School me a bit on hunting barrels

[jkfletcher]

Please(so I don't come across as entitled to info )

I've never hunted before but after the last couple of years of eating deer meat that my father-in-law sent home with us, I wanna go. I started looking at shotguns a bit ago and I've pretty much settled on a Mossberg 500 12ga(inexpensive, great reviews), but the wife thinks I should get a rifle so as not to have shot pellets all in the meat. From what I can gather from, it seems that I could get a rifled slug barrel to go along with the smooth bore and that the slug is more like a bullet so it wouldn't scatter shot. Is that accurate? Or is it more that if you used a rifled barrel that you could shoot a regular rifle cartridge? Or do you even need a rifled barrel to shoot a slug? If you don't need a rifled barrel, is there an advantage in terms of accuracy with either barrel? Thanks in advance

 

[Hemingway]

1. I shoot a Remington 870, similar to your Mossy. I have 3 barrels for it (30" Trap, 18" Home Defense and 21" rifled barrel)

2. The rifled barrel shoots sabot rifled slugs EXTREMELY accurate. I can get 1.5" groups at 100 yards with remington accu-tip slugs. You do not shoot rifle cartridges out of it. It, in effect, turns the shotgun into a rifle. Don't know about the mossy, but you can get a cantilevered 870, rifled barrel that attaches a scope to it. Now, you're getting some serious accuracy.

3. You can shoot slugs out of a smooth bore, but you have to get slugs designed for that (read the box). They are not as accurate, I have found, but when I was a kid, we shot deer with them as well so it's not like you can't hit anything with them.

4. How far away do you anticipating shooting this deer? A smoothbore may be enough.

5. Can you even hunt deer in IN with buckshot? I thought slugs were mandatory?

 

[jmiller676]

1. Mossy 500s are good. It's what I have. If you can afford it get the slug barrel but, the smoothbore works fine. (I use only smoothbore as I don't usually shoot past 50 yds_.

2-3 . You need "rifled slugs" if you are using your smoothbore to shoot slugs. Do not shoot rifled slugs out of a rifled barrel. (Not a double negative)

4. As I said I stay to 50 yds with a smoothbore and yes the "bird sights" are just fine to use for deer hunting.

5. No, no shot for deer in IN unless you have those fun tags you can get. (However I don't believe that's what your questions are refering to).

 

[jmiller676]

After reading your post you may want to do some more research on not just the shotty but also the regs for deer hunting. It may end up saving you a pretty penny.

DNR: Deer Hunting Regulations

 

[justjoe]

wally world has a mossy 500 "combo", comes with a shot barrel and a rifled barrel for slugs. take care of both needs in one shotty, goes for about $287

 

[Mike H]

A muzzleloader might also be a good option.
They can be mighty accurate.
Have fun gun hunting.

 

[kludge]

For about the same price as a pump shotgun you can get an H&R Handi rifle in .44 Magnum.

For about $15-$20 you can get a box of five of those fancy saboted 12 Gauge slugs ($3-$4 per shot, plus the ones you need to sight in and practice with). The cheap 1 oz "Foster" type slugs are much cheaper, but are not as accurate in my experience.

For about $25-$30 you can get a box of 20-25 .44 Magnum ammunition ($1.25-$1.50 per shot). If you reload you can easily cut that in half.

The .44 Mag is a 100-150 yard gun depending on the shooter.

 

[scott delaney]

5. No, no shot for deer in IN unless you have those fun tags you can get. (However I don't believe that's what your questions are refering to).
__________________
what am i missing here?

 

[jmiller676]

5. No, no shot for deer in IN unless you have those fun tags you can get. (However I don't believe that's what your questions are refering to).
__________________
what am i missing here?

Depredation permits. You can use anything with them...at least that's what I understand. I don't use them so it is what it is.

 

[clfergus]

Please(so I don't come across as entitled to info )

I've never hunted before but after the last couple of years of eating deer meat that my father-in-law sent home with us, I wanna go. I started looking at shotguns a bit ago and I've pretty much settled on a Mossberg 500 12ga(inexpensive, great reviews), but the wife thinks I should get a rifle so as not to have shot pellets all in the meat. From what I can gather from, it seems that I could get a rifled slug barrel to go along with the smooth bore and that the slug is more like a bullet so it wouldn't scatter shot. Is that accurate? Or is it more that if you used a rifled barrel that you could shoot a regular rifle cartridge? Or do you even need a rifled barrel to shoot a slug? If you don't need a rifled barrel, is there an advantage in terms of accuracy with either barrel? Thanks in advance

The mossberg will serve you well for deer hunting. My dad and bro both use one with a standard smooth bore, field barrel and rifled slugs. These slugs have rifling on the actual slug to help get the slugs spinning since the barrel is smooth. They both kill deer at 50 yards no issues.

A few things to think about. You think you might use this gun for anything else? Maybe get into turkey hunting, pheasant, trap shooting, home defense? The shotgun is the way to go if you want one gun to do it all. Just swap barrels and off you go.

Where are you going to hunt? I have two locations..one that give me a shot out to 125 yards across a field. The second all woods....maybe 50 yards at best through trees.

If you will never have a far shot get your mossberg with 26 inch field barrel and some rifled slugs. Cheap way to get started.

A longer shot? Then maybe invest in the rifled barrel. It shoots sabot slugs which spin inside the rifled barrels to stablize the bullet...similiar to what a rifle does. You can get accuracy out past 100 yards...

Don't overlook a 20 gauge vs 12 gauge. I have both and am switching to the 20 gauge this year. It kicks less and from input on here and watching youtube it def will kill a deer.

You could go muzzleloader but it sounds like your just getting into hunting. Might be more aggrevating that you want. Loading powder...ramming bulletss into the gun...cleaning and lubing a little harder.

Or if you will be just deer hunting then maybe a single shot handi rifle would be a good idea. A lot of guys like the .44 mag or .357 which are handgun caliber hunting rounds. Less recoil, cheap to plink with.

I personally like the ease of the pump shotgun. I have a quick follow up shot if I need it which you should never really need but do if it comes to that. I am a remington 870 fan.

 

[jkfletcher]

Thanks for all the great info. To answer a couple of return questions: I'm not sure about shot distance, I've never been hunting at all so I'm not sure what is what yet. I had seen the Mossberg 500 combo on sale at Dick's but saw it too late and couldn't get in on it. Anyone know which Walmart has it(since it was mentioned)? At this time I don't really plan on hunting anything else, but you never know if the "bug" gets me after I start. Shotgun will be used for HD as well and the inexpensiveness and interchangibility(if that's a word) for the barrels is also what swayed me a bit toward the Mossberg. Muzzleloader is probably a bit more than I want to get into starting out...too much powder, not enough powder, etc = too much of a chance to blow myself up

 

[clfergus]

Thanks for all the great info. To answer a couple of return questions: I'm not sure about shot distance, I've never been hunting at all so I'm not sure what is what yet. I had seen the Mossberg 500 combo on sale at Dick's but saw it too late and couldn't get in on it. Anyone know which Walmart has it(since it was mentioned)? At this time I don't really plan on hunting anything else, but you never know if the "bug" gets me after I start. Shotgun will be used for HD as well and the inexpensiveness and interchangibility(if that's a word) for the barrels is also what swayed me a bit toward the Mossberg. Muzzleloader is probably a bit more than I want to get into starting out...too much powder, not enough powder, etc = too much of a chance to blow myself up

One of the wally worlds in Columbus sells guns. Your on the NW side so Seymour and Mooresville are out the question. I think I saw on here once that crawfordsville sells them as well. Call around to the smaller rural wally worlds. better chance.

You might also calls Dicks. I was at one the other day and saw them doing a instant 50.00 off any gun over 300 bucks. Might get a mossy combo under 300.00.

 

[jkfletcher]

One of the wally worlds in Columbus sells guns. Your on the NW side so Seymour and Mooresville are out the question. I think I saw on here once that crawfordsville sells them as well. Call around to the smaller rural wally worlds. better chance.

You might also calls Dicks. I was at one the other day and saw them doing a instant 50.00 off any gun over 300 bucks. Might get a mossy combo under 300.00.

Ah, I know of a few different Walmarts that sell guns. Just that someone mentioned that they had the field combo at around a certain price and the few I'd been to didn't have it. Mooresville is in my range, not much farther from me than Bradis really. Dick's had them on sale last week but I called a couple of different ones today and they didn't have them in stock even at reg price. Probably should just call around and see, but was hoping to be lazy if someone already knew haha

 

[clfergus]

Ah, I know of a few different Walmarts that sell guns. Just that someone mentioned that they had the field combo at around a certain price and the few I'd been to didn't have it. Mooresville is in my range, not much farther from me than Bradis really. Dick's had them on sale last week but I called a couple of different ones today and they didn't have them in stock even at reg price. Probably should just call around and see, but was hoping to be lazy if someone already knew haha

Dicks on E. Washington Street Indy had them on Tuesday