19 years ago when I moved to a shotgun only part of NH, the wife bought me a Mossberg 500 combo with smoothbore slug barrel and fixed choke shot barrel.
With the rifle-sighted slug barrel I can shoot any brand of rifled slugs into a 2-3" group at 50 yds all day with no problem. It has never had a mechanical issue of any kind. It tears down easily with no tools and is a snap to reassemble.
With this gun I have shot deer, turkeys, rabbits, pheasant, grouse, wood****, coyote, squirrel and ducks, and a few clay pigeons too.
It is nothing to look at. The trigger is poor. The forearm rattles a bit if you let it. The metal finish isn't great. One thing is for sure, I wouldn't sell it for the $250 my wife paid 19 years ago. All of this you could say about the 870, which truthfully feels to me like a better-made gun. I think they do cost a little more too. Game doesn't generally look your shotgun over before deciding whether or not to offer you a shot though, so go with whatever suits you. The 500 is not a wrong choice.