28 inch smoothbore versus 24 inch "slug" barrel

[jomiri469]

Just picked up an older Mossberg turkey combo 500, with a 28 inch barrel with 3 choke tubes and a 24 inch "slug", non-rifled, barrel with rifle sights. Prior owner used it solely for turkey, which is my priority, but he also said that in experimenting with the slug barrel, it was not very accurate with older style slugs. Does anyone have any experience slug shooting with this gun as I'm thinking that the 28 inch barrel with the imp cyl choke or an after market rifled choke would be more effective than the shorter smooth bore slug barrel? Also wondering if you can use the newer sabots with a rifled choke? Any comments would be appreciated.

[bigbird09]

If it was me I would just use the 28in barrel with foster slugs and a IC choke.  Just not worth the hassle swapping barrels to just gain rifle sights on a smooth bore.

[huntswithdogs]

With these slug barrels, you've gotta find which brand slug your barrrel prefers. My Mossberg likes the Win slugs while my Ithaca likes Federal. Both are the 2.75 shells. My Moss will shoot 3'' but I've not found one that shoots worth a crap.
You may give the newer Federal offering. I think it's called TRUBALL(?). I've read some good things about these but you now gunwriters are these days.

As for the 28'' barrel...Heck! give it a try! Mine don't shoot worth a poop with slugs though. Yours could be at the other end of the spectrum.

HWD

[SHOOTALL]

If I were you I would have the bbl threaded for Rem chokes or some other brand carson maybe that has rifled tubes. I did this with a 870. With the rifled tube it shoots sabot slugs well. With a mod choke it shoots foster slugs ok and most fine shot from good to ok. With xx full it is a great turkey gun. Once you have the tube option you will forget about that long bbl. Hey 18 inches of bbl gives a complete burn of most powders , why tote a bead sight when you can have a rifle sighted bbl for HD , deer or turkeys .

[Ranger J]

Mu 1960s 550 came with the short slug barrel.  I couldn't hit the side of a barn with the iron sights, but that was just me.  With that barrel the gun killed on both ends.  After a few shots at the range you were ready to quit.  On the other hand it was a great quail gun, back in the days when we actually had some.  Later on I had the receiver drilled and put a 4X scope on it and it was an adequate deer gun with Rem. fosters.  I filled the bolt hole with #2 shot and cured the recoil problem.  In later years I added a 30 inch full for ducks and even later got a cantilever rifled barrel for it.  That barrel did well with the fosters also.  Great gun, I don't know how many rounds I put through and the only time it failed to function was one time when I was pheasant hunting in the rain with paper hull shells.  I don't use a shot gun much anymore as I now live in a rifle OK state but would not feel  inadequate to use it here.

RJ