Just got a mosberg 500 tactical, first shotgun, don't know much about them and need help.?

Question

Alright, so I just bought a mosberg 500 tactical persuader for 400 plus tax etc from a sporting store. I've never had a shotgun before, and I'm a total noob when it comes to shotguns. I have a few questions, first can someone simplify the ammunition? What is buck shot? Bird shot? etc etc. I know what a slug is, a solid projectile, but I don't understand the difference between all the other ones.

Here is the ammunition I got, anyone know anything about this ammunition? I just grabbed a random one that said 12 guage on it, since I new my shotgun was 12 guage.

Ammunition.

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Gun

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This is the right ammunition right?

I just got the gun for shooting at the range for fun. I'm not even sure how to chamber these rounds yet. Also, does anyone know where to get blank ammo? Dummy ammo, that u can just use to load and unload for demonstration purposes?

Answer 1

birdshot is very small shot, buckshot is bigger shot.

Birdshot is for birds, buckshot is for badguys.

There are two basic schools of thought for shotgun home defense loads. #1 is use 00 buckshot, your average shell will have 9 big pellets in it.  #2 is use 4 buckshot, it will have about 30 smaller pellets, which will allow good pattern spread and still have enough size to penetrate and do a lot of damage to a man, yet less chance of ripping through your walls to harm innocents on the other side.

What you need to remember when buying shotgun ammo isn't just gauge, but lenght as well.  I suspect your gun is a 12 guage 2 3/4th inch, look at the barrel.  2 3/4th can only shoot 2 3/4th shells, 3 inch can shoot 3 inch and 2 3/4th, while 3 1/2 inch guns can shoot 3 1/2, 3, and 2 3/4th.

This size is measured after the shotshell is fired and it has opened up, so longer shells will fit, but they risk damaging your gun. Besides, longer shells reduce how many shells you can fit in the gun.

Stay away from blank ammo, that is an accidental shooting waiting to happen.  You can get snap-caps in 12 guage, but they are for dry-fire practice so you don't wear out your firing pin dry-firing, not for 'demonstration'

remember

#1 treat all guns as if they are loaded, with utmost care and respect.  As soon as someone hands you a gun, make sure it is unloaded

#2 keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target

#3 never neve never let the muzzle of the gun point at anything you are unwilling to kill/destroy.  Be especially mindful when picking up, carrying, or passing the gun to someone.  Point it at the sky or at the ground.

#4 don't fire the gun until you are sure of your target AND what is behind/around it, in case you miss or in case your bulelts punch through the target.

NOTE many shooting ranges don't allow shot, but do allow slugs.

At the trigger guard for your gun there should be a 'manual release' switch that when depressed, allows you to slide the pump back and forth.  Depress it, slide the pump all the way back so the chamber opens.  Look in, stick your finger into the barrel. Now, leaving the chamber open and the pump back, READ YOUR MANUAL

Answer 2

Sniper got it,I like your 500.

Answer 3

first thing to do is READ THE OWNERS MANUAL,

go to the library they have tons of info on safety,shooting,care of guns....etc and its all free.......................

Answer 4

First off buckshot comes in these sizes:

Comparison Chart

Below is a chart with diameters per pellet and weight for idealized lead spheres.

Size Type weight diameter

#0000 Buck 5.51 g (85 gr.) 9.40 mm (0.380")

#000 Buck 4.54 g (70 gr.) 9.14 mm (0.360")

#00 Buck 3.49 g (53.8 gr.) 8.38 mm (0.330")

#0 Buck 3.18 g (49 gr.) 8.13 mm (0.320")

#1 Buck 2.62 g (40.5 gr.) 7.62 mm (0.300")

#2 Buck 1.91 g (29.4 gr.) 6.86 mm (0.270")

#3 Buck 1.52 g (23.4 gr.) 6.35 mm (0.250")

#4 Buck 1.34 g (20.7 gr.) 6.09 mm (0.240")

#FF Buck 1.18 g (18.2 gr.) 5.84 mm (0.230")

#F (TTT) Buck 1.05 g (16.2 gr.) 5.59 mm (0.220")

#TT Buck 0.98 g (15.1 gr.) 5.33 mm (0.210")

#T Buck 0.89 g (13.7 gr.) 5.08 mm (0.200")

#BBB 0.66 g (10.2 gr.) 4.82 mm (0.190")

#BB 0.57 g (8.8 gr.) 4.57 mm (0.180")

#B 0.48 g (7.4 gr.) 4.32 mm (0.170")

Additional information

Buckshot is simply lead shot formed to larger diameters. Sizes range in ascending order from size B to size 0000.

Larger lead shot comes in three sizes: B, BB, and BBB. Smaller lead shot is available in shot in sizes 7½, 8, and 9, with applications ranging from sporting clays and skeet shooting, to non-waterfowl hunting at progressively shorter distances. The larger bird shot sizes (i.e., 6, 5, 4) are more difficult to obtain in lead, having been banned for waterfowl hunting since the 1970s in the United States, although they are still occasionally seen, and remain legal for uses other than for waterfowl hunting. Older shotguns continue to use lead shot, as firing newer, harder, non-lead shot may damage the shotgun, and firing soft metal substitutes for lead shot may not be economically-viable.

Shotshells are loaded with different sizes of shot depending on the target. For skeet shooting, a small shot such as a # 8 or #9 would be used, because range is short and a high density pattern is desirable. Trap shooting requires longer shots, and so a larger shot, up to #7½ would be desired. For hunting game, the range and the penetration needed to assure a clean kill must both be considered. Shot loses its velocity very quickly due to its low sectional density (see external ballistics). Small shot, like that used for skeet and trap, will have lost all appreciable energy by 100 yards or meters, which is why trap and skeet ranges can be located near inhabited areas with no risk of injury to those outside the range.

Birdshot sizes are numbered similar to the shotgun gauges; the smaller the number, the larger the shot. Generally birdshot is just called "shot", such as "number 9 shot" or "BB shot". A useful mnemonic for remembering the diameter of numbered birdshot is simply to subtract the shot size from 17. The resulting answer is the diameter of the shot in hundredths of an inch. For example, number 2 shot gives 17-2 = 15, meaning that the diameter of number 2 shot is 15/100 or 0.15". B shot is .170 inches, and sizes go up in .01 increments for BB and BBB.

Size Nominal diameter Pellets per oz (28 g)

Lead Steel

FF .23" (5.84 mm) 35

F .22" (5.59 mm) 39

TT .21" (5.33 mm)

T .20" (5.08 mm) 53

BBB .190" (4.83 mm) 44 62

BB .180" (4.57 mm) 47 72

B .170" (4.32 mm) 50

1 .160" (4.06 mm)

103

2 .150" (3.81 mm) 87 125

3 .140" (3.56 mm) 158

4 .130" (3.30 mm) 135 192

5 .120" (3.05 mm) 170 243

6 .110" (2.79 mm) 225 315

7½ .095" (2.41 mm) 350

8 .090" (2.29 mm) 410

9 .080" (2.03 mm) 585

Birdshot selection

For hunting, shot size must be chosen not only for the range, but also for the game. The shot must reach the target with enough energy to penetrate to a depth sufficient to kill the game. Lead shot is still the best performer for the money, but environmental restrictions on the use of lead, especially with waterfowl, require steel, bismuth, or tungsten composites. Steel, being significantly less dense than lead, requires larger shot sizes, but is a good choice when cost is a consideration. Steel, however, cannot safely be used in some older shotguns without causing damage to either the bore or to the choke of the shotgun due to the hardness of steel shot. Tungsten shot is equal or even greater in density than lead, but is far more expensive. Bismuth shot falls in between steel and tungsten shot in both density and cost.

Game Lead/Tungsten Steel

Pheasant 4 to 6 2 to 3[2]

Turkey 4 to 6 2 to 3

Quail, dove 7½ to 8

Rabbit 6 to 7½

Squirrel 6

Geese BB to 2 TT to 1

Ducks, low 4 to 6 2 to 4

Ducks, high 2 to 4 BB to 2 Buckshot

Larger sizes of shot, large enough that they must be carefully packed into the shell rather than simply dumped or poured in, are called "buckshot." Buckshot is used for hunting larger game, such as deer (hence derivation of the name), and also in riot shotguns and combat shotguns for defensive, police, and military use. Buckshot is also categorized by number, with smaller numbers being larger shot. It is called either "buckshot" or just "buck", such as "triple-ought buck" or "number 4 buck".

Size Nominal diameter Pellets/oz

000 ("triple-ought") .36" (9.1 mm) 6

00 ("double-ought") .33" (8.4 mm) 8

0 ("ought") .32" (8.1 mm) 9

1 .30" (7.6 mm) 10

2 .27" (6.9 mm) 15

3 .25" (6.4 mm) 18

4 .24" (6 mm) 21

Hope this helps you!☺

Oh and by the way, nice gun.

Answer 5

Shells come in different lengths, with different powder loads and with different sizes of shot.

The SMALLER the shot number is a BIGGER pellet.  So 00 (double zero, described as double ought) is much bigger than the 7 1/2 shot you bought.  Like marbles compared to BBs.  Double ought shot is also called buckshot because it can kill a deer.  Bird shot is smaller and there are more pellets and it can kill a bird without ruining the meat.  Obviously you have size the shot to your target.  I only shoot clay targets, so that's what I'll use for describing the shells.

The shot you bought has 1 1/8 ounces of shot that is size 7 1/2.  This is a good shot for shooting clay pigeons.  Another good size is 8.  8 shot has smaller pellets, which means there are more of them in the shell.  More pellets means more chances to hit the target.  Bigger pellets weigh more and therefore carry more energy and do more damage.  Most beginners prefer smaller shot (more pellets) because it doesn't take much to break a clay target.  Its better to have more chances to hit it.

The shells you bought are 2 3/4 inches.  Your owners manual should tell you what lengths your gun can accept.  You need to make sure you use the right shell length in the gun.  3" shells, for example, are normally magnum shells and might not feed in your gun.

edit: incidentally, even though a shotgun can be used for hunting deer, i personally think you should use a rifle.  I believe it is the hunters responsibility to reduce an animals suffering as much as possible.  A shotgun, even with slugs, is inaccurate and lacks the long range power to cleanly kill an animal.  Use the right tool for the job.  Shotguns are right for birds.  Rifles are right for deer.

Answer 6

Yes --- The ammunition you purchased is perfectly fine for your first purchase.... Your shotgun has a smooth bore barrel with no choke. Hence it can digest anything, buckshot, birdshot/target loads, trap loads, slugs and even sabots. Do not buy sabots for your shotgun. Sure it will fire them but sabots like shotguns with rifled barrels so wont be efficient in your persuader.........   I have extensive experience with your model shotgun.... The best ammunition for your gun is 2 3/4 inch 00 buckshot. 8 or 9 pellet buckshot is fine.... Also the other best ammunition to use is 2 3/4 inch slugs... DO NOT BUY OR USE 3 inch slugs or buckshot for the first few times you use this firearm.... The recoil of 3 inch cartridges can be quite uncomfortable.... Start by using the gun club/remington target loads. Of course learn and use all safety procedures when using this shotgun....... The target loads have minimal recoil and would be great for use for the first time you fire this gun.... Go ahead and shoot the whole box... Once you feel comfortable then move on to the slugs and buckshot.....