RE: Mossberg 500 vs. Remington 870
If your shots are going to be under 30 yards a moss. 500 will work, but if you want to have a fighting chance, then I would use the rem. 870. At least you have the option to reach out farther . A 24 to 26'" barrel is all you need, but make sure you have screw in chokes, this way you can use a tighter choke for a tighter pattern. If you are interested, I know a deadly combination to use with the remingtons for turkeys.