Need advice on my options

[Shift]

I want to try deer hunting public land. I've never hunted before and my only shotgun is a mossberg 500 with 18" barrel. I'm on a very limited budget right now and figure I have 3 options.

1- Buy a 24in barrel for my gun for $200

2- Buy a cheap shotgun with a 26"-28" barrel as I'd like to try various bird hunting and skeet shooting

3- Hunt deer with the 18" barrel and just limit my range this year and buy the nice 26"-28" semi-auto I've been wanting when/if overtime picks back up at work.


My thoughts on my option 1 is I'd rather just buy another gun but I'm willing to listen to a voice of reason. Option 3 I realize I raise my chances of skunking out but sitting quietly in nature for hours is pleasurable for me. Open to any other options if anyone has one.

By tight budget I mean really tight right now, Christmas is coming and work has been painfully slow this year. Any opinions?

 

[rmocarsky]

#3.

I had a buddy who hunted for several seasons with an 18" pump gun.

He never missed, but they were all relatively close shots.

Rmocarsky

 

[inkd]

I want to try deer hunting public land. I've never hunted before and my only shotgun is a mossberg 500 with 18" barrel. I'm on a very limited budget right now and figure I have 3 options.

1- Buy a 24in barrel for my gun for $200

2- Buy a cheap shotgun with a 26"-28" barrel as I'd like to try various bird hunting and skeet shooting

3- Hunt deer with the 18" barrel and just limit my range this year and buy the nice 26"-28" semi-auto I've been wanting when/if overtime picks back up at work.


My thoughts on my option 1 is I'd rather just buy another gun but I'm willing to listen to a voice of reason. Option 3 I realize I raise my chances of skunking out but sitting quietly in nature for hours is pleasurable for me. Open to any other options if anyone has one.

By tight budget I mean really tight right now, Christmas is coming and work has been painfully slow this year. Any opinions?

Option 3 would be the cheapest and as long as you limit your range, it can be effective.

I don't know your situation so please don't take this the wrong way but do you have anything you can trade or sell to finance an upgrade?

When I was younger and starting out hunting I wanted a rifled sllug barrel but didn't have the money, so I sold a pistol I hardly ever used and a few other odds and ends and got the money that way.

 

[vin]

Does the 18" barrel have sights or just a bead? I'd be willing to bet you could find a slug barrel for closer to $100 if you were so inclined.

I bought a pair of used, rifle sighted slug barrels for my 870, one rifled, one smooth for $125/ea. still need to sight in the rifled barrel for this year. Not looking forward to that chore.

 

[raider80]

Option 3. I hunt on the eastern shore and unless you are hunting the edge of a field longest effective shot in the woods is maybe 70 yards and that's if you have cleaned out shooting lanes. Most of the deer I have taken has been within 40 yards.

 

[Pale Ryder]

Where do you plan on hunting? Lot of places will only offer 75-100 yds range of view anyway with all the vegetation, unless it gets cold or snows. I think you could get buy with just the 18" barrel. One other idea is to get a mount, and a red dot or scope. Short barrel will be handy and still work out to 100 yds or so. One more option, buy a scoped muzzleloader. Some properties I hunt using a ML instead of the shotgun, because I dont have a rifled barrel for it. The ML gives me about 200 yds to work with.

 

[itsslow98]

Option 4 is to buy a muzzleloader. That will get you hunting almost a full month more with a gun and will be accurate to 100 yards with the factory sights. You can also use the muzzleloader during regular firearms season.

 

[Boom Boom]

Look around for the 24" slug barrel. I saw it on sale a few weeks ago for ~$150. As said by itsslow98, muzzleloaders are a great option. Used ones are cheap. My wife's cousin hunts deer with them.

 

[Biggfoot44]

18in bbl per se is no handicap, and a longer smoothbore bbl wouldn't add anything.

You didn't specify , so presumably you have a bead sight. In my experience some bead sights were perfectly sighted for slugs , some required Ky windage measured in feet. Try some slugs in your gun. If the POI is usefully close at 50yds , declare victory , and go hunt.

Mossberg Fully Rifled bbls are very reasonable. If you keep your eyes open , the advent of fully rifled bbls , has made rifle sighted smoothbore slug bbls very inexpensive on used mkt.

An H&R/ NEF full rifled single shot costs about the same as a bbl alone for a Remington , and they are very accurate.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Go to your local gun shop and drop $200.00 on a Rossi 12 or 20 gauge slug gun. You'll have a whole gun for what the price of a new barrel will cost you. I have a Rossi in 20 gauge and this little gun is just badass and accurate. Or go buy a Muzzleloader and hunt both seasons. You can still get a good Muzzleloader For right about $200.00 I don't see any reason to waste $200.00 on a barrel when you can have a dedicated Deer hunting gun with a rifled barrel.

I have owned my Rossi for several years now and have taken several Deer with it and I will back these 1000% It is drilled and tapped for a scope and I have a $30.00 scope from WalMart on mine and this combo is nothing but Deer killing good times. Mine is also a 20 gauge little badass.

I've had two other gents who are owners of much more expensive guns and they were so impressed with my Rossi, they now both own one in 20 gauge as well. It's a nice compact gun and tons of fun to shoot.

However, don't pass up the option of a Muzzleloader either. That's a dual-purpose hunting gun for two different seasons...

 

[Shift]

Thank you all for your input.
I have a bead sight.
I'm hoping to hunt Tuckahoe, that's the closest public hunting land near me.

I have a red dot and 2 scopes currently mounted to other guns but I'm not opposed to putting one of them on my mossberg. If OT doesn't pick up soon I'll look into a barrel or a muzzle loader.

All I need is 1 good Hurricane to come through and it should open up the flood gates for serious OT. This is the first year in a very long time where money has been this tight.


Sound like no matter what I do I should look into a muzzle loader, if not this year than maybe next year.

 

[hvymax]

18in bbl per se is no handicap, and a longer smoothbore bbl wouldn't add anything.

You didn't specify , so presumably you have a bead sight. In my experience some bead sights were perfectly sighted for slugs , some required Ky windage measured in feet. Try some slugs in your gun. If the POI is usefully close at 50yds , declare victory , and go hunt.

Mossberg Fully Rifled bbls are very reasonable. If you keep your eyes open , the advent of fully rifled bbls , has made rifle sighted smoothbore slug bbls very inexpensive on used mkt.

An H&R/ NEF full rifled single shot costs about the same as a bbl alone for a Remington , and they are very accurate.

This. I put a lightweight picatinny rail on mine.(Groove down the middle) I put a 1/4" riser under the Fiber optic bead so it makes a rear sight as well.

 

[wilcam47]

I would say just use what you have...make sure you practice at least to 50yd further if you feel like it at a range and you'll be fine. but you can easily shoot a deer with a shotgun at 50yds or less

 

[iH8DemLibz]

NEF/H&R single barrel slug gun in 20 gauge. A single shot will make you a better hunter.

Nikon 2x7 Pro-Staff scope with Duplex reticle and Burris Z-Rings. You're better off spending more money on the scope and rings.

Remington Copper Solid slugs. They weigh 290 grains and will flat-out stop a deer in its tracks.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

P.S. Don't buy inferior products due to budget constraints. Save your money then buy the best you can afford. I firmly believe in Murphy's Law, but especially when hunting.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Thank you all for your input.
I have a bead sight.
I'm hoping to hunt Tuckahoe, that's the closest public hunting land near me.

I have a red dot and 2 scopes currently mounted to other guns but I'm not opposed to putting one of them on my mossberg. If OT doesn't pick up soon I'll look into a barrel or a muzzle loader.

All I need is 1 good Hurricane to come through and it should open up the flood gates for serious OT. This is the first year in a very long time where money has been this tight.


Sound like no matter what I do I should look into a muzzle loader, if not this year than maybe next year.

You can either buy one gun. Or buy two guns. I choose to buy one. I own a lot of Muzzleloaders. I like triple purpose firearms.

 

[Bisleyfan44]

One thought regarding the ML path suggested is that if hunting with a ML is new to you, that's not gonna be a very budget-friendly option. All the accessories you'll need (powder measure, priming tools, cleaning jags, etc.) as well as powder (pellets or loose), caps or primers, various bullets, etc. required to become proficient can be expensive.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely think ML is extremely enjoyable and you should give it a shot. However, if your budget is that tight, I would suggest using what you have already. Try various rifled slugs to see if your gun is accurate with them using the bead sight. If so, good. If not, add a scope mount to your gun with whatever scope you can afford. A decent saddle-style mount with a $30 WM scope can have you set up for $50-$60 total. Good to go!

Good luck this year and I hope your finances improve. Hopefully we don't need a hurricane for that to happen, though.

 

[ziondogg]

Shift,........ I will trade you my moss 500 28" barrel for your 18".Let me know.

 

[GUNSnROTORS]

You'd be OK with your current rig. Keep in mind, rifled slug barrels are a fairly recent development, especially to a dust-farting grey-beard like me.

Agree with SOMDSHOOT's advice too. Can't go wrong with either option (breech-action slug gun or smoke pole), if you have the $$. I use both, and they're very accurate. A decent in-line muzzleloader is more accurate than most slug guns.

Hunted my first MD deer shotgun season with my Dad's 36" goose gun and pumpkin balls - that sucked ... but I got my first buck with that setup. Received a Mossberg 500 w/18" smoothbore (like yours) the following Christmas and used it every season for the following 10 years. Never felt under-gunned in the woods and put lots of meat in the freezer with that handy old pump and rifled slugs.

As others have already advised, see what it shoots well, verify the max range/accuracy, then limit your range accordingly. Whatever you choose, Good Luck!

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

One thought regarding the ML path suggested is that if hunting with a ML is new to you, that's not gonna be a very budget-friendly option. All the accessories you'll need (powder measure, priming tools, cleaning jags, etc.) as well as powder (pellets or loose), caps or primers, various bullets, etc. required to become proficient can be expensive.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely think ML is extremely enjoyable and you should give it a shot. However, if your budget is that tight, I would suggest using what you have already. Try various rifled slugs to see if your gun is accurate with them using the bead sight. If so, good. If not, add a scope mount to your gun with whatever scope you can afford. A decent saddle-style mount with a $30 WM scope can have you set up for $50-$60 total. Good to go!

Good luck this year and I hope your finances improve. Hopefully we don't need a hurricane for that to happen, though.

My opinion is this ( Friendly debate. Nothing more ) and the reason why I own so many Muzzleloaders.

Let's compare the Shotgun Slug to the Muzzleloader: ( SoMDShooter Style )

Would it be safe to say that if you buy a rifled slug barrel, a scope mount and scope rings, a new scope and several boxes of slugs to try for an existing shotgun you're over $200.00 at this point ? Yes. Well over.

My thinking is if you buy a Muzzleloader "package" you only need Powder and Primers. The Package comes with everything else. You are now again back at $200.00 ( quick ball-parking math ), BUT, you have a gun you can use for two different seasons.

Here's my thoughts / facts on M/L Powder versus Shotgun Slugs:

You buy a can of M/L Powder for $30.00 ( tax included ) and get hundreds of shots out of that M/L Powder. You buy $30.00 worth of Shotgun slugs and you get 15 shots. Figuring on 5 slugs per box at $12.00 / box.

Next. Primers are about $8.00 per hundred. Slugs still have only 15 primers.

Bullets for slugs. You still only get 15 bullets/slugs. NOW... Bullets for a Muzzleloader... I cast my own. I have hundreds and hundreds. I'll give you the bullets. Besides, even if you buy commercial M/L bullets you still get at least 20 shots with that $30.00 ( I am not wrong here )

I would rather see someone invest in a gun they can use for two different hunting seasons, well 3 different purposes, ( firearms season / Muzzleloader season / target shooting ) versus investing that money on something they can only use for one hunting season. Since the point of this thread is specifically "hunting" we'll exclude the additional target shooting.

Will a Shotgun Slug outperform a Muzzleloader Bullet ? Nope.

Suggestion:
Sell the shotgun and buy a nice Muzzleloader setup. Unless you plan to be a Waterfowler, Dove hunter, or Crow hunter like myself, then keep the shotgun, but, that 18" barrel ain't good for a thing to start with so you'd still have to buy a shot barrel for it for any hunting purpose.

Final Thought:
You buy what you want to buy. I am here only to offer my opinion(s), but, think about it before you buy anything. The reason I own so many Muzzleloaders is simply because you only get one shot anyway and a Muzzleloader has many many advantages over shotguns and rifles. The best one one is Cash and Carry purchasing...

Hypocritical ? No. Factual. Yes:
I do own a Rossi 20 Ga. slug gun with a scope and it is one badass accurate little gun. It is less than $200.00 to own, BUT, the slugs are expensive and it's no fun to shoot at paper targets, nor it is affordable to shoot in any way, but, it's purpose is for Deer hunting and once you spend the money to get it sighted in you have to save the rest of the few bullets you have to hunt with.

I now cast my own slugs and reload slugs for this gun specifically and only ( which in itself is a ridiculous extra expense and hassle ), but, if you don't cast or reload your own ammo, the ammo is expensive. My Muzzleloaders... I can shoot them things all day long and do not have to worry about any costs associated therewith.

I'm done now, and just so I make myself clear, I am not trying to pursued anyone to my side of the fence or team. I just wanted to lay out some facts of Shotguns Vs. Muzzleloaders. I like shooting both I own, but, that slug gun is an expense to shoot.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Shift,........ I will trade you my moss 500 28" barrel for your 18".Let me know.

Shift... BITE ON THIS DEAL. LOL

Then go buy a Muzzleloader too.