Mossberg 500 20" for bird hunting

kafratta · Jan 31, 2017

I am going bird hunting soon and I am also getting more into trap (partially to prepare, but I've also found it very fun by itself). I've been using a friends shotgun the last few times. The shotgun I bought several years ago is a Mossberg 500 20" barrel with an 8+1 tube; I got it for HD, not having really ever shot trap/hunted bird. I've put very few rounds down it.

I want to know if it'd be feasible to use for upland birds/trap if I got a screw in choke? If so what brand and what specifications?

If it is just too short is there a way of finding a longer choked barrel that wont brake the bank bc of the 8+1 tube?

Thanks!

Biggfoot44 · Jan 31, 2017

They do (did ?) make a 28in bbl for the extended mag guns for that reason. Not common though.

JBinDC · Jan 31, 2017

kafratta said:
I am going bird hunting soon and I am also getting more into trap (partially to prepare, but I've also found it very fun by itself). I've been using a friends shotgun the last few times. The shotgun I bought several years ago is a Mossberg 500 20" barrel with an 8+1 tube; I got it for HD, not having really ever shot trap/hunted bird. I've put very few rounds down it.

I want to know if it'd be feasible to use for upland birds/trap if I got a screw in choke? If so what brand and what specifications?

If it is just too short is there a way of finding a longer choked barrel that wont brake the bank bc of the 8+1 tube?

Thanks!

Not sure what yer budget is, but I actually did the opposite of what you did, so you can do the same. My first shotty ever was a Mossberg 535 (3.5" chamber vs 3" is only diff), and it came with a 28" vent ribbed barrel that took screw in chokes. I wanted to also use it for home defense, so I jumped on YouTube, learned how to disassemble/reassemble the thing, and then jumped on Ebay and found an alternate longer mag tube for capacity, and a compatible 18" barrel.

You could look for an 28" barrel, but make sure you also buy the right length mag tube to work with it - it'll have less capacity such as 4+1 (with a limiting plug for hunting).

I have bought quite a few much nicer shotty's since that ole Mossy, but it still stays with me cus it has been so reliable for me. Thinkin bout buying yet another barrel for it - rifled so I can convert it again, to a dedicated slug gun. Great versatile gun!

Hope this helps! --JB

Biggfoot44 · Jan 31, 2017

No, there IS a 28in bbl that uses the long mag tube. My good friend had one , that he bought to use on his long mag 20in shotgun.

DutchV · Jan 31, 2017

You could nose around the gun shops and pawn shops for a used shotgun. Mossbergs hold up pretty well and used ones don't go for all that much.

tallen702 · Jan 31, 2017

I have this barrel on my Maverick 88: https://www.cdnnsports.com/mossberg-500-28-inch-barrel-with-vent-rib.html?___SID=U

A 5-shot magazine tube should be all you need to make it work: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MOSSBERG-50...518508?hash=item462a02836c:g:nqoAAOxyXDhSlSH4

You can probably find a used magazine tube cheaper on armslist or gunbroker. I have an extra 28" vent rib bbl with modified choke tube that I could let go for cheaper than CDNN is asking if you're interested in going that route.

20" will work for brush hunting grouse and the like, but not for open field shooting with upland. Most outfitters wouldn't even let you take it out. Same goes for trap/skeet. If you're shooting hand-thrown stuff on the family farm, that's fine, but no club that I know will allow you on the field with a barrel that short. Most clubs require you to meet the ATA's minimum length. I want to say it's 24" but I could be wrong. PM me if you're interested in the barrel.

Nottherealfranco · Jan 31, 2017

Sometimes it's cheaper just to buy a designated hunting shotgun as well.. I was looking for a skeet barrel for an 870, and they were all 250+. I managed to get an over under off a friend for 350. You might be able to do something similar if you hunt around.

lazarus · Feb 1, 2017

A quick poke around eBay and 28" barrels are about $120-150 used for a 500. You'd likely want the shorter magazine length though, which would add some. Or poke around in the classifieds here, gun broker and local gun shops. You could probably find a used 870 or 500 for $200 or less with a 26-28" barrel is decent shape ready to go. Or a single shot 20/12ga for $100-140. A single is less good for birds. I'd want an O/U or a side-by-side for that, but it'll make a decent squirrel and rabbit gun and great for trap and skeet. Not so good for sporting clays or wobble where you need a follow-up shot sometimes.

My 870 12ga 28" is my go to for deer, birds, turkey and trap/clays/skeet. My 370 20ga 26" single shot (so even though only 2" shorter barrel is is 6" shorter overall than my 870) is my go to for squirrel, rabbits and it is also fun for trap shooting. The 370 is also the HD gun for my wife. The 870 is too big. Frankly anything other than my Ruger 10/22 is too big for her. It is simple and easy to operate. My AR is my HD gun.

lazarus · Feb 1, 2017

One thing though, call around. You might have no trouble taking a 20" barrel gun trap shooting. I mostly shoot at CCGC outside Eldersburg and I don't see anything posted in their rules about barrel length. I can't recall see anyone with anything less than a 26" barrel, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't let you shoot casual rounds with a 20" barrel. If it is a cylinder bore, I wouldn't expect you to break many.

tallen702 · Feb 1, 2017

lazarus said:
One thing though, call around. You might have no trouble taking a 20" barrel gun trap shooting. I mostly shoot at CCGC outside Eldersburg and I don't see anything posted in their rules about barrel length. I can't recall see anyone with anything less than a 26" barrel, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't let you shoot casual rounds with a 20" barrel. If it is a cylinder bore, I wouldn't expect you to break many.

Definitely call first. I was over at Tuscarora a few months back when a young gentleman from DC came out at the end of the day to try his hand at trap. We were pretty much packing in, but he'd driven 2 hours to get there and a couple of us were willing to shoot a round with him. He almost didn't get to shoot though as he had a 20" Mossberg (with all kinds of tacticool stuff on it). TGC doesn't list their minimum barrel length on the website, so he simply didn't know. Luckily a very generous member loaned him a O/U to use. Seems like he was hooked. It was a potentially poor experience that turned into a great one thanks to the kindness of strangers, but one that could have possibly been avoided all together with a simple rule posting on the web page.

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