.  PLUS IT SAYS SLUGS ARE OK IN THE VANG COMP BARREL.  IF I GET THE BARREL WITH THE CHOKES I COULD ALWAYS GET THE FORCING CONE LENGTHENED BY SOMEONE REPUTABLE, EH?  THAT NRA MAG ARTICLE GAVE TWO NAMES.  I FORGET WHO OFFHAND.  THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND INFO!!!!  IT IS A BIG HELP.