I'm looking to become a hunter for the next season, and spend the year up until that preparing. I'm trying to decide what gun to use. I own two firearms that seem suitable for the job, an MN91/30 in very good shape that shoots wonderfully or a Mossberg 500 shotgun with a 19 inch cyl bore barrel. I have three options to choose from with those guns.
- Mossberg 500 using the cyl bore barrel I own. Shoot rifled slugs
- Mossberg 500 and purchase a rifled slug barrel to shoot sabot slugs
- Mosin Nagant, as is.
Where I will hunt all shots will be within 100 yards, more likely within 60 yards. I live in Virginia, so rifles are an option. Out of those, the Mossberg is the most conventional choice. I intend to slip over to the range once a week and shoot a small box of ammo to become as good a shooter as I'm capable before I try to take game.
I have one worry with the Mossberg and that is recoil. I worry that I'm going to get discouraged and not practice like I should with that shotgun hammering my shoulder into mush.
When comparing the Rifled slugs to new production non-corrosive JSP 7.62x54R, the slugs are actually cheaper to shoot. I want to practice with the same load I intend to hunt with.
So, what is your all's opinion? The American scattergun or the Russian boat oar?
