Is there any hope for 20 inch barrels?

[pj57fire]

Hello everyone! This is my first post for this site and I would like to say this is the best website for turkey hunting info I have ever seen! There is so much knowledge among everyone here and it is the reason I come to you all with my question...... Is there any hope for my 20 inch barreled Mossberg 835 ulti-mag shotgun to pattern well out past 40 yards? Now let me clear a few things up, I'm not the type that wants to kill birds at 50 yards +. I just want to get the most out of my shotgun because I think it is fun trying different load/choke combinations in the attempt to have great patterns. Who doesn't want that right?

So my question is this, will I be able to pattern better with a different choke installed on my gun while sticking with the Longbeard XR or does the 20 inch barrel limit what I will be able to pattern out at longer distances (Past 40 yards)? So I leave you with pictures of my last outing at the range. Here is the info.....

The gun has the factory choke installed
I am shooting Winchester Longbeard XR 5 and 6 shot
I did not clean between shots.
Using a Burris Fastfire 3 red dot sight
It was a little gusty that day with the wind
Temp was around 60 degrees

Thanks for any help or suggestions everyone!

[10gaugemag]

 
Looks like you need a large sheet of cardboard or poster board to really get the big picture of what your pattern looks like as a whole since that 40 yard target appears to be hit more on the left side but hard to tell with such a small target. I am not to familiar with that factory tube but if it were me I would pick up some other tubes from the classifieds on this site and play around with them in the off season. As for the short barrels I am sure some people have great luck with them but I have a hard time making them shoot unless choked a bunch and then usually have to run smaller shot like 6's.

[Tom Foolery]

Your 40yd pattern appear to be left, shoot at 36" x 36" paper.


20" barrel, choke the **** out of it, .675" - .670"


I've got a 20" barreled 870 and with a .660 Kicks it will bump 200 in the 10" @ 42yds with 3" LB #6's and 250 with 3" H13 #7's, if I wanted higher numbers a .655 or .650 would be better.

[chatterbox]

I agree with all the other gentlemen posting on this thread. I have almost the exact same gun.
Yes it is quite possible. This is my pattern using an SSX .670 choke, and 3-2-7 Hevi-13's. This is a tape measured 40 from muzzle to target.

I have tried multiple chokes and loads with this gun, and this is the combo I have settled on. I never take shots over 40, but I know I have a little room for error if I misjudge. It is very difficult to get large numbers out of a short barreled gun unless you go to handloading, so I went to smaller shot to get the coverage I am looking for.

[allaboutshooting]

First of all, welcome to OG. We look forward to hearing more from you.

I could not agree more that this is a great site, filled with folks who will always try to be of help. Conversation here is civil and supportive. That makes a real difference and makes this a comfortable place to come and visit.

It's true that 20" barrels can be challenging. The short 835 barrels are what prompted me to write the article "Cleaning a Shotgun Barrel" in which I describe the "deep cleaning" procedure. I found that the very first step in getting a short barrelled 835 to pattern at its best was to start with a squeaky clean bore.

There's nothing wrong with the Ulti-Full Mossberg choke. Your patterns don't look all that bad but has been said, if you'd shoot at some big paper, at least 3'x3' you might be better able to see where the best part of the pattern is printing.

Recently, I evaluated 32 different chokes through 6 different shotguns, the 835 included, with both Hevi-13 shells and WLB shells, both with #6 shot. Both of those evaluations are available to you and if you need links to them, just let me know.

The chokes that did best with both of those shells were the Hevi-13 with a .676 exit diameter and the SSX with a .670 exit diameter.

Before purchasing any new choke however, I'd encourage you to "deep clean" the bore of your gun and then shoot at some big paper to see exactly how your patterns are with the shells that you have.

Again, great to have you here and let us know any time we may be of help as you work with your 835.

Thanks,
Clark

[coyotetrpr]

First off let me start with the fact that I am jealous of the stock on your 835. Been trying to find one for a long time, but enough about that, I have shot those shells with that same choke and barrel with great results. The x-factor 695 actually did better than the hevi13 676 so as Clark mentioned deep clean the snot out of that barrel and it should make a huge difference.

[pj57fire]

First off, thank you guys so much for your input and knowledge! Allaboutshooting, I would love to have the links to your evaluations you did on shotgun/choke/shell combinations as well as on cleaning a shotgun barrel. I will read them and follow them! I will also take everyone's advice and shoot at larger paper to get a better understanding of what my patterns are doing after I clean the barrel correctly. From there I will post my results and if the opinion is I could do better with a different/tighter choke I will try that out. A few questions for you guys....

When I shoot at larger paper (36"x36") should I be shooting at only 40 yards or at other distances?

Should I run a boresnake through the barrel between shots?

I am currently shooting 3' LBXR's, any need to jump up to 3 1/2"s?

Is buying a longer barrel an option worth considering?

Thanks again guys!

[SCDieselDawg]

When I shoot at larger paper (36"x36") should I be shooting at only 40 yards or at other distances?

Should I run a boresnake through the barrel between shots?

I am currently shooting 3' LBXR's, any need to jump up to 3 1/2"s?


Thanks again guys!

Shoot at 40yds to get a idea of how the setup is performing. 

Do yourself a favor and get a 10gauge bore snake to accomadate the over size bore of the 835. 

No need to step up to 3" unless you want to deal with the recoil.

[allaboutshooting]

First off, thank you guys so much for your input and knowledge! Allaboutshooting, I would love to have the links to your evaluations you did on shotgun/choke/shell combinations as well as on cleaning a shotgun barrel.

http://allaboutshooting.com/article_info.php?articles_id=282

http://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/choking-winchester%27s-long-beard-xr

http://allaboutshooting.com/article_info.php?articles_id=759

I will read them and follow them! I will also take everyone's advice and shoot at larger paper to get a better understanding of what my patterns are doing after I clean the barrel correctly. From there I will post my results and if the opinion is I could do better with a different/tighter choke I will try that out. A few questions for you guys....

When I shoot at larger paper (36"x36") should I be shooting at only 40 yards or at other distances?

When sighting in a gun, I begin at 25 yards, just to make sure that my POI matches my POA. After that, I move to 40 yards.

Should I run a boresnake through the barrel between shots?

I recommend that you deep clean the bore and then shoot, without any type of cleaning between shots, until your pattern starts to degrade. Your gun may like a clean, slightly fouled, or fouled bore but you'll never know until you start clean and keep shooting until it degrades.

I am currently shooting 3' LBXR's, any need to jump up to 3 1/2"s?

There is no advantage in range with a 3.5" shell, only more pellets and more recoil. I'd stick with the 3" shells.

Is buying a longer barrel an option worth considering?

It may be but you'll know better after deep cleaning and shooting at some big paper.

Thanks again guys!

I've tried to answer each of your questions specifically but if I have not or if more questions arise, please do not hesitate to ask. That's why we're here.

Thanks,
Clark

[mikejd]

I can put 200 in a 10" circle with my 18" barrel at 40 yds. Thats a winchester. Mossberg is probably better. Try a different choke. For that gun I like a Pure Golds 670.

[pj57fire]

Thanks for all the great links Allaboutshooting! After reading your article on choking Winchester's Long Beard XR I noticed that your Mossberg 835 patterned the best with the Hevishot 767 choke, with the 835 having a 28" barrel. Would you expect a different result out of my 835 considering it has a 20" barrel?

[alclark2]

Go with a .675 range choke.

[Oconeeguy]

At one time, I had a 535 with 20" barrel and very same stock. MAN did that thumbhole stock ever feel good when I shouldered it !! i called mossburg about getting a longer barrel. It could have been done, but I sold the gun & got a BPS. Never handled a gun that felt so natural as that thumbhole stock though. Call mossburg.

[allaboutshooting]

Thanks for all the great links Allaboutshooting! After reading your article on choking Winchester's Long Beard XR I noticed that your Mossberg 835 patterned the best with the Hevishot 767 choke, with the 835 having a 28" barrel. Would you expect a different result out of my 835 considering it has a 20" barrel?

You're welcome.

Yes, the Hevi-13 choke with a .676 did best with the WLB shells and the Hevi-13 shells as well. It's a very good design with excellent "internals".

It's been my experience that with any barrel shorter than 26" it's more difficult to get the dense/even patterns we now expect. I would not expect to see the same density as with the 28" barrel but it's really impossible to tell without some range time.

Thanks,
Clark

[Dtrkyman]

With that more open choke a 3.5 inch shell with more payload may well do better, it has more shot to start with and those shells typically pattern well with a more open choke than a lighter payload.