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finally got to the range......bit long

hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,181 ✭✭✭✭
edited February 2023 in General Discussion

and got to shoot the new mossberg. It has to be one of the most enjoyable shotguns I have ever shot. we have about a 1/4 of new snow and the cans were easier to pick out with the sights than I thought they would be with my eyes. with factory ammo I was keeping them rolling out to 30-35 yards. it ran flawlessly with the federal factory ammo.


no so much with my reloads I finally narrowed it down to some I had bought from BMI? it is european and I think just a hair thick I think they were in millimeters instead of gauge. it wouldn't go into full battery, but all it took was a slight push to seat the bolt proper. After looking through my reloads I had some winchester short brass and the bmi stuff and some tall winchester shells. I still had a lot of jams but looking at the end of the shells, which I loaded about 10-12 years ago the crimp was opening up and it was slightly swelled on most of the "bad" reloads that wouldn't feed or jam.


I went ahead and fed them one at a time to get rid of them but kept a couple and when I got home I tookthem down to the reloading bench and ran them through the crimp die again. after a few pulls they fell right in the barrell. I am not sure if they just came uncrimped or If I didin't have them sized right years ago I was loading then for a double barrell and it would eat anything. I miked the spent casings and the bmi casings were about .06 bigger than the winchester or federal hull. but after a couple passes through the sizer again they slid right in the barrell/chamber fine.

gonna reload a few next few days mike them then let them sit few months and mike em again to see if maybe they are just uncrimping . I think I will take the barrell off and try a shell every few just to make sure they will chamber, it may just be the hulls won't hold a crimp.

shotgun ran great with the right sized shells so I can't blame it, got home and it was also a breeze to tear down and clean, bolt out easy and trigger group out with one pin. so she is now shined up and sitting in the corner of the safe, it also came with a small hardcase made for the shotgun if you want to take the barrell off each time, also with silicone socks for stock and one for barrell, 5 chokes, and shims if you really wnat to get serious. while it is no benelli or high end browning I don't plan to shoot thousands of rounds of trap/skeet, just the average hunting, bunnies and squirrells and for that it will do just fine for about half the price or more of the big name ones. anyone curious It was $650 all in.......

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    Ruger4meRuger4me Member, Moderator Posts: 3,357 ******
    edited February 2023

    Glad to hear you are happy with your new shotgun. I don't do any reloading so can't really comment on that part. I only have an inexpensive 12 gauge stevens but have been thinking for awhile about something else like an older 870 or a benelli but haven't seen any that got my attention enough to bid on...

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    William81William81 Member Posts: 24,593 ✭✭✭✭

    Sounds like a good trip to the range !!!

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    montanajoemontanajoe Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 58,016 ******

    Good job. Glad you got to shoot your new gun and it did well for you.

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    Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,294 ******

    I love a happy story like this.

    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
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    Butchdog2Butchdog2 Member Posts: 3,834 ✭✭✭✭

    I load 12 gauge for an 870. Got's to crimp the brass to make the gun run.

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    Ditch-RunnerDitch-Runner Member Posts: 24,572 ✭✭✭✭

    Nice report and sounds like you had a good time

    It's been years but I use to reload hundreds of 12 ga shell's When it was dirt cheep to do so days long gone

    after getiing a buch loaded up i would have my coworkers and family over on the weekends including some of the Japanese from work who loved it but wanted to just shoot the 22' s After a few rounds of 12 ga lol

    some of my american pals had never shot a gun some had So it was a learning experience for many We would use the clay bird thrower every one had fun

    I would always cut open a shell or two to show what and how it worked and of course the being safe instructions was always top priority

    I did notice as you also experenced a small % after some time like months some of the crimps had not stayed in place And swelled up a bit

    That was 25 or so years ago I know I still have a few hundred loaded up but have not dug them out or shot anyof the old reloads for a long time

    Last few times we had back yard shoots we were buying the 100 rnd packs at wally world for about 15 dollars or less . But last I looked at the prices i seem to thimk it was 23 maybe 25.00 now ?

    Also my youngest son had bought a automatic bird thrower and wow it was a lot better than hand cooking the old one I had .

    It's been so long I do not think shoulder could take the pounding of the 12 ga even a small % of shooting as I use too

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