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Originally Posted by khahn79  Wondering if anyone has any experience with the Mossberg Model 500 Field/Deer Combo shotgun? I'm considering it in 20 gauge as my first shotgun. I'm new to shooting and new to hunting. In this area, we have a lot of opportunity to hunt various types of game. I plan to hunt dove, rabbit, deer and possibly quail with this shotgun (shotgun required for deer hunting here). Any input on if this would be a good choice? Any pros/cons to this model from folks who've handled one? Thanks! |
Hey Khahn,
I've owned and used a Moss'y 500 combo in 12 gauge for over 25 years for similar applications. I've gotten my share of pheasant and deer with it, it's a good gun/combo. Last year I got a youth model in 20 gauge for my son's first gun.
Caveats, as I see it (your milage may vary):
Before you buy, if the store will allow, work the action of several guns. Some are smooth as silk right out of the box, some are "tight", stiff and heavy. My action is silky. I inherited my younger brother's (when he married...) and his action is stiff, requiring more effort to work.
After you select a gun, go to the range with several different brands of ammo. I found my gun is finicky with ammo. Some brand(s) will smoke-stack jam, while others feed/eject flawlessly.
As to slugs: smoothbore or rifled? Try as many brands and types of slugs as it takes to find one or two your gun/barrel likes and shoots accurately. My smoothbore tube prefers Winch. Super-X (9" paper plate everytime at 100 yards, ~6" groups) but detests Remington slugs (all over the place at 50 yds). My rifled tube (love the True Glow sights
) hands-down prefers Lightfield slugs over other sabots.
Pros, again as I see it:
Reliable, once I found the brands of ammo it likes and detests, I've rarely had a failure when it counted.
Easily maintained in the field, like that time I dropped it in a salt marsh at 0'dark thirty before the decoys were out...
As an aside, I inherited my dad's Ithaca slide-action (model 37). It's a great gun but I like carrying the lighter Moss'y! Good luck Khahn.