I need a little advice. I am an avid bowhunter and the only gun I own is a Mossberg 835 that I turkey hunt with.

I have never deer hunted with a gun, but I always see really good bucks during gun season on a property that is posted but I have permission to hunt. I thought I might give it a try.

This may be a silly question, but can I shoot slugs out of my Mossberg 835? I know they sell a rifled slug barrel for the gun, but is that a necessity if I do not shoot rifled slugs?

I figured if I took the choke out and just used the plain barrel, I would have plenty of clearance, even for a 3" slug.

I just want to make sure before I start practicing.

Any recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Do you mean, remove the choke completely?? Don't do it. You should use a improved cylinder choke for rifled slugs. Or get you a rifled choke and use sabot slugs. NEVER shoot a gun with it's screw in choke removed. But as for your orginal question, yes you can shoot slugs from your Mossberg. As far as it shooting 3 inchers only if your gun was made for shooting 3 inch slugs, I'm not familiar with the 835's.

if you are gonna shot sabots get a rifled choke, but if you mean to shoot ordinary foster/rifled slugs get a modifed choke and see how they shoot it should work fine and if they dont try the improved cylinder choke tube, whatever you do just make sure you have a choke tube in it.

Modified choke or improved cylinder choke?

I already have a modified choke, so I was thinking that I would try some rifled slugs through it like millerhunter13 suggested. This would be okay?

Yep, I never knew not to shoot a gun w/out the choke. Like I said, I was born a bowhunter and only shoot an 835 for turkey. Oh, the 835 can shoot 3 1/2 's, so a 3" would work fine I would assume.

Thanks for answering an elementary question guys.

Use an Improved Cylinder, Not a Modified. You might end up getting away with it but it is not recommended.
I'd go with the Improved Cylinder and see what it can do at the range. If you do not like the performance check prices on the cantilevered rifled barrel for te 835.
Check out this page of the Mossberg link to see the barrels available from them. And I know there are some other complanies making aftermarket barrels for the 835 as well.

http://www.mossberg.com/products/access.asp?type=barrels&section=access

Good luck with the deer this year

The Fioster type full bore-daiameter soft lead slugs, and the original style Brennekes can be shot out of ANY factory made choke. They are made of pure, soft lead and will swage down if necessary to go thru the choke. However, such slugs will generally shoot better from more open bores that don't deform the slugs too much as they go thru the choke.

You can certainly shoot sluh=gs of this type in your current barrel. But I would suggest that you need some kind of a rear sight on the gun if you intend to shoot single projectiles out of it. Then you need to test several differnt makes of slugs to see which brand shoots most accurately from your barrel.

If you can afford it, it would be better to get a rifled-bore barrel for the gun, and put a good, low-powered scope on it. Then shoot a good sabot-type slug instead of a big lead one!

If I am correct your 835 has the over bored barrel. I dont think they recommend shooting slugs out of them. Get the rifled barrel. Much better results.

Read your manual, NO rifled slugs in a 835. I think it even says it on the gun somewhere? They have an overbored barrel supposedly to improve groups.

If you want to shoot slugs you will have to get another barrel, so it might as well be a rifled one.

That is really the biggest downfall to the 835, other than that they are nice guns.

I looked it up, this a quote from the manual for the 835:

"835 Models are designated to fire 12 gauge 2-3/4", 3", or 3-1/2" factory loaded ammunition. Do not fire slugs of any type (single projectile ammunition) Through the overboard 835 Accu-Mag barrel. This barrel is designated to shoot lead or steel pellet shot loads only. Use only 835 barrels designated specifically for slug shooting."

Pretty much clears things up right there.

Paul

Use a Mod choke with rifled slugs. Never shoot without the choke tube in your gun.