Mossberg & Practical Shooting Advice

Scrumbag

New member
Hello folks,

I'm starting to try to get into practical shotgun and would like some advice:

I'm looking for a relatively clean and traditional/KISS rig so: full stock and not too many rails.

So, my question:

How much would I lose out on getting a 500 Persuader 8-shot 20" bbl vs a 590A or A1.

Next question:

To get some introductory training, where would you guys recommend?

ATB and thanks in advance,

Scrummy
 
Sorry to mostly answer questions with questions, but...

How 'introductory' do you need the training to be? Lots of folks can teach the basics pretty well. And it helps to know at least what state you're in, in case anyone wants to volunteer lessons...

Are you looking at this from the strictly 'game gun' aspects, or do you want to develop skills around a shotgun you can use for home and self defense in real life as well? Pure "game guns" as a rule are not the sort of thing I for one would choose to use at home for HD. OPMMV...

Only thing wrong with the Mossberg 500s in my book is the magazine design - it's closed on the muzzle end save for the bolt hole that the barrel retaining screw goes into. You have to remove the mag tube from the receiver to pull maintenance on it, which can be a pain. I like pull-through magazine tubes like the ones on the Mossberg 590 (which is why the 590 exists, btw - the military contract demanded a pull-through mag tube). If you don't mind the above, and you like the 500 better than other available offerings, go for it. It will work and should easily outlast your interest in runnin' and gunnin'. Just keep in mind, learning to load the gun is THE essential skill - no magazine is ever big enough.
 
Heya Lee,

Perhaps some answers:

I'm looking for a specific comp gun without spending a fortune.

I'm fairly familiar with shotguns of the OU variety shooting sporting clays and hunting.

I travel around the US a fair bit with work so am flexible on location.

So, I guess for training I'm looking for an intro to the practical side and learning how to load and shoot fast.

ATB and thanks,

Scrummy
 
Best bet as far as choosing a shotgun is to go check out your local 3-gun matches and see what the better competitors there are using. It takes a REALLY good shooter to be limited by the equipment, but if you're serious about this there is no reason to handicap yourself from the beginning. Might as well spend your time and money learning the platform you're going to run over the long haul from the beginning, and stick with it.
 
Cheers, I shall have a wander down and see what is going on.

I just hope it isn't all Benelli's!

I have one as a goose gun but the thought of turning one into a race gun turns my wallet to water!
 
I don't know the differences between a standard 500 and 590, but from what I understand the 500 is the basic shotgun while the 590 is more "tactical".

I highly suggest going to a 3-gun event. You will be surprised how challenging it is, and how much you will learn; not only with your shotgun but also with your pistol and rifle.

I just went to my first 3-gun match and i'm positively hooked! Before going to the event I didn't even know how to manipulate or load a shotgun. After one event, I can load, shoot, manipulate, and hit all my targets -- both strong side and weakside :eek: .

For example, the 3-gun stages challenged you to shoot your guns both strong/weakside, different positions(sitting, standing, moving, prone, from cover), reloading, and shooting different kinds of targets (clay, steel, paper, etc).
 
What is the difference is Sabot and Foster slugs. I'm looking for practice rounds for an indoor slugs only range
 
1 goodj. Sabot slugs are enclosed in a sleeve. They work best in rifled barrels.

Foster, or Forster, slugs are front heavy with a hollow base. Sometimes called rifled slugs, these are best in smoothbore barrels.

There's also Brenekke slugs, which are solid with an attached base which provides obturation.

HTH....
 
I have one as a goose gun but the thought of turning one into a race gun turns my wallet to water!
To start, it just needs a magazine extension since most hunting guns are plugged and only hold 5 when not plugged. You want 8-9 in the tube.

I guess I will say there are few shotgun-only matches. Plenty of 3-gun, though.
 
Practical shotgun shooting is all about the reload. Pick a method and practice it.
The Benelli Nova is the most popular pump in 3 gun (Heavy Metal) and action shotgun, for one reason. Its easy to load fast. They point like a shovel, IMO, but you can shove shells in them very fast, and they are reliable.
Remintron 870's and Winchester 1300's are popular as well.
Mossbergs are almost non existant. Contrary to all the claims, they dont seem to hold up well to the hard use that a competition gun sees.

Most 3 gunners shoot semi autos. Benelli M2's dominate the game by a large margin. The Remington Versamax, FN SLP, and Winchester SX3 are probably all in a tie for a very distant second place.
 
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