What would you do?

MarineStud · 09-17-2005, 08:16 PM

Ok, here's my situation i have one shotgun to hunt deer and turkey with. A Mossberg 835 with two barrels. I have a scope for when i'm deer hunting but i take it off when i switch barrels to go turkey hunting. I'm sick of doing the barrel swap and havaing my scope not be zeroed anymore after turkey season from taking it off, so these are my options: buy a turkey gun, a slug gun or a slug barrel for my encore. I'm just wondering what some of you guys would do or have done if you've been in my situation.

cayugad · 09-17-2005, 11:20 PM

I take it you need to hunt with a shotgun where you live and rifles are not allowed...Are muzzleloaders allowed? If they were, in that case I would leave the turkey barrel right where it was and pick me up a inexpensive inlinemuzzleloader. Most of the new inlines are legal in most shotgun areas, they also give you the option of muzzleloader season, and you get one shot and make it count. They have more range then most shotguns, especially scoped. Some of the entry level muzzleloaders are under $100.00 and will shoot just fine.

If they are not legal then I would get a barrel where I could leave the scope attached and just change barrels...

My friend in the southern end of the State hunts shotgun only areas.. and he was complaining about always being just out of range for the big deer that cross the marsh. He was loaned a scoped inline rifles the first year and he dropped a dandy eightpointer with it. Since that time he has purchased his own since a muzzleloader is legal in a shotgun zone.

uncle matt · 09-18-2005, 12:21 AM

You could consider getting a cantilever scope mount, rifled slug barrel, possibly with it's own scope. The scope is mounted directly to the barrel and zero shouldn't wander.

But you have to take a receiver mounted scope off to use the slug barrel. When you go turkey again you'll have to possibly teak the scope back on with turkey loads.

Rid yourself of one evil, just to play with another I guess.

pig dog 02 · 09-18-2005, 01:15 AM

I would keep your 835 for turkeys and get a new slug gun for deer.