Shotgun scope.

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Eastman

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I'm thinking of trying for a deer with my Mossberg 500 20 gauge(Super Bantam) next season, and thought I'd ask for advice on what would be a good scope to use? The shot will be around 30-40 yards from a tree blind in woods. I prefer a scope as my eyes aren't the best. I'll also need a base for the scope, so would welcome any pointers on this as well.
I'll be using slugs of course, so will get some practice in at the range. I have only used shotgun for upland birds in the past, with the front bead sight. But I feel more confident with some sort of scope with slugs. It doesn't have to be much power, and even a red dot might be ok, but I can't afford anything expensive.
Hope someone can offer me advice, as this is a new venture for me, and I want to feel suitably equipped.
Many thanks in advance.
 
IMHO a scoped smoothbore 500/870 with the typical saddle mount is a mediocre solution. the money you waste on a saddle mount is far better spent put towards a rifled cantilever barrel.

have you thought about looking around for something like an H&R slughunter? you can usually find used ones dirt cheap at most gun stores (as low as $150 - the price most people pay for a rifled pump barrel). they have a rifled heavy barrel, and a weaver rail mount directly on the barrel. a far more accurate and appropriate solution - something you could scope properly, sight in, and leave scoped for your shotgun-only deer season. itll also be far more accurate.

if you are not in a shotgun-only area, then stick to a rifle.

just my $0.02.
 
Bushnell Trophy 1.x-4.x 32mm under $100, Burris rings $30

Vortex red dot approx $150 base built in, comes with 2x magnifier
 
for a budget scope: if you spend a bit more than that $100 Trophy, you can get the 2-7x32mm Bushnell Legend, a better built, clearer scope (91% light transmission, fully multicoated). its the cheapest id go in the Bushnell line, and a good value for the money IMO.

as best as i can measure, it has 6" of eye relief at 2x magnification and about 4.5" at 7x. the 32mm objective is smaller than the ocular, so you can mount it quite low over the bore in the lowest rings you can find. i originally bought this scope for a Savage 24F, and it has since been on a Mini-14, a couple .22s, and now on a budget Stevens build.

bushpic752732M.jpg
 
If your eyes were OK I'd suggest a red dot for up to 80 yards. But I'm in the same boat as you and my distance vision is a touch blurry so the edges of everything is a bit fuzzy. So like you I'm relying on a scope to correct my vision. Something that a red dot can't give you.

There's no lack of short and compact 2x to 4x budget priced shotgun scopes around but they all seem to be located down in the US. I've seen them on Ebay but I gather we aren't supposed to be ordering scopes from the US. I've been checking for them from China since I got my BSA Sweet22 that way but so far no luck. Even a 2x would be fine since your eye is focusing on a virtual image that is comfortably close even if it is a little small. So the image will be sharp to your eye.

4x fixed show up often in the used tables at the firearms swap meets and I'm sure a WTB in the EE would turn up responses. I've got a Bushnell fixed 4x that I got at a swap meet for $30 and it's done fine for me. I just need to find some time to mount it to my Glenfield/Marlin lever gun. It survived some 30 shots from a .500S&W chambered TC Encore so I know it's pleanty tough enough.
 
nice thing about the gun you have is that is drilled and tapped for a scope .i am looking for the same gun for my girls to hunt w ith .look at a 1.5 to 4 power scope .you should be good to 100 yards with your 20g slug gun with a scope if you have the rifled barrell .DUTCH
 
shotgun scope

I should have mentioned that I have a rifled barrel for the Mossberg....came with it!
BCRider, I know what you are saying about no focus with the red dot scopes, but I can shoot with my glasses on with them, and they seem fine. I tried one at the range, and I liked it. I was wondering if the red dot scopes with some magnification can be focused to your eyes like regular scopes?

dutchhunter, yes the mossberg is tapped for a scope which is great. I need to decide on a base and scope combination. I am getting some great advice on here as always, and I'm sure I will get sorted out with what I need.
I have an older Aimpoint Mark 111, that I might be able to trade somewhere.
 
didnt know super bantams were already drilled/tapped. in that case, just order a weaver/picatinny rail for it.

IMO make sure you get quick-release rings. something like the Leupold QRW low rings from LeBaron - theyre around $65 and decent quality for the money.
reason i suggest this is its a shotgun -- you want the scope to be relatively easy to remove. with most types of permanent mount weaver/picatinny rings, youll need to actually remove the scope from the rings in order to remove them - which is a huge PITA.
with quick release rings like the Leupold QRWs, you can simply tip the scope off, and reinstall when needed - and it will return pretty close to zero. you may need to also remove the rail in order to sight with your shotgun bead properly on your smoothbore barrel, but at least this way it saves you from having to re-level and boresight your scope each time you switch barrels.
 
Bloody hell! I hadn't even thought about using my glasses for shooting with the red dot. That SHOULD work out just fine since the dot is projected to a virtual infinity point where my glasses would work superbly. It's just up close out to around 5 feet that they make the close up stuff fuzzy.

I don't use bifocals or other such options since my eyesight is OK for most things even including driving during daylight. It's at night or when I need to read small print at a distance that things get iffy. Or when flying my model airplanes where I need to have a perfect view to see the finer details of the model's attitude in the sky.

I gotta go dig out one of my red dots and try that!. Thanks for what must seem obvious to you but hit me like lightning... :D

Which brings us back full circle and if you're looking for something for that close a red dot would work just peachy.
 
I'm in the saem boat right now, deciding between using my smoothbore and getting a saddle mount and reddot/scope of getting a cantilevered rifled barrel.

If I got with the canti rifled, won't I be limited to shooting sabot rounds instead of the cheaper rifled slugs I use in my smooth bore?

With that bveing said, I'm having a hell of a time finding someone selling a 870 rifled cantilever barrel.
 
I just tried out the red dot with my prescription glasses. IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM! A nice clear focused dot instead of what looks like a small glowing jellybean and perfect distance vision.

ThanyouThankyouThankyou! :D
 
kootenayshotty said:
I'm in the saem boat right now, deciding between using my smoothbore and getting a saddle mount and reddot/scope of getting a cantilevered rifled barrel.

If I got with the canti rifled, won't I be limited to shooting sabot rounds instead of the cheaper rifled slugs I use in my smooth bore?

With that bveing said, I'm having a hell of a time finding someone selling a 870 rifled cantilever barrel.
Click to expand...

yes, youll be limited to sabot slugs.

you can get very good performance from Brenneke slugs (which arent much cheaper than sabots btw) from smoothbore and rifle sights/ghost rings -- but when i read a thread about someone looking to scope their shotgun i assume it is because they are stuck in a shotgun only area and are forced to use a shotgun for hunting, and want something 'rifle-like' in accuracy and performance.
IMHO if you are actually scoping the gun - budget permitting - you are far better off putting together a proper slug gun like an H&R slughunter, savage 210 slug gun, or a cantilever barreled 870.
despite their popularity i think that the typical smoothbore 870 with a saddle mount, or even a receiver mounted rail, is a halfassed solution. every 870 has some barrel slop - the cantilever mounts are designed to keep the scope zeroed with the bore.

that said, the $300 that people are asking in the EE for take-off 870 cantilever barrels recently is absolutely ridiculous. in that case i would be looking into an H&R slug hunter instead - used ones can be had dirt cheap and they are very accurate.
 
shotgun scope

Well, I am pleased that BCRider found he could use his red dot scopes again...wearing his glasses! I found that out some time ago, and I'm so pleased to have passed it on to him. Great stuff!!:D
I've just got a weaver base for my mossberg, so now all I need is a scope. My older Aimpoint works fine, but it's not quite right for me. I think a smaller red dot would be great, or a regular scope, maybe with an illuminated dot or reticle. It's great getting all this first class info on here, and I thank everyone for their time. I hope there is more!!
Many thanks Guys,
 
I have the bushnell trophy 1.75-4x32mm scope on my Mossberg 535 rifled barrel. Works awesome, my brothers all have the same as well. No problems and I've fired about 50 slugs threw my gun and scope still the same as I bought it.
 
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