You can hit things up to 20-25 yards with cylder bore barrels (what you have) using bird or buck shot but you hae to use reasoable quality ammo, I sugest American (Remm, Win, Fed). With slugs you can probably hit stuff out to 50-70 yards ,but thats for large game.


For a better barrel, meaning able to reach out beyond 25 yards, Mossberg makes a 28in barrel, a 24 inch barrel, and a 20 inch barrel for the 500 that all have choke tubes. A choke tube is how the shot is controlled for range. I'd sugesst the 28' or 24' barrel. Ethier will probably set you back about $150ish. They will come with three choke tubes. Improved clyder, which has an effective range similar to what you have now, Modified, which can reach out to 35 yards, and Full choke which will let you shoot up to 45 yards.

I personally have the 28' barrel on my 500, and it's a fine shooter, very accurate with buck or bird shot out to as far as 50 yards with a full choke (although I usually use modified for larger buckshot).

 

Range?

The only way to find the acceptable range for a barrel or load is to go out and
shoot it. Like handguns, each shot gun is going to shoot different with different
loads. Its not so much your barrel length its the choke on the barrel. Go out and
shoot a few rounds. If you don't like it, I would get a long barreled single shot,
for hunting and use the maverick 88 for home defense. Either way get out and get used to your shotgun. Practice clearing a designated area. Practice half turn
quick shots. Bottom line Practice. Get used to your weapons.

Keep your senses sharp and your weapons loaded and ready.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

 

The only way to find the acceptable range for a barrel or load is to go out and
shoot it. Like handguns, each shot gun is going to shoot different with different
loads. Its not so much your barrel length its the choke on the barrel. Go out and
shoot a few rounds. If you don't like it, I would get a long barreled single shot,
for hunting and use the maverick 88 for home defense. Either way get out and get used to your shotgun. Practice clearing a designated area. Practice half turn
quick shots. Bottom line Practice. Get used to your weapons.

Keep your senses sharp and your weapons loaded and ready.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

i agree with the irishwarlord.
It is like buying shoes. You first want to wear them and see if the shoes fit. Are they comfy then go ahead and buy, otherwise try something else till you find the right ones. :thumb:

 

I own a Mossberg 500 Pistol Grip Shotgun and its 18 Inches and I have great luck at 25-30 yards

 

Good posts

 

Good advice here too for the shotgun newb.

 

you can pick up a sbs for $100 with a 24 to 28 inch barrel

 

A junk sbs...

 

Just curious, why you would say that? did you have a bad experiance with an SBS? If so, I would be interested to hear it!

 

I have a shorter barrel than you do and from my experience you will be just fine with a good magnum load. the spread is wider but as long as your not going for long shots you will be just fine.

Use quality ammo or buy a new gun for the task like every one else seems to be leaning. Survival wise I wouldn't sweat it.

 

A few feet? I have the same model Maverick 88 as you and had no problem with some friends at the local range shooting trap. I was using bird shot (7.5). You'll be fine small game hunting at reasonable distances - 25 to 30 yards.

One of the best things you can do with a new shotgun, especially one that you're considering using for defensive purposes, is take it to the range and spend a day patterning it. Take a number of different kinds of loads and shoot each one at different distances to see how evenly the shot is distributed (which is what you want - even distribution) and how wide the spread is. You'll want to shoot at large pieces of paper or cardboard. There's a myth that a shotgun will "cover a wall" across a room or that you "won't be able to miss someone standing ten feet away". That just isn't true. Patterning with give you a great feel for the capabilities of your shotgun and what ammo works the best.

Have fun!

 

http://www.morebans.org/images/497_Super_Nickle_comanche_new.JPG


use this for squirrel at close range

 

http://www.cufftec.com/sbe-small-guns.jpg

they r a bit pricey but they r good

 

Thanks to Ls1 for the only pertinent post of any help thus far.
It really goes without saying the proof is in the pudding = take it out & shoot various trial/error loads at different distances, even target types.

Thanks to forums that allow those with experiences to share and guide one's future experiments. In my case, I don't know anyone that owns or rents a 18.5" shotgun 12ga, so is faced with $800 try it and LIKE it, else sell it at a loss. Google hasn't been much help, the sparse videos don't show patterns, et al. and again opinions about where to practice, e.g. trap range pros & cons vote about even.

Under consideration = Kel-Tec KSG Black 14+1 Pump 12-Gauge

Google search update:
"Knight
11-13-2008, 1:28 AM
Contrary to popular belief, shortening the barrel of a shotgun has little effect on the spread of the shot, unless the barrel is made very short. Small Arms Review Magazine conducted a test in February 2008 in which they cut down the barrel of a shotgun a little at a time, firing it and recording the velocity (with slugs) and spread (with buckshot) after each shortening. With a 30" barrel, the spread was 10" at 15 yards. 24" barrel, about 11". 18" barrel, 8" of spread. 12" barrel, 12.5" spread. And with a 6-7/8" barrel, 17" of spread.

The main effect of shortening is a reduction in velocity, and consequently, the power and range of the weapon. Though again, this is not especially pronounced until the barrel length is decreased below 12". In the aforementioned tests, the velocity of a 1 ounce slug was 1,117 feet per second from a 6-7/8" barrel, compared to about 1,560 fps for a full-sized shotgun."

 

Thanks to Ls1 for the only pertinent post of any help thus far.It really goes without saying the proof is in the pudding = take it out & shoot various trial/error loads at different distances, even target types.

Thanks to forums that allow those with experiences to share and guide one's future experiments. In my case, I don't know anyone that owns or rents a 18.5" shotgun 12ga, so is faced with $800 try it and LIKE it, else sell it at a loss. Google hasn't been much help, the sparse videos don't show patterns, et al. and again opinions about where to practice, e.g. trap range pros & cons vote about even.

Under consideration = Kel-Tec KSG Black 14+1 Pump 12-Gauge

Google search update:
"Knight
11-13-2008, 1:28 AM
Contrary to popular belief, shortening the barrel of a shotgun has little effect on the spread of the shot, unless the barrel is made very short. Small Arms Review Magazine conducted a test in February 2008 in which they cut down the barrel of a shotgun a little at a time, firing it and recording the velocity (with slugs) and spread (with buckshot) after each shortening. With a 30" barrel, the spread was 10" at 15 yards. 24" barrel, about 11". 18" barrel, 8" of spread. 12" barrel, 12.5" spread. And with a 6-7/8" barrel, 17" of spread.

The main effect of shortening is a reduction in velocity, and consequently, the power and range of the weapon. Though again, this is not especially pronounced until the barrel length is decreased below 12". In the aforementioned tests, the velocity of a 1 ounce slug was 1,117 feet per second from a 6-7/8" barrel, compared to about 1,560 fps for a full-sized shotgun."

Not today but seven years ago...Check the date in the top left corner of the thread.

Barrel lengths do absolutely nothing for spread, that is governed ONLY by the choke and to a lesser degree by the shell's loading--powder, wad and pellets, i.e. steel patterns differently them lead.

It also has almost no bearing on velocity and your statement above is marred by the quote of "to about"...Modern powders will completely burn up--depending on powder--in about 20" of barrel length...Anything shorter and of course velocity will be affected as indicated somewhat above--difference of 443 fps in 23 1/8" (30-6 7/8) of barrel but that really can't be measured correctly when a barrel of 4 1/8" to 3 3/8" is used (6.125-2.75 (for the shell) or 6.125-3.5)...But anything longer it won't matter.

inches : pressure (PSI)
.75 : 10,000
1.5 : 5,000
3.0 : 2,500
6.0 : 1,250
12.0 : 675
24.0 : 338
The pressure halves as the distance doubles...N.B. this is not velocity.

A longer barrel will swing smoother but takes longer to slow down due to the added momentum imparted by the weight...A 34" barrel may swing slower then a 30" due to its construction (thickness (weight) of the metal).

A very short barrel is better for maneuverability in confined spaces (why police use them is for getting in and out of vehicles) but that's about it.

Remember one thing though--a break action of any type will be far shorter then a pump/semi with the same length barrel.

Shooting over dogs or at skeet a shorter (26" to 28") barrel will work fine but pass shooting and trap favours longer barrels (30" to 34")...Most turkey or deer barrels are 22" to 24" and have iron sights to accommodate slugs/sabots in the latter case.

If I had to buy a new P/HD shotgun I'd get a 22" smoothbore semi auto deer/turkey gun with interchangeable chokes...Right now it's an old Rossi eared SxS coach gun with 22" barrels.

 

for grins about 3 months ago, I was making a trip down to our area 100yard rifle range..decided to take my mossberg 930 semi 12ga that's an 18 incher as well.

I have a snap-on Tru-glo front sight to help me see a bit, but with no scope the end of the gun was basically completely covering the target out at the 100yd mark...so I'd put it on, and take a show..initially i was deliberately aiming high, thinking the remmington sluggers would be dropping like bricks at that range.. i was wrong...i adjusted my aim and thinking to pretty much dead on target...nothing to brag about but i was putting the rounds on the man-size target...nothing resembling a "grouping" but i was on the torso and chest.

one of my buds wanted to try and soon as he went for a sight picture he exclaimed "I can't see a thing!" his 3 shots never made paper...so I'm not saying that it's a practical weapon at that range, just saying it's possible it it's all you've got at the moment.
how hard is that slug still running at that range? no clue...again it was just for grins n giggles.
if i can get on some reactives..that would be fun to see how hard the slug might still hit

 

Sounds like you shoot better than your bud.

With good slugs, pie plate size or smaller groups at 100 yards are definitely doable with an 18" smoothbore.

 

You will probably have sufficient patterns out to 30 yards with improved cylinder. However depending on the game you are hunting you will choose different loads. 7 1/2 shot size for pheasants & rabbits, squirrels 8s and doves 9s. The smaller shot doesn't deliver as much energy at farther distances. If you're new to shotgun hunting keeping your shots in close is probably going to provide the most success. Even with 30" barrels and full chokes 40 yards is about max range for scatter guns. Shoot your gun at a pattern board at different distances and see what it does. Pieces of cardboard 36" square with an aiming point in the center work well.

 

Define "small game". If you mean rabbits and squirrels with a 12ga, that isn't really hunting. That's splattering. And the range you will shoot at will not require a barrel very long at all.

Someone gave you solid advice: Take your gun to a range and shoot several types of loads out of it to see how it patterns at various distances. Just to give you some reference, with my #8 target loads, my patterns at 15ft out of a Mossberg 500:

18.5" Barrel (cylinder bore) = 5.25" circle pattern
28" Barrel (mod choke) = 1.25" hole

With standard Federal slugs out of an 18.5" barrel I can hit a 5" plate all day long at 40m.

So I'd say to pattern your shotgun and give your short barrel a whirl before dropping more cash.

 

Define "small game". If you mean rabbits and squirrels with a 12ga, that isn't really hunting. That's splattering. And the range you will shoot at will not require a barrel very long at all.

Also too easy, at least for squirrels IMO. I haven't been rabbit or squirrel hunting in years, but last time I went, it was with a .22 LR pistol to be more of a challenge.

 

pattern your shotgun first with different loads and manufactures ammo, at different distances to see what it does, then practice and more practice, until you are comfortable with it, then go out and hunt with it, I shoot skeet with a 18.5 inch barrel just for the fun of doing it and you would be amazed with what an 18.5 inch shotgun can and will do with the right ammo.

 

I think the tactical shotgun role is better served by a 20-22" barrel. If you can stow an 18.5" barrel in a tight space, you can probably fit a 20-22", and you'll get a little more range.