Mossberg 500a barrel replacement for slugs

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  • AlphabetSoup

    Member
    Oct 28, 2019
    67
    I want to get my new to me 12ga 500a shooting slugs for deer season... I'm new to shotguns ownership after hunting rifle and using handguns in AK.

    Right now it's got a modified choke barrel, so I think my course of action is to either:
    1) Get a threaded accuchoke barrel and use it with rifled slugs and the choke off... I don't think the accuchoke comes tapped or with scope mount so I'd need a gunsmith?

    2) Buy the cantilever mount rifled barrel and then shoot sabots. Stick my scope on mount...

    Any issues with doing what I'm describing? Looks like it might run me $150-$200, and I already have a usable scope for this purpose.


    Also, do I just unscrew the receiver/mount "thingy" near the fore end/shell tube (sorry, new to shotguns) and then pull barrel off? Is it just friction fit or are there other screws somewhere near the action or in the receiver?



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    bigmanindc

    Active Member
    Nov 3, 2018
    463
    DMV
    I want to get my new to me 12ga 500a shooting slugs for deer season... I'm new to shotguns ownership after hunting rifle and using handguns in AK.

    Right now it's got a modified choke barrel, so I think my course of action is to either:
    1) Get a threaded accuchoke barrel and use it with rifled slugs and the choke off... I don't think the accuchoke comes tapped or with scope mount so I'd need a gunsmith?

    2) Buy the cantilever mount rifled barrel and then shoot sabots. Stick my scope on mount...

    Any issues with doing what I'm describing? Looks like it might run me $150-$200, and I already have a usable scope for this purpose.


    Also, do I just unscrew the receiver/mount "thingy" near the fore end/shell tube (sorry, new to shotguns) and then pull barrel off? Is it just friction fit or are there other screws somewhere near the action or in the receiver?



    Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

    Is there much of a difference when using a rifled barrel to shoot slugs and using a regular barrel and shooting a rifled slug?
     

    Pale Ryder

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 12, 2009
    6,234
    Millersville
    You can shoot rifles slugs through existing barrel with Mod. choke. An Imp cyl choke may be a bit more accurate. You may or may not be accurate at 50-75 yds. Case where you'll have to check by shooting. More expensive route is the cantilever rifled barrel. It will get you a bit more range. Ammo is a good bit more$$ too.
    As to removing the barrel, just unscrew the cap on the end of the magazine, barrel will pull free.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    I have more than one m500 shotgun. 2 12's one with a field barrel and smooth bore slug barrel and then a 20 with field, cantilever and ported rifled slug barrel with open sights.. The other 12 with just a field barrel. I use the smooth 12 slug barrel for foster type slugs and buckshot only. The 20 barrels I never had shoot well enough to ever use sabots in them for the purposes I intended to use them for because of cost of the ammo.
    So, I just shoot foster type slugs in the 20 gauge open sighted barrel when I use it at all anymore.
    The cantilever barrel was never consistent enough for me to warrant the additional cost of sabot ammo, + if I want to hunt extended ranges I just use a ML if I'm in a shotgun county. For shotgun hunting most of the shots I want to take are generally inside of 50 yards or on a drive so having the smooth bored barrel in 12 gauge gives me more flexibility by being able to use buckshot where I live which just happens to be a rifle county anyhow. Sometimes I carry a old A5 whippet style with a sawed off barrel for the same thing but mostly with buck shot.

    If it makes any difference, my two sons prefer the m500 with the smooth bore barrel (12) when they choose to use a shotty but they can still see very well and don't mind getting bashed around with 12 gauge magnum slugs. They like it because its durable, low maintenance and cheap to shoot.
     

    Pale Ryder

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 12, 2009
    6,234
    Millersville
    Additionally, the receiver should be tapped already, so just buy a Weaver, or Picatinney rail, some Loc tite and you can mount the scope. Or go old school and just use the bead. Should be minute of deer to 75 yds. If area allows shots past that, better stick with rifled barrel and sabots. FYI, most of the shots offered are going to be inside that 75 yd range though.
     

    67temp

    Active Member
    Jun 25, 2009
    901
    Gettysburg, PA
    I'd say the setup you use depends on your intended use or distance of shots. For closer shots I would go with what doc overboard recommended. I do shots a bit further and use the cantilever barrel w sabot slugs. Some ammo testing maybe needed for maximum proficiency. Both my longer distance 500 slug guns hated Remington ammo. I typically do shots from 5-200yds with the same setup.


    Additionally, the receiver should be tapped already, so just buy a Weaver, or Picatinney rail, some Loc tite and you can mount the scope.

    A drilled and tapped receiver is a more recent addition to the 500. I think only 2 of my 8 500's are tapped. Maverick 88's also don't come tapped.
     
    In my experience the Mosssberg rifled barrel for the 500 is too finicky. I tried several different sabot rounds and could not find one with consistent accuracy. I ended up buying a Mossberg sluggster 500 shotgun and was pleased with the results at ranges out to about 75 yards with the BRI sabots sold by Winchester. Later, when I moved to a larger farm to hunt where there was a real possibility of a shot out to 200 yards I bought a Savage 220. That gun with the accutips will knock the nuts off a gnat at 200. I took my last deer of the 2018 season with it at 147 yards and it dropped where it stood.
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,564
    Harford County, Maryland
    Just my two cents worth of experience with the Mossy 500. I have had very good luck with the fully grooved 24” iron sight slug barrel and Foster type slugs. Winchester and Remington come to mind. Some blue box federal also. Often 2-3” 40 yard standing handheld groups.

    I have also used a smooth bore 24” iron sight barrel with very similar results. I like the smooth bore most since I can use buck and shot loads as well slugs.
     
    Last edited:

    AlphabetSoup

    Member
    Oct 28, 2019
    67
    Thanks for all the advice... Mine is old enough it's not tapped. I "won" one of the central region public land lotteries for the firearms opener so I hope to figure something out by then.

    My spot (stoney demo forest) looks thick so maybe I live with slugs out of the current barrel using the bead, since (assuming it shoots), I've been comfy on iron out to 75yds on a rifle in the past....

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    Gunner220

    Member
    Jul 24, 2012
    47
    When changing barrels on a Mossberg, you need to open the action just a couple of inches prior to unscrewing and swapping barrels. I have on of the cantilevered rifled barrels and it an excellent shooter when you find the right sabot round. I have seen this barrel ported for less than $200.00.
    Five years or so ago Mossberg was porting shotgun barrels at their facility for about $40.00. I can't find that service being offered at this time.
     

    delaware_export

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 10, 2018
    3,144
    My cousins grew up hunting with fixed choke mossbergs. Dropped a lot of deer. When I hunt deer or pigs with my smooth bore shotguns, it’s a mod choke for me. (Mine all have tubes, but I use mod. Works with both slugs and buck)

    It should be good to about 50-80y, depending. Find the smooth bore slugs it shoots well. Start with Remington sluggers, then whatever else that’s similar in other brands . Get a couple boxes of each and goto the range see how it shoots. 3 shots of each and see if your consistent. When you find consistent, stick with that brand.

    Personally, I usually stick with 2-3/4. Mine will shoot 3”, but the 2.75”’sluggers and brenneke ko work well to about 80y no need for the 3”s. Some savings there, and a little less recoil.

    Now there’s never anything wrong with buying other stuff, but you could probably do well with what you have.

    Ymmv
     

    AlphabetSoup

    Member
    Oct 28, 2019
    67
    Wanted to follow up since some good info was shared here.

    Ended up adding a no tap Weaver mount that adds a rail and throwing on an old (pos) Bushnell site-lite I had laying around.

    Got it sighted in and shot Winchester super x, brennekes, and another one I can't recall...

    Only shooting 25yds at the range but was shooting tiny groups, with a lot of shared hole, for the super x, with brennekes close behind... And the scope mount appeared to not shake loose, so very happy.

    Thanks for the advice and even better it led to my first whitetail on Saturday, and all without buying a new barrel.

    Thanks all.
    ad55df1e9419426bfb509747b4c8dc4b.jpg


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    AlphabetSoup

    Member
    Oct 28, 2019
    67
    Also wanted to mention that I chrono'd the super x (2-3/4", 1oz slugs) and was shooting 1621 fps at the barrell. With the groups and the speed, made me feel very comfortable out to 100yds should the need arise.

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