New to shotguns - ammo rec for practice?

[jah191]

I'll be picking up my 12g Mossberg 500 combo next week. This will be my first experience with shotguns and long guns in general. Up to now I've only shot a variety of pistols and shoot my Ruger Mark 3 regularly.

Can you recommend some different types of ammo for me to try during my first range trip? I will definitely try some 00 buck as that's my planned HD load. I've been mentally preparing myself for the recoil.

Besides that, what's a good cheaper load to get a feel for the shotgun for a beginner at the range?

[CmpsdNoMore]

I'd suggest to get something that won't have a lot of recoil. If your range has clay ranges, get some low recoil target loads to shoot first.

The first time I shot a 12 gauge I shot 4 rounds of Magnum 00 Buck and then 3 of the same rounds fast. My shoulder hurt for 3 days and really turned me off the shotguns for a long time, mostly due to a chest problem I have.

[Hayashi Killian]

Congrats on the 500, I have the Persuader model from Big 5.

For cheap plinking ammo, go to Wal-mart and buy the hundred-round #8 birdshot packs, I bought Federal brand for $20. You should also scope around online and see what bulk-packs of 00Buck you can get for cheap as well. The Federal Low-Recoil 00Buck w/ Flitecontrol didn't feel much worse than the #8 I shot at the range last time.

Out of curiosity, where are you at? Maybe I can meet up with you if you're down where I live and show you some of what I've learned.

[PEBKAC]

+1 on Wally World cheap birdshot.

[Axewound]

100 round pack from wally world. get used to the manual of arms for your new toy.

[CalNRA]

watch the video on 500 take down/assembly video and oil your 500.

http://www.lifelibertyetc.com/RangeBag.aspx

And if you are not going to hunt with it, take out the wooden dowel from the magazine before posting a thread on why it only fits 2 rounds.

[ck867]

get the 100 round bulk pack from walmart. I like the federal brand ones more than the other

[jah191]

Thanks for the replies.

Hayashi: I live in San Diego - in the Linda Vista area. I'll likely be going to American Shooting Center for paper stuff and P2K for clay.

Related question: Does the 500 come lubed up with that factory grease (forget the name) or will it be good to go with just a light rub down and some oil?

[Hayashi Killian]

My 500 came lubed up, the holes on the receiver where the elevator fits in was constantly leaking oil until I finally disassembled and cleaned it, at that point it was much better.

jah191: If you're ever in the Oceanside area, let me know and I'd love to meet up at Iron-sights. Your Mossberg might have the same problem mine does if yours has a synthetic stock. Once you remove the trigger housing pin, the trigger assembly will only move a little out, rather than just popping out. This is caused by some flashing on the stock and is solved by loosening or removing the stock, once you do that the thing just disassembles very easily.

[M1A Rifleman]

The heavy recoil is part of the fun of a 12 gauge, otherwise shoot shot shells out of a 22. The first time out with my gauge I nearly chipped a tooth from the recoil and the big grin on my face. The 2nd time out my arm and finger tips were numb and tingling after shooting 3 slugs from sand bags off a bench - this hurts.

Cabela's has a good deal on 250 rnd cases of 00 and #4 buckshot. Walmart is the only place that I have found that has good prices for slugs. Walmart also has 100 rnd packs of target/game birdshot for $21. The target stuff seemed ok for plinking cans at 25 yds, but 00 is a bit more dramatic.

[Black Majik]

I concur with others, head out to Wal-Mart, it'll be stacked deep with shells.

Buckshot from Federal and Winchester are available as well, it's decent HD loads.

Go out to a shotgun range and shoot at a patterning board. See which loads your shotgun likes best. Good luck.

[esskay]

Go out to a shotgun range and shoot at a patterning board. See which loads your shotgun likes best. Good luck.

+1 on this. The cheap bird shot at Walmart is great for practice and learning weapon manipulation. Then for Home Defense you need to confirm patterns at various distances with the exact ammo in your exact gun to pick a load that works well for you. The reduced-recoil defense loads are a great choice for HD.

[jah191]

Finally picked up my new Mossy 500 combo today. Haven't had a chance to shoot it but I took out the dowel in the tube mag and have been getting used to racking and mounting it.

So far I really like the feel of this weapon. There is a little side to side play in the forearm but this seems to be normal according to some other posts I've read.

The manual also warns against closing the action while the barrel is removed because "it could do damage to the gun." I imagine I'll have to work the action without the barrel at least a little when cleaning the weapon - is it true that this could somehow damage the weapon?

[tube_ee]

Go to a clay range with a boix or two of

cheap promo loads from wherever you buy 'em

Shoot a round of skeet and a round of trap. If you can shoot both rounds... which I'll bet you won't want to do. Especially if it's your first long gun.

If you don't have fun, sell all of your guns and take up knitting.


Time for a rant...

Shotguns are designed for shooting moving targets. They're good at lots of other things, sure, but that's not what they're for.

If you get used to shooting the shotgun at the targets it was designed for, in the ways in which it was designed to be shot, you'll never need to spend any money on weird stocks, funky sights, or any other crap designed to make a shotgun feel kinda, sorta, (but not really) like a rifle... which it isn't. And you'll be far more deadly with that Mossberg than you realize.

The shotgun is a different beast from any other firearm. But to know its mysteries is to love it as no other firearm. Shooting a rifle is a carefully planned, deliberate act. Shooting a shotgun is more like a controlled reflex. If you stop to think about it, you're gonna miss. In some ways, it's closer to bare-bow archery than to any other form of shooting. Usually, you know if you've missed before the bird does.

--Shannon

[forgiven]

Hey guys, did your Wal-Mart change over to the bio-degradable clay pigeons? What a bummer it doubled the price for the same box of 90. What was wrong with the original stuff anyways? The clays always degraded where I shot.