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Turkey Guns & Shooting => Turkey Guns => Topic started by: NYbassman on March 28, 2015, 12:37:37 PM

Title: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: NYbassman on March 28, 2015, 12:37:37 PM
I know the 835 and the 935 get a lot more attention from the turkey crowd, but my old man is still shooting an old 500 of his as a turkey gun. It's served him well with the mossberg turkey choke, as he never pushes his range limits with it, but he's looking to maybe improve his patterns a bit this year and make it a more solid 40 yard gun. Has anybody found a decent choke and load combo for the 500? Either lead or HTL, and again, he isn't chasing huge numbers and counting holes, just a good, consistent pattern. Thanks for any input guys!
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: stinkpickle on March 28, 2015, 03:20:32 PM
I would try some Win Longbeard #6's with the current setup before doing anything else.
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: allaboutshooting on March 28, 2015, 03:31:06 PM
Quote from: NYbassman on March 28, 2015, 12:37:37 PM
I know the 835 and the 935 get a lot more attention from the turkey crowd, but my old man is still shooting an old 500 of his as a turkey gun. It's served him well with the mossberg turkey choke, as he never pushes his range limits with it, but he's looking to maybe improve his patterns a bit this year and make it a more solid 40 yard gun. Has anybody found a decent choke and load combo for the 500? Either lead or HTL, and again, he isn't chasing huge numbers and counting holes, just a good, consistent pattern. Thanks for any input guys!

You've had some good advice. In the WLB evaluation completed recently (you may read the full article in the March/April issue of "Turkey Country" magazine) I shot a Mossberg 930 which has the same barrel dimensions as your Mossberg 500, for the Invector choke portion. The Mossberg X-Factor choke did quite well, as frankly did all the chokes evaluated.

The X-Factor with a .670 exit diameter put 189 hits in the 10" circle with a good halo pattern out to 16"-18" and had no 2" or larger gaps in the 10" pattern. There were others that put well over 200 but all were very good.

Thanks,
Clark
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: Izzyjoe on March 28, 2015, 10:33:45 PM
A friend from work just picked up a beater 500, and he a shot #6 LB at 40yds though the factory full choke, and it put up 127 in 10", I know that's not impressive for LB 6's, but he can't afford to buy a choke, but I think it will get the job done!
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: allaboutshooting on March 29, 2015, 08:20:08 AM
Quote from: Izzyjoe on March 28, 2015, 10:33:45 PM
A friend from work just picked up a beater 500, and he a shot #6 LB at 40yds though the factory full choke, and it put up 127 in 10", I know that's not impressive for LB 6's, but he can't afford to buy a choke, but I think it will get the job done!

Absolutely.

Thanks,
Clark
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: KYHeadhunter02 on March 29, 2015, 08:54:25 PM
I'm still searching for a good shell for my 500. I've killed a bunch of birds with mine with the factory turkey choke. I started getting into shooting longer ranges and bought an indian creek choke couple years ago. Im still trying to find a good shell. I've shot long beards in #5s #6s last year and a few old Remington shells laying around. Going to try some a couple new shells this year. I cant hold a good pattern past 30-35.
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: 7shooter on March 29, 2015, 09:33:16 PM
My 500 Tactical Turkey put up big numbers with Hevi13 7's and a Truglo Strut Stopper Extreme tube. Longbeard 6's weren't far behind.  Good luck!
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: allaboutshooting on March 30, 2015, 08:18:11 AM
Quote from: KYHeadhunter02 on March 29, 2015, 08:54:25 PM
I'm still searching for a good shell for my 500. I've killed a bunch of birds with mine with the factory turkey choke. I started getting into shooting longer ranges and bought an indian creek choke couple years ago. Im still trying to find a good shell. I've shot long beards in #5s #6s last year and a few old Remington shells laying around. Going to try some a couple new shells this year. I cant hold a good pattern past 30-35.
Hevi-13 shells should give you all the help you need to hold good patterns out to 40 yards.

Thanks,
Clark
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: stinkpickle on March 30, 2015, 11:09:45 AM
Quote from: KYHeadhunter02 on March 29, 2015, 08:54:25 PM
I'm still searching for a good shell for my 500. I've killed a bunch of birds with mine with the factory turkey choke. I started getting into shooting longer ranges and bought an indian creek choke couple years ago. Im still trying to find a good shell. I've shot long beards in #5s #6s last year and a few old Remington shells laying around. Going to try some a couple new shells this year. I cant hold a good pattern past 30-35.

The Longbeards can't hold a good pattern past 30-35 yards with either the factory choke OR Indian Creek???
Title: Re: Mossberg 500 choke/load combinations
Post by: KYHeadhunter02 on March 30, 2015, 12:33:15 PM
I didn't take the factory choke with me last year because i thought i would find a load for the IC. I'm going to borrow a lead slead in a couple weeks and try again.