i just picked up a mossberg 500 with a 24" rifled barrel and was planning to use for the bush on deer, i but find it's to hard on my shoulder, i banged it up a few years ago and now 12ga is a bit much, it has the factory wood and recoil pad, can a trigger job be done to these shotguns? thanks for any info
reducung recoil on a mossberg 500 slug gun
- Thread starter 6.5x55swm
- Start date
Bassmaster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- WMU 48 - Whitetail country
Maybe a 30-30 would be best for the bush? recoil is minimal....not sure how a trigger job will reduce recoil
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
Try another recoil pad. Stay away from 3" slugs too. On a guess, id say no to the trigger job.
Avalonthas
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toronto ON
b**ch pad
Limbsaver
Limbsaver
The easiest, and most effective, way to reduce actual recoil, is to add weight. Thats it. No secrets, no pads, no nothing. Just weight. Use the exsiting hole in the butt stock and add weight. Make sure it is in there snug, and won't move.
R.
R.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The first thing you need to do is reduce the length of the stock, as the 14" LOP is too long for most folks. A LOP which is too short is easier to manage than one that is too long, but a proper fitting stock will make go a long way towards making recoil tolerable and provides a good opportunity to upgrade the recoil pad.
Next is your shooting technique. Stand with your feet should width apart quartering the target. With the gun mounted properly into your shoulder, bend your forward knee and lean slightly forward. This allows the recoil impulse to travel across your body and down your back leg rather than absorbing the entire force into your shoulder and chest.
Some 12 ga ammo is particularly objectionable. Stay clear of 3" and 3.5" shells. If you have trouble with 2.75" high velocity loads shoot low brass shells. Low brass shells are fine for small game and upland birds to say nothing of a day at the skeet range where a large quantity of shells can be consumed over the day. If you want/need to shoot buckshot and slugs choose managed recoil ammo or handload the equivalent.
I'm not particularly in favor of increasing the weight of a gun as this usually screws up the balance of the gun; the easiest place to add weight is in the butt stock, but the gun points best if it is slightly muzzle heavy. If additional recoil reduction is necessary, I would look at a different gun. A 500 with its aluminum receiver is pretty light, particularly if mated to a plastic stock. All things being equal, a 20 ga kicks less than a 12, although this depends on the specific ammunition and the guns in question. A 20 is typically smaller and lighter than a 12 and a 3" 20 is similar to a low brass 12. A gas operated semi automatic action tend to recoil softer than any other, but an inertia driven action has no recoil reducing benefit. However, if the gas gun is lighter than your 500 pump, it will still jump around pretty good.
Next is your shooting technique. Stand with your feet should width apart quartering the target. With the gun mounted properly into your shoulder, bend your forward knee and lean slightly forward. This allows the recoil impulse to travel across your body and down your back leg rather than absorbing the entire force into your shoulder and chest.
Some 12 ga ammo is particularly objectionable. Stay clear of 3" and 3.5" shells. If you have trouble with 2.75" high velocity loads shoot low brass shells. Low brass shells are fine for small game and upland birds to say nothing of a day at the skeet range where a large quantity of shells can be consumed over the day. If you want/need to shoot buckshot and slugs choose managed recoil ammo or handload the equivalent.
I'm not particularly in favor of increasing the weight of a gun as this usually screws up the balance of the gun; the easiest place to add weight is in the butt stock, but the gun points best if it is slightly muzzle heavy. If additional recoil reduction is necessary, I would look at a different gun. A 500 with its aluminum receiver is pretty light, particularly if mated to a plastic stock. All things being equal, a 20 ga kicks less than a 12, although this depends on the specific ammunition and the guns in question. A 20 is typically smaller and lighter than a 12 and a 3" 20 is similar to a low brass 12. A gas operated semi automatic action tend to recoil softer than any other, but an inertia driven action has no recoil reducing benefit. However, if the gas gun is lighter than your 500 pump, it will still jump around pretty good.
With it's aluminum allloy receiver the 500's are lightweight guns making them a good 12 ga pump to carry. With full power slugs they can be a bit to handle.
As mentioned added weight if you can will help so would a Knoxx Specops recoil reducing stock and good shooting technique.
Shooting lots of slugs through a lightweight SG is no joking matter and you should aim to reduce the amount of punishment that you take.
I have a 500A with a Choate top folder that has a tiny rubber butt plate. Even with a PAST sissy shield it is unpleasant to shoot and I would rather shoot my short barrel .375 H&H carbine off the bench than the 500A off hand with slugs.
As mentioned added weight if you can will help so would a Knoxx Specops recoil reducing stock and good shooting technique.
Shooting lots of slugs through a lightweight SG is no joking matter and you should aim to reduce the amount of punishment that you take.
I have a 500A with a Choate top folder that has a tiny rubber butt plate. Even with a PAST sissy shield it is unpleasant to shoot and I would rather shoot my short barrel .375 H&H carbine off the bench than the 500A off hand with slugs.
i have notice that the lop is long for me, i only tried hornady 300gr sst slug so far and they were 3", i will try all the 2.75" i can find and aew stock, if that doesn't work i will swell or trade for a 30-30, i liked the idea of shooting the big bullets, i do alot of walking and making the gun heavier doesn't seem to be aood idea
I use a Knoxx recoil reducing stock on my 835. It adjusts for LOP with one hand. This stock works great, it made the shotgun shootable for me with 3" slugs and 3 1/2" BBs. My slight 7 year old nephew fired several skeet loads with this setup without any ill effects. I also use a Vortex SPARC red dot sight mounted on a pickatinney rail. Great setup.
