Mr. Gates, or anyone else with an opinion,

I have a Mossberg 835, 12ga 3.5" with a backbored barrel. I'd like to shoot slugs and/or roundballs out of it. It says right on the barrel "for shot only". I was wondering if I can get some slugs or RBs for reloading to fit this oversized barrel. I know I can get another barrel for the gun for slugs, but the only ones available are rifled, I prefer to stay with a smoothbore. I also like to keep a slug or RB load with me while I'm hunting with shot loads.

Any thoughts or ideas on this??

Thanks in advance

SSB

The reason it says "shot only" is not due to lack of strength, but rather tha dismal performance you would get with the present slugs in your oversize barrel.
If you are a handloader, there is no reason not to buy a round ball mold the fit your oversize barrel. Cast them hard and use an open choke tube........James

James,

Thanks for your response, I kind of assumed that was the reason for the "shot only" warning. Can you reccomend where I can possibly get a RB mold in the .750-.760" range?

Thanks

SSB

Gentlemen:

As I had it explained to me a number of years ago by a Mossberg representative;

Mossberg 835 shot barrels are overbored to 10 gauge dimensions. There is no question that some propellant gas will blow past a .730 wad when fired down a .775 bore. This is what gives this pump gun a slower less abusive recoil than 3.5 inch chambered guns with conventional barrel dimensions. The current Mossberg catalog even illustrates this gas blow by.

Regarding slug use: Conventional Foster type slugs have a huge hollow base to keep the projectile weight forward for in flight stability. Propellant gasses that get past the wad column could possibly expand the base of the Foster slug enough to leave a lead ring in the barrel to act as a bore obstruction for the next round fired. Hence, the warning on the barrel and the disclaimer in the 835 Owners Manual:

"SLUGS: Overbored 835® Model Accu-Mag barrels are designed for lead or steel pellet shot loads only. We specifically disclaim any responsibility for damage or injury resulting from firing slugs (single projectile ammunition)
through overbored barrels. Use only 835 Model barrels designed specifically for slug shooting."

A round ball in a shot cup or even in front of card/fiber wads has no hollow base to possibly blow out in the seriously overbore barrel and thus would appear to be safe to fire as long as it was smaller than the choke. You could not however, force a near 10 gauge diameter ball into a twelve gauge shell casing.


Ralph

Ralph,

You make an excellent point about the RB in a shotcup. I hadn't thought of that.

I have some .690" RBs, do you think I could try them with 1oz data in a shotcup?

Thanks for all the input gents.

SSB

A .690" Round Ball weighs right around 1 1/8 ounces. Hodgdon has data for some pretty HV 1 1/8 ounce loads.

DC

Gentlemen,

I think I'll try a .690 RB in a shotcup tonight, using 1 1/8oz data. I'll report the results tomorrow.

Thanks for all the input.

SSB