New to shotguns. Need some assistance

S

Spirex288

New member
I will hopefully buy a shotgun in the next month. The one I have in mind is the Mossberg 500 from Wal-Mart. Very inexpensive and will be used for home protection. Can someone quickly explain "chokes" for me? Can I use slugs in this shotgun without changing anything?
Is the Mossberg 500 a reliable rifle?
Thanks for your help. I'm mainly a centerfire rifleman. No knowledge of shotguns. :)
 
The Mossberg's OK, not my first choice but it's a serviceable weapon.Yes, you can use slugs.However, they're not the best choice for HD, usually.Slugs are very penetrative and would still pose a threat to people after going through a number of walls. Most folks prefer buckshot, tho birdshot will work at typical HD ranges.

When using shot, choke is a narrowing of the muzzle end of the bbl that affects the spread of the shot pattern. The tighter the choke, the smaller the pattern.The chokes are ranked thusly, from open to tight:

Cylinder bore or choke
Skeet 1
Improved cylinder
Skeet 2
Modified
Improved modified
Full
Extra Full

Back when I instructed, I noted that few folks moved past bare minimum with the shotgun unless they shot it recreationally. Once you've purchased a shotgun, shoot it on occasion,just for familiarization.

And, that means all the members of your household that may have to rely on that shotgun, or provide alternatives. Wife doesn't like shotguns,so she has something else if needed.
 
Well, for one, it's not a rifle, but you can buy a rifled barrel(full rifling) or a rifled choke (about 4-6" of rifling). Semantics aside, get a Remington 870 for the few extra dollars. No one who depends upon shotguns really seems to like the Mossberg, irrespective of the military's decision to buy them.
 
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