MikeGee Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 I've been pretty convinced that I would be getting the Mossberg 500 in a couple of months but I went to a local shop today and the owner was telling me that I should consider the Mossberg 835. From what I can tell, it's mainly a water fowl shotty, but the owner was telling me it's very versatile and I could still get a rifled barrel for it. I want to mainly go after deer but in the future, i do want to try duck and turkey. What are your thoughts? A good gun, or is the owner trying to unload a used gun on me? Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skillet Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 835 is an awesome gun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Napping in the woods Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Make sure you can get a cantilevered extra barrel for the scope you are going to want for deer and it won't cost you twice as much...not sure what they run individually. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pygmy Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 My Canadian turkey hunting buddy has an 835 that he has killed a pile of gobblers with.. It is certainly less "clunky" than the Mossy 500s that I have handled.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoneam2006 Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Good choice with proper barrel selections as stated Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGee Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 So good for deer then? I was checking out scopes and dots that go along with it. So fun learning about all this, for a newbie like me! Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gastrodoc Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I love my 835. Quality definitely seems higher than the run of the mill 500. It is a great waterfowl and gobbler gun. Not sure about barrel availability for slugs so would check that out. As long as you can get a deer barrel for it you cant go wrong 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Man Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Some 835 barrels are back bored and are not suitable for steel shot or slugs (these are ported barrels got the turkey special) a deadly gun past 50 yards from the factory, you'll need a slug barrel and possibly a bird barrel if you want to shoot waterfoul, You won't regret buying it, and as stayed earlier a cantilever for slug is way to go, if you are buying it with ported turkey barrel you will want a scope or sight for it as your pattern will be tight, I have not seen a factory gun ( even high quality and priced ?that will out shoot an 835 for turkey. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turkeyfeathers Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Some 835 barrels are back bored and are not suitable for steel shot or slugs (these are ported barrels got the turkey special) a deadly gun past 50 yards from the factory, you'll need a slug barrel and possibly a bird barrel if you want to shoot waterfoul, You won't regret buying it, and as stayed earlier a cantilever for slug is way to go, if you are buying it with ported turkey barrel you will want a scope or sight for it as your pattern will be tight, I have not seen a factory gun ( even high quality and priced ?that will out shoot an 835 for turkey. I'd gladly put my 1187 SPT 12, .660 Rhino tube and Heavi mag blends or Nitro Company tri plex loads up against it ; ). Say pellet count inside a pie plate at 50 yards ? Although I have heard the 835 Turkey Thugs is quite the shooter. Go zero magnification or 2x max on a turkey optics. But totally agree. Tight shooters need optics. More birds are missed at close ranges as patterns are scary tight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gastrodoc Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I'd gladly put my 1187 SPT 12, .660 Rhino tube and Heavi mag blends or Nitro Company tri plex loads up against it ; ). Say pellet count inside a pie plate at 50 yards ? Although I have heard the 835 Turkey Thugs is quite the shooter. Go zero magnification or 2x max on a turkey optics. But totally agree. Tight shooters need optics. More birds are missed at close ranges as patterns are scary tight. The gun you speak of is also 2-3x the cost of the 835. It is doubtful it outperforms it to a significant degree 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Man Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I'd gladly put my 1187 SPT 12, .660 Rhino tube and Heavi mag blends or Nitro Company tri plex loads up against it ; ). Say pellet count inside a pie plate at 50 yards ? Although I have heard the 835 Turkey Thugs is quite the shooter. Go zero magnification or 2x max on a turkey optics. But totally agree. Tight shooters need optics. More birds are missed at close ranges as patterns are scary tight. I'm talking factory tube x full, not an aftremarked turkey tube. And yes that's a nice gun but changing a choke is like adding a turbo to a car, and 50 yards my pattern is 20 inches. 20 it's basically 2x a 12 ga slug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Man Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I'd gladly put my 1187 SPT 12, .660 Rhino tube and Heavi mag blends or Nitro Company tri plex loads up against it ; ). Say pellet count inside a pie plate at 50 yards ? Although I have heard the 835 Turkey Thugs is quite the shooter. Go zero magnification or 2x max on a turkey optics. But totally agree. Tight shooters need optics. More birds are missed at close ranges as patterns are scary tight. I'm talking factory tube x full, not an aftremarked turkey tube. And yes that's a nice gun but changing a choke is like adding a turbo to a car, and 50 yards my pattern is 20 inches. 20 it's basically 2x a 12 ga slug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris B Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 So good for deer then? I was checking out scopes and dots that go along with it. So fun learning about all this, for a newbie like me! Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk That would be a great first gun for you. I'm assuming it has a bird barrel on it with modified choke tube or something. If you can, see about getting a separate barrel (cantilevered, rifled barrel) for it for deer. That way you can put the cantilevered rifled barrel on it (the scope stays attached to the barrel) for deer and then when you want to turkey hunt, you pull that barrel off and put the bird barrel back on and you are good to go. talk to the guy at the gun shop about it and what was suggested and he can point you in the right direction. If that is the route you want to take, anyways 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGee Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) Thanks everyone. To be clear, I'm a newbie to hunting and shooting. I'm taking this time to research what type of 12 gauge I'm gonna get, save up for it and buy it around February, shoot for awhile at the range to get really comfortable with it, hopefully make some hunting buddies and go out with people next fall. I only really want to do deer for now and maybe in the coming years, expand to turkey, duck and maybe even bear! So what I'm understanding is that this is a great gun, even though it's primarily for turkey/waterfowl birds as long as I get the rifled barrel for slug, correct? And when I am ready for turkey, I'll be more than set. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk Edited November 10, 2015 by MikeGee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ants Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I have been using an 835, for turkeys 21" barre,l for over 20 years. I have dumped a ton of toms with it and it has run great. Its still my one and only turkey rig. I had one issued with it and Mossberg was great about it. You can hunt anything with this gun, You can run the lightest 2 3/4" game loads to the heaviest 3 1/2" turkey/waterfowl loads. If you get a slug barrel, you're set for deer too. I'd say go for it... Good luck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BellR Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 If the used 835 is around the same price or less than a new 500, I would go for the 835. It will allow you to shoot 3 1/2" mags which you may never use, but it's nice to have the option. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr VJP Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) My Camo Synthetic 835 is a little over 30 years old now. It's never failed me and taken lots of turkey, geese, ducks and deer with 00 Buck in NJ. Someone claimed because it's back bored, you can't shoot steel shot. That's not correct. I shoot steel all the time in it. But you do need a slug barrel for slugs. They make them in smooth bore with iron sights as well as rifled with a cantilever scope mount. They come in blued steel or camo too. Check out www.gunbroker.com for 835 barrels. You can get an idea of prices there too. Edited November 10, 2015 by Mr VJP 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtTime Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Solid shotgun, and yes with a rifled slug barrel you are good to go. What price range are you trying to stay in/under? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoneam2006 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Solid shotgun, and yes with a rifled slug barrel you are good to go. What price range are you trying to stay in/under?Good question...depending on that may be able to get nicer evenSent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtTime Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I was looking, and the 835 comes in around $500, cantilever barrel around $200-$250 ( the ones I found anyway ), add a scope and you are around $1000. You can get a Browning BPS and a slug barrel for just around the same money. I would take a Browning BPS over a Remmy or Mossy any day of the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGee Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 At this local shop, I can get the gun with additional barrel for $550. Sound reasonable? The scopes I looked at were reasonable, under $100. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five Seasons Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I have an 835 utilimag in camo. 2 barrels and can hold a 3.5. All for $550 iirc. It's not as solid as my browning auto slug gun but also nowhere near the cost. I've had good luck and recommend it. Barrel Change is easy, but keep in mind you'll need to resite your scope or optics. With a rifles slug barrel and the turkey and duck barrels you can basically hunt everything in NYS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGee Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) That's the price I'm looking at, Belo. $550. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk Edited November 10, 2015 by MikeGee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five Seasons Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) Keep in mind too the 835 is bored out vs the 500 that isn't. The 500 will really pack a kick with 3.5's. There are plenty of package deals and variations of the 835 so check mossbergs website. I believe not all can shoot a 3.5. Gander and dicks will run sales too. Please don't spend under $100 on a scope. You'll regret it and end up buying a better scope later. Edited November 10, 2015 by Belo 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGee Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 What does it mean when the barrel is bored out? Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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