Newbie here.....500 or 535?

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Tets

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Looking to purchase my first firearm. Been shooting for years, just never owned my own. Ideally want something that can do it all. Waterfowl, deer, turkey, you name it.

Was looking at the Mossberg 500 & 535 combos. Will I ever need that 3.5" shell that the 535 can chamber? Or will the 3" suffice?

Anybody have any other suggestions on what may be a good option?



Thanks!
 
Realized this should have been posted in the hunting and sporting shotgun section. My mistake!
 
I saw it here, so I'll answer it here.

The extra payload possible with the 3.5" shell is only useful with steel shotshells. Will you be using steel when you go waterfowling? Might you use steel sometime in the future?

There are plenty of steel-loaded shells in 3", plus you can use other "non-toxic" loadings.

So, in the real world, there is probably only a very tiny difference between the 500 and the 535. But I got the 535 because I couldn't see any reason not to, and it does give me a few more options.
 
I wouldn't hunt deer with a shotgun unless I had to by law. I would buy the Mossbery with ducks and turkey in mind and think deer rifle down the road.
 
I got a 535 new with turkey barrel deer barrel and a 28 inch water fowl barrel. I did use the 3.5 inch shells for turkeys and geese. For every thing else 3 inch was fine .I really like the gun with the safety on top it just worked well .it kept my freezer full for many years .I did finally sell it .niw I have a 500 in 20g and a rem 870 in 12G .I WOULD BUY ANOTHER 535 OR 500 IN A HEART BEAT . Both will do the job ....Dutch
 
Just MY opinion I have a 500 3 barrel combo. 3" is enough for all critters. Even geese. If I was a serious water fowler I'd get a soft recoiling semi in 3.5" . The 535 recoil is a bit much for goose shooting. To be honest I only shoot 3" in the 500 for turkey for extended range. Every other game animal can easily be taken with 2 3/4" including the SST's I shoot for deer.
 
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2.75 inch shells have been killing geese and turkey for over a hundred years. The only time the 3.5 inch shells hurt is well shooting at the pattern board .my 16 year old daughter killed turkey with them with out any problems. I only use 2.75 inch slugs for deer as there is just not enough difference between the three inch Sabot to justify the price. .every deer shot this year was a clean pass threw with slugs. What more can you ask for ..The 535 and 500 are great shotguns for the money. Dutch
 
Buy whichever has the better price.

If you ever pull the trigger on a 3.5" you might decide that you don't really need to - but of course, nothing was every successfully shot with a 12 gauge BEFORE the 3.5 came along right?

However, I still might tend to suggest the 535.

If you later choose to move along to something a little more "up-scale" the 535 "might" appeal to a wider audience in the resale market if you sell it to partially fund your next shotgun - and it does shoot 2 3/4 and 3" shells just fine.
 
dutchhunter said:
2.75 inch shells have been killing geese and turkey for over a hundred years. The only time the 3.5 inch shells hurt is well shooting at the pattern board .my 16 year old daughter killed turkey with them with out any problems. I only use 2.75 inch slugs for deer as there is just not enough difference between the three inch Sabot to justify the price. .every deer shot this year was a clean pass threw with slugs. What more can you ask for ..The 535 and 500 are great shotguns for the money. Dutch
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I agree. The 500/535 offer fantastic versatility , won't get better for the price.
 
I personally think it's a silly idea buying anything but a 3.5" gun now a days. Makes more sense to be able to shoot all lengths of shell they make in that gauge, heck you don't have to shoot 3.5" at all if you don't want to but it's nice to have the option too. I like to think its better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
 
Get a used 3" 870 Wingmaster ........not the Express.Failing that ...........a Beretta 300/3"..........Harold
 
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