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Choke and load for Mossberg 500

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GunnerJon

Guest
I have never really listened to the "don't fix it if it aint broke" saying and have constantly fiddled with my Mossberg turkey gun to try to make it better. Right now I am using the factory XX-Full choke tube and Winchester HV #5's but am wondering if any of you out there have tried any other choke tubes and loads that you really like. Choke tubes are a little expensive and I would like to hear if any of you out there have anything different on your Mossy 500.
 
My dad and I used remingtons new hevishot in 5's last year and the results were phenomenol. They produced excellent patterns, and they performed well on turkeys. we each shot two turkeys a piece last year and each one didnt flop at all just dropped like rocks and two of them were over fifty yards. I patterned my 870 three and a 1/2 inch 12 gauge with this shot and knew at fifty yards anything would be dead, and im confident you would like those loads too. I used a undertaker turkey choke in my gun, i dont know if they make them for mossbergs or not. good luck
 
Went to the range last week and shot the winchester HV 5s and the heavy shot 5s out of my buddies Mossberg 500 with the xxfull choke. The winchesters put 25 pellets in the head and neck at 40 yards and the heavyshot put 9. Most people at the range felt the heavyshot loads worked better with less constriction.
 
LIV4RUT- I couldn't agree more about the undertaker choke tube. I also, shoot the #5 HV. It is a deadly combonation. I'm only shooting the 3 inch but still wouldn't be afraid to shoot 60yds. I would think the results would be close to the same with the mossy.
 
Grunter73:

Would you reconsider you remark about shooting at a turkey at 60 yards? It would take a lot to convince me that anyone could consistently kill turkeys at that yardage. The pellet count would have to be way down and the per pellet energy way low. It doesn't matter if a #5 pellet comes from a 2 3/4, a 3, or a 3 1/2 inch shell it still carries the same energy if the velosity is the same. It also doesnt matter how tight or open the choke is. The per pellet energy would actually be higher from a 2 3/4 inch load with 1 1/2 oz of shot because the muzzle velosity would be higher than a 3 1/2 incher with 2 1/2 oz of shot.

I also don't think I could see a turkey's head at 60 yards well enough to hit it. The shot string gets real long and the drop at that range is tremendous. Maybe you could make that shot but I would hate to have a new turkey hunter read that and think he could do the same. The birds deserve better than that.
 
I believe that i could consistently kill a turkey at 60 yards with my hevi shot # 5's and my undertaker choke out of my three and a half inch 870. Last year i shot two birds one at 67 yards and one at 50 yards and each one didnt flop at all after the shot, and each one was a one shot one kill, another guy killed one at 53 with the hevi shot load. The hevi shot load is a marvel in itself. six shot hevi loads have more power than 2 shot steel. Also three and half hevi shot has a higher velocity than 2 and 3/4 inch loads by 50 fps. There is a movie you can download off of www.remington.com and after seeing the movie i think everyone would be convinced it is an awesome load. i've heard of some chokes doesnt handle the hevi shot loads very well, mine seems to do really well at forty fifty and sixty yards. Remington now makes a hevi shot choke, so that may be something to try. but i still feel i could kill any turkey at 60 yards if it is an open shot and his head is sticking straight up. the one bird i shot at 67 yards with hevi shot had pellets all the way in the breast of the bird and ive shot other turkeys at thirty yards with other lead loads, and not one pellet had went all the way into the breast of the bird. so i do believe a 60 yard shot is not out of the question if you regulary pattern your gun and know your limits. I would never shoot if i didnt feel i couldnt kill my game. This is my opinion and i know a lot of people will disagree with me but with my experience of my gun and load i know i can do it, i wouldnt do it with any other load than hevi shot though, because the other lead pellets just seem to be too weak for me.
 
Bowmaker- There is no doubt, I could drop turkeys all day long at 60 yds. Last year when I bought the undertaker, I patterned it at 65 yds, and couldn't believe it. My uncle, like you, couldn't believe it. I suggest, if you know anyone with the undertaker and #5 HV's, to try it. No, I do not think everyone should shoot this yardage, but with this combo, there will be no problem.
I believe you need to try the 60yd shot for yourself before you come on here jumping on people. No, you can't see the head of a turkey at 60yds, as good as you can at 30, but you can damn well see it, no problem.
By the way Bowmaker, good luck come April.
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Hey fellas I didn't mean to offend or upset you. I did watch that video from Remington but I'm still a little confused. I have been shooting and reloading for shotguns for well over 30 years, and in that time done quite a bit of expermenting. I understand about velosity and pellet energy and pellet count and patterns and lots of things and I admit that I have never tried any of this new heavy shot and this certainly wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.

Pellet energy is the only thing that kills. This energy can only be changed by velosity and size. The bigger or the heavier the shot at a given velosity the more energy. The higher the velosity for a given size the more energy. This heavy shot is 10% heavier than lead, so for it to have 10% more energy it would have to have the same speed. This speed then becomes problematic. To move a heavier payload the same speed requires more powder which results in greater recoil. More recoil means more shot stringing up and down which harms patterns. Velosity is also an enemy of patterns. Shotgun loads tend to pattern best speeds of 1200 fps or below, that is why most trap and skeet loads are capped at 1200 fps. Slower speeds better patterns and lower pellet energy.

The heavier and harder and bigger shot is the more it reacts unfavorabily to choke constriction. This is one reason hard steel shot gives better patterns with one choke size down. One of our experiments long ago was with 177 cal BBs. We heard that these would shoot farther and hit harder than lead shot. We loaded 1 1/2oz of these in 3" 12 gauge shells and shot them from full chokes for ducks and geese. All we managed to do was split two gun barrels because the BBs were to hard to go through the choking cones.

Sorry about all this but sometimes this helps me think through a problem and this has me confused. If you guys are convinced you can make 60 or 70 yard shots more power to you but I still think a tennis ball would be terribly hard to hit at those ranges consistently. Good luck to both of you come April. Call them in close enough to hear them drum and it's a hoot.
 
Bowmaker-
I'm with you on bringing them in close. Last year, both of my birds were within 25 yds. It is exciting, but if he won't come in, I know I have something to reach out and touch him.
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Good luck guys!
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Im with you both too, there is nothing like getting up close and personal to a gobbler, and if they do hang up out there a ways, and i doubt he will get any closer, i will let him have it.
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Hevi shot makers state that a .675 contriction choke will produce the most consistent patterns. Haven't tried it yet myself, bought a new box of Winchester HV 5s last year so it may be awhile. Sounds like people shooting it will be able to kill those Missouri gobblers if they get too close.
 
FYI re: Remington's Heavi Shot Loads. The shot in these loads is HARDER than any choke tube you might use, and HARDER than any barrel that is manufactured. Therefore, when you shoot it through a tightly constricted choke tube, such as the "special" choke that Remington is now marketing for these loads, you have a good chance to swell or crack a choke tube or the barrel and/or injure yourself, not to mention ruining your pattern. Remington will not address this issue, but continues to market the idea that you can shoot this ammo through tight chokes. My experience, and others, plus my research, leads me to believe that you can safely shoot this ammo through a modified or light-full choke safely, nothing tighter. I have had several customers mistakenly shoot this ammo trhough X Full, XX Full and even tighter chokes with resulting cracked and swollen barrels and chokes. The Special choke Remington is marketing measures the same as XX and XXX Full chokes.

I have nothing against the Heavi Shot loads and you will get acceptable patterns shooting them through more open chokes, but I prefer Winchester High Velocity Turkey Loads (#5 or #6) combined with a Comp-N-Choke choke tube ...XX Full or XXX Full. This will permit you to place 30+ pellets in a 3" circle at 40+ yards, and acceptable killing patterns much beyond that. Plus the Winchester ammo is much less expensive. Regardless of the load you are shooting, I never recommend shooting at gobblers beyond 40 yards or perhaps a few yards further. It's too easy to cripple one beyond that range. Certainly shots can be made beyond this range, but you risk crippling a trophy bird. With patience, or waiting to hunt that bird another day, you will be much happier with the results. I never want to cripple one of these trophies.

Roger Raisch
The Turkey Pro
www.TurkeyHuntingSecrets.com

p.s. if you'd like to review Comp-N-Choke chokes, click the following link. Also, be aware that my company markets this product and I stand behind them 100%.

http://www.turkeyhuntingsecrets.com/store/store-chokes-compnchoke.htm
 
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