Slugs for mossberg 500?

[Jal5]

I have the Mossberg 500 pump in 12 ga. fit with the cylinder bore deer barrel.  I use a BSA red dot scope, saddle mounted.

I have never been able to get a good pattern at 50 yds. with this gun no matter what slug brand I use. Tried the brenneke 2 3/4 in. in different combinations, the cheap foster type slugs, Federal Truball this year without much difference. These were all from a solid bench rest.

Any suggestions? I may switch the red dot to a regular reticle scope, a little better sight for these old eyes at 50 yds. But I have never been happy with the accuracy, one of the reasons I bought a HR/NEF ML last year and will use it this year during gun season in OHIO.

Joe

[lil_hunter12]

try the remington sluggers i havent saw any1 shoot them and not hit dead on every shot with them.

[Ranger J]

Years ago when I lived in Illinois and had the identical gun and I had better luck with the Sluggers.  I used a 6X scope and got reasonable groups.  Problem was the darned thing kicked so much that I didn’t want to sight it in.  I took the recoil pad off it and filled the bolt hole with #2 shot.  That helped tame it a lot.  By the way that cylinder bore barrel makes a great quail barrel.
RJ

[RollTide]

My suggestion would be to buy a fully rifled slug barrel and use the cylinder bore for quail.  I picked up a rifled slug barrel, with gun attached, at a local pawn shop for $100.  Now I don't even have to foll with changing the barrels.

Roll Tide

[Maryland Hunter]

Jal5,
I hunted with a Mossbergg 500 for many years, using the regular barrel, modified choke tube, and Federal foster-style slugs, with very good accuracy. The Federals (1 1/4 oz) worked the best for my gun, but slug guns will vary.
I now use another 500, with a cantilever scope, rifled barrel, and I've found the Remington Copper Solid sabots to be the most accurate, although close seconds were the Federal/Barnes sabots, and Lightfields.
I had the cylinder-bore barrel, but never used it.
Hope this helps.

MH

[Oldtimer]

What are you considering good accuracy?  My 500 will shoot Brenneckes to about five inches at 50 yards, using open sights.  For the gun, I think that is about as good as it needs to be.  It will drop a deer every time if you shoot at that distance.  No smoothbore will compare in accuracy to a rifled barrel gun, and if you use that as your criterion, you will be doomed to disappointment.  My criterion for accuracy and maximum distance is whether I can keep all shots on a 9 inch paper plate.  Nine inches is a little smaller than the vital area on a deer.  Regardless of the gun construction, you will be able to drop deer if you can hit the plate consistently.  For a smoothbore, that probably limits shots to around 75-80 yards, and for a rifled weapon, over 150.  As others have pointed out, with the Mossberg, it is only a matter of a couple of minutes to go from smoothbore to fully rifled.  Good luck and good hunting.