Mossberg 500 or 835


1997xltlimited

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The 835 will do everything the 500 will do and more. With the 835 like you said you have to option to shoot 3 1/2 plus the barrel is over-bored to 10 gauge which will give great patterns, if you are not used to shooting a 3 1/2 pump you will have to get used to the longer pull so you don't short cycle it. The extra 24in barrel would be nice in the turkey woods so there will be less movement. What is really comes down to is what fits you best and what you like best.

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The 835 is a heavy gun. You won't want to carry it around for long while grouse hunting. For waterfowl it'll be alright, but still big and bulky. I got one about 4-5 years ago. It has failed to work properly on multiple occasions.(shells stuck in magazine, shells falling out from bottom of reciever, when they were suppose to go up to the chamber, and multiple shells getting jammed in the reciever) But other people have 835's that work well. I can't really comment on the 500, never used one. I know it is pretty similiar to the 835 though.

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Is it worth it to spend the extra 50 bucks to get the combo package with the 24/28inch barrell?

Yes! 24" for turkey will help with less movement. Shorter barrel will also be easier to carry. 28" barrel will be fine for wing shooting, I.E. grouse, pheasants, ducks, and doves.

The 835 will do everything the 500 will do and more. With the 835 like you said you have to option to shoot 3 1/2 plus the barrel is over-bored to 10 gauge which will give great patterns, if you are not used to shooting a 3 1/2 pump you will have to get used to the longer pull so you don't short cycle it. The extra 24in barrel would be nice in the turkey woods so there will be less movement. What is really comes down to is what fits you best and what you like best.

What he said! ;)

will a 28 inch barrel pattern good for turkey besides being longer? what do the different lengths mean? new to shotguns

You can use it, but it will be heavier to hold when that tom comes in and you cant move! The length of the barrel does not control the shot, the choke does this. The length of the barrel is all a matter of personal preference. Turkey hunters like shorter barrels for their ease of use. Duck hunters like longer barrels because the sight plane is longer, plus the extra weight helps with the 3.5" shells. But you can still use the 24" barrel to duck hunt. I took my 835 (with the short 24" barrel) dove hunting one year, and it killed them just as dead as my Browning did! Had many long shots too!

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I have two 835's. One, a old one (1988) in camo and another I picked up 6 months ago used at Gander MTN. paid $150, all black with a 28"bbl. I took it turkey hunting, because my son Joe took my short barreled 835, and like everyone said for turkey hunting... it is just too long. Although I did kill a nice tom with it. I was lucky the tom turned his back to get around a downed limb, or I would have been unable to swing that long bbl his way. I have had no feeding/ejection malfunctions in either of the 2 835's. They are my workhorse shotguns and are a bargain for the price. I own a Beretta AL390 a Franchi AL48 and a A.Zoli O/U and I always take my Mossberg to the field. Because I'd cry if any of them got scratched :p.

One thing the 500 has going for it though is...the US Military issues the Mossberg 500 and it is currently serving in the sandbox. It got a good write up from the soldiers according to a recent Shooting Times magazine article of our weapons VS. theirs.

The 24" bbl is ideal for turkey and the 28" is perfect for water fowlin'

I use a Undertaker choke(.690) in mine and they keep the patterns real tight.

I'd go for the 835. it will do anything the 500 will do and take 3 1/2" shells too.

Good Luck.

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The Mossberg barrels are cheap enough to get another one for the length you need. Check out www.cheaperthandirt.com

I also have a smoothbore barrel for forster type(rifled) slugs when I am hunting in shotgun only areas for deer.

24" is ideal for turkey and the 28" would be great for water fowling.

He is a pic of the 2 I own. Look at the difference in barrel length. The 4" makes a big differnce in the woods turkey hunting. Thats cheap camo shrink wrap, I did on the barrel.

pairof835s.jpg

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what kind of distance will the 835 shoot turkeys at? also what is a good turkey choke for this gun?

You really should shoot as many chokes and loads as possible through your 835. Got to pattern it to see what it likes! As far as distance, personally I would not go over 40 yards!

My 835 likes the Comp-N-Choke XXX Full with Winchester Supremes 3.5" #6's. I shot four different chokes and five different loads to get what I wanted. At 40 yards I had 49 head and neck killing hits. Besides, I was tired of getting kicked from all the shooting! LMBO!!! I am good to go! ;)

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myself I would actually go with the 500 only because it is lighter and I had always used to 500 for hunting and trap shooting.

Why limit yourself to only 3" shells? If buying a new gun, personally, I would want the capability of using 3.5" shells! Besides, the 835 is over-bored to a ten gauge dimensions. This helps reduce recoil and helps with the pattern as well.

When doing more research I found this about the choke it comes with. Would I still need a turkey choke? What is the difference between modified-full ect besides the pattern how many chokes do yo need?

spacer.gifAccu-Set: Modified & Full Choke Tubes

I have four chokes with my shotgun. Improved cylinder, modified, full, all Mossberg chokes. I also have the C-N-C XXX Full, strictly for turkey. This will cover everything I need from doves to turkey!

The choke you use for turkey will depend on how well it patterns. If you have a bad pattern at 40 yards, you wont kill that bird at 40 yards! Could be 20 yard gun! This is why a lot of people shoot multiple chokes to find out what shoots the best!

If the Accu-Set comes with modified and full, I think you should be good. All you need to do is find out what choke will shoot the best for turkey. Pattern the chokes that come with it too! Sometimes a gun likes a more open choke depending the load your using, like heavy shot.

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I killed two toms this spring, one at 35 yards, the other at 50yds. Both were shot using my 835 with HS Strut Undertaker HS choke and Winchester Xtended Range 3in #5s. I'd always prefer a 25-40 yard shot, though, as a gobbler's head starts getting pretty small and the pattern a little large out at 50+yds.

BTW, you can see my 835 in the photo accompanying the story linked to above.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Both are great guns in their own right. However, if you ever have to shoot slugs out of your shotgun, you need a different barrel for the 835 due to the overbore. That is why they have those in combos as well. However, if you after everything but deer with that shotgun, I would go with the 835 due to the shell factor. While they are heavy to lug around, ( I have the 935), you really do get used to it!

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