Need advice on my options

[miben]

I have used a 18.5 inch mossberg with rifle sites and it is accurate enough at 80 yards. Another option would be a saddle mount for a scope. With that setup it worked well out to 110 yards. Most shots are less than 50 yards anyway. http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=XQSM4500 A cheap scope will limit you to around 100 yards but that is plenty to start out.

You may find another barrel for around $100, and a muzzleloader for less than $200. For a new shooter, a muzzleloader will take a lot of practice to find the right load for your gun. Best thing would be to just get out and get some experience this year, then every year you will upgrade your equipment a little at a time.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

I have used a 18.5 inch mossberg with rifle sites and it is accurate enough at 80 yards. Another option would be a saddle mount for a scope. With that setup it worked well out to 110 yards. Most shots are less than 50 yards anyway. http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=XQSM4500 A cheap scope will limit you to around 100 yards but that is plenty to start out.

You may find another barrel for around $100, and a muzzleloader for less than $200. For a new shooter, a muzzleloader will take a lot of practice to find the right load for your gun. Best thing would be to just get out and get some experience this year, then every year you will upgrade your equipment a little at a time.

I can fully agree with this statement. The only thing I need to put in is, the savings you have while trying to find that bullet / powder combo. You can through $50.00 worth of shotgun slugs and still not be confident in hitting what you are aiming at. With a M'L you can shoot all day for $50.00.

However, starting with a 300 grain bullet and 100 grains of powder is going to be very quick and simple to get a Deer down. The most time consuming part is getting the gun sighted in because of the loading process. Finding the bullet and powder combo is a snappy breeze.

On a side note, if guys would stop trying to push a 240 grain bullet with 150 grains of powder, they would be much happier with their shooting.

 

[Bisleyfan44]

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.

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

Well, I'll just repeat what I said earlier, that I wholeheartedly recommend getting into ML. It is very rewarding, I love the one-shot mode of hunting, and you do get more season for your buck. Without a doubt.

HOWEVER, taking into account the OP's original quote above, I can only assume that when you say tight budget, you mean TIGHT. And the OP admits he's never hunted before and wants to give it a try.

IMO, the most affordable option to go afield this year is to go with the equipment you already have. Muzzleloading is a lot of things, but it's not something a new person can just go buy a package and become proficient with, especially someone with no ML experience.

Also, even if you have to buy a scope to get the accuracy you need from your shotgun, all you'll need to spend is $25-$30 for a saddle mount, $30 for a decent starter scope and $20 worth of Remington sluggers. I guarantee that combo will give you all the accuracy you'll need out to 100 yds and will allow you to use your familiar weapon with a straightforward manual of arms with regards to loading/unloading/cleaning/safety/etc. BTW, keep your 18"barrel; when shooting rifled slugs from a smooth bore, added barrel length won't get you more/better accuracy. And long barrels are a pain in the thick woods.

Tackle ML whenever you want/can find the time and money to do so. You want the easiest, cheapest, most effective way for you as a new hunter to hit the woods this year? Spend the $65-$70 required for the above items and you'll be good to go equipment-wise. Complicate things down the road if you want to. Good luck to you this year.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Well, I'll just repeat what I said earlier, that I wholeheartedly recommend getting into ML. It is very rewarding, I love the one-shot mode of hunting, and you do get more season for your buck. Without a doubt.

HOWEVER, taking into account the OP's original quote above, I can only assume that when you say tight budget, you mean TIGHT. And the OP admits he's never hunted before and wants to give it a try.

IMO, the most affordable option to go afield this year is to go with the equipment you already have. Muzzleloading is a lot of things, but it's not something a new person can just go buy a package and become proficient with, especially someone with no ML experience.

Also, even if you have to buy a scope to get the accuracy you need from your shotgun, all you'll need to spend is $25-$30 for a saddle mount, $30 for a decent starter scope and $20 worth of Remington sluggers. I guarantee that combo will give you all the accuracy you'll need out to 100 yds and will allow you to use your familiar weapon with a straightforward manual of arms with regards to loading/unloading/cleaning/safety/etc. BTW, keep your 18"barrel; when shooting rifled slugs from a smooth bore, added barrel length won't get you more/better accuracy. And long barrels are a pain in the thick woods. ( That's just the silliest thing I've ever heard )

Tackle ML whenever you want/can find the time and money to do so. You want the easiest, cheapest, most effective way for you as a new hunter to hit the woods this year? Spend the $65-$70 required for the above items and you'll be good to go equipment-wise. Complicate things down the road if you want to. Good luck to you this year.

I have to assume you do not own a muzzleloader because you sure make it sound complicated.

 

[Shift]

You lot have been greatly informative. ML's sound/look like good fun, I'm not very familiar with them but am currently on the ML section of the hunters safety course and between what I'm seeing there and reading here I'm certainly going to have to have a look into them. Maybe put one on my Christmas wish list.

I was actually given a 28" smooth bore barrel with a permanent modified choke yesterday by a generous member here, a soldier out of Fort Meade.

Thank you again and double thanks for your service
I expect I will fall in love with hunting and eventually get a slug gun and a bird gun once ot picks back up. At that time I will gift this barrel to the next person in need, put my 18" barrel back on and lock it back up in the bedroom.

 

[Shift]

Well, I'll just repeat what I said earlier, that I wholeheartedly recommend getting into ML. It is very rewarding, I love the one-shot mode of hunting, and you do get more season for your buck. Without a doubt.

HOWEVER, taking into account the OP's original quote above, I can only assume that when you say tight budget, you mean TIGHT. And the OP admits he's never hunted before and wants to give it a try.

IMO, the most affordable option to go afield this year is to go with the equipment you already have. Muzzleloading is a lot of things, but it's not something a new person can just go buy a package and become proficient with, especially someone with no ML experience.

Also, even if you have to buy a scope to get the accuracy you need from your shotgun, all you'll need to spend is $25-$30 for a saddle mount, $30 for a decent starter scope and $20 worth of Remington sluggers. I guarantee that combo will give you all the accuracy you'll need out to 100 yds and will allow you to use your familiar weapon with a straightforward manual of arms with regards to loading/unloading/cleaning/safety/etc. BTW, keep your 18"barrel; when shooting rifled slugs from a smooth bore, added barrel length won't get you more/better accuracy. And long barrels are a pain in the thick woods.

Tackle ML whenever you want/can find the time and money to do so. You want the easiest, cheapest, most effective way for you as a new hunter to hit the woods this year? Spend the $65-$70 required for the above items and you'll be good to go equipment-wise. Complicate things down the road if you want to. Good luck to you this year.

I have 2 scopes already, one on a Ruger 10/22 and one on a Mossberg 100 ATR 30-06, I will pick up a scope mount and see how they perform on the shotgun at the range, get some practice in and hit the woods.

Just to double check, I've been reading it is safe to shoot rifled slugs through a modified choke but not sabot slugs. Is this accurate, safety is of course my number 1 priority.

 

[Franklin]

just put a Bsquare scope mount on and sight it in. I had good groups with the remington slugger 7/8 oz high velocities and brenekke rottweils.

 

[Franklin]

also, once you sight it in,DO NOT REMOVE THE BARREL, it will throw your zero off.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

also, once you sight it in,DO NOT REMOVE THE BARREL, it will throw your zero off.

This is great advice for those who have never used saddle mounts.

Saddle mounts are good for making sure your receiver stays zeroed in though.

 

[Franklin]

This is great advice for those who have never used saddle mounts.

Saddle mounts are good for making sure your receiver stays zeroed in though.

the Bsquare is a saddle mount.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

I was saying you are spot on with your input about not removing the barrel because it would affcet zero.

It is good advice.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

I have 2 scopes already, one on a Ruger 10/22 and one on a Mossberg 100 ATR 30-06, I will pick up a scope mount and see how they perform on the shotgun at the range, get some practice in and hit the woods.

Just to double check, I've been reading it is safe to shoot rifled slugs through a modified choke but not sabot slugs. Is this accurate, safety is of course my number 1 priority.

That is correct sir. Rifled slugs are for smooth bore barrels and can be shot just fine in a rifled barrel. Sabot slugs are designed from muzzleloader bullets and are specifically for rifled barrels only. My eample has been this, if you shoot a sabot out of a smooth bore, it like shooting a spit ball out of a straw. It could go anywhere.

Rifled slugs are not as accurate as a rifled barrel at distance, but, you can kill a Deer inside of a minimal distance. Muzzleloader or dedicated rifled slug gun is the way to go.

The only difference is a sabot shotgun slug costs $3.00 a shot and the same bullet from a Muzzleloader costs .50 cents a shot.

Yes, I can state the benefits of a Muzzleloader over a shotgun all day. Everyday. LOL

 

[Bisleyfan44]

I have to assume you do not own a muzzleloader because you sure make it sound complicated.

I own:

One T/C Encore 209x50
One T/C Omega 50 cal
One Remington 700 50 cal
One Knight Wolverine 50 cal
One T/C Encore 209x50 handgun (personal favorite)
One T/C Hawken 50 cal
One T/C Hawken 45 cal
One T/C White Mountain Carbine 50 cal (another favorite)
One Heritage Hawken Carbine 50 cal (CVA--I think?)
One Ruger Old Army

Been shooting and hunting with muzzleloaders since 1992. I'd have to guess I've shot more than 7-8000 or so rounds through these and others I've sold over that time. That's a best guess, but may be on the conservative side. They've accounted for at least 3 dozen deer during that time as well as a couple of foxes, coons and one squirrel. I've used just about every powder from black to nearly every kind of substitute, pellets and loose. With projectiles from round balls and conicals (store-bought and hand poured)to various sabots of various weights.

I have boxes of measures, picks, brushes, patches, pullers, jags, rods, loaders, cappers, etc. Just about every trinket, good or bad, you can imagine. It can easily be overwhelming to a novice. It ain't complicated for me now, but it was when I started in 1992 and knew nothing.

As far as long barrel in thick brush versus short--I have to assume you've never hunted the THICK stuff if that's the silliest thing you've ever heard. You know, there are other hunters on this board. And some really know how to hunt too. I ain't claiming to be the best--I'm not. But your opinions aren't the end-all, be-all last word in hunter wisdom either. Nobody knows it all.

 

[Franklin]

I was saying you are spot on with your input about not removing the barrel because it would affcet zero.

It is good advice.

I gotcha..I read it to fast!

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

I own:

One T/C Encore 209x50
One T/C Omega 50 cal
One Remington 700 50 cal
One Knight Wolverine 50 cal
One T/C Encore 209x50 handgun (personal favorite)
One T/C Hawken 50 cal
One T/C Hawken 45 cal
One T/C White Mountain Carbine 50 cal (another favorite)
One Heritage Hawken Carbine 50 cal (CVA--I think?)
One Ruger Old Army

Been shooting and hunting with muzzleloaders since 1992. I'd have to guess I've shot more than 7-8000 or so rounds through these and others I've sold over that time. That's a best guess, but may be on the conservative side. They've accounted for at least 3 dozen deer during that time as well as a couple of foxes, coons and one squirrel. I've used just about every powder from black to nearly every kind of substitute, pellets and loose. With projectiles from round balls and conicals (store-bought and hand poured)to various sabots of various weights.

I have boxes of measures, picks, brushes, patches, pullers, jags, rods, loaders, cappers, etc. Just about every trinket, good or bad, you can imagine. It can easily be overwhelming to a novice. It ain't complicated for me now, but it was when I started in 1992 and knew nothing.

As far as long barrel in thick brush versus short--I have to assume you've never hunted the THICK stuff if that's the silliest thing you've ever heard. You know, there are other hunters on this board. And some really know how to hunt too. I ain't claiming to be the best--I'm not. But your opinions aren't the end-all, be-all last word in hunter wisdom either. Nobody knows it all.

With all of those Muzzleloaders and experience, I can not understand why you would try to say that learning to use a muzzleloader is over-complex for a beginner. You pour in the powder, shove in a bullet, put the primer, and get ready to fire. It's absolutely as simple as shooting a shotgun The only difference is you have to "reload" the shell in the field before you can shoot.

As far as hunting in thick stuff that is too thick for a 28" barrel probably means the Deer would have to be 3 feet away for you to shoot it anyway. I have some pretty thick stuff at the far where you have to get down on one knee to get through it, but, I can't image hunting in it. I can't imagine a single Deer hunting location where 28" barrels can not go.

 

[Franklin]

Only one way to learn!

 

[wilcam47]

With all of those Muzzleloaders and experience, I can not understand why you would try to say that learning to use a muzzleloader is over-complex for a beginner. You pour in the powder, shove in a bullet, put the primer, and get ready to fire. It's absolutely as simple as shooting a shotgun The only difference is you have to "reload" the shell in the field before you can shoot.

As far as hunting in thick stuff that is too thick for a 28" barrel probably means the Deer would have to be 3 feet away for you to shoot it anyway. I have some pretty thick stuff at the far where you have to get down on one knee to get through it, but, I can't image hunting in it. I can't imagine a single Deer hunting location where 28" barrels can not go.

I wouldn't want to shoot in that stuff anyhow...I'd just wait in a clearer area and shoot the deer...and hope it doesn't run into the thick stuff.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Only one way to learn!

LOL yeah man I've had muzzleloaders so long I had to learn how to use a slug gun.