Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Mossberg patterns low

Got a Mossberg 500a 12 gauge I took on trade last year. Tried at 15 yds with target load #8. Also shot 3" # 4 at 30 yds. Either way you'd miss a squirrel, or a turkey. It has the big white factory front bead. If it were patterning high I could easily adjust. 90 something model so it's not tapped for scope. Any suggestions that are not sarcastic? It'll be tough, I know.

There was a thread a few days ago. Have you tried smacking it on a tire?

I'd have to verify the barrel wasn't straight 1st which I'll do shortly.

Add a cheek riser. Trap shooters have used them to raise the pattern for rising clays.

I've got a leather one I made for a bolt rifle. It's a 1/2" to 5 /8" overall. Reckon that might work.

Contact Bristoe, he can teach you how to beat the fuqk out of it till it's straight.

Lemme see if it's crooked, then I'll contact him. I believe with a vent rib it would be hard to change.

You could get a saddle mount that goes over the receiver and then you could mount the optic of your choice.
Bsquare I think makes one.

Install a smaller height bead and or a universal 1/8th or 1/4th" positive / negitive pitch spacer under the butt pad.
Easy to solve problem
IIRC you want positive pitch which means the thick part of the spacer is on the toe and not the comb.

Google fu is your friend.

Shim your scope mount.

Thought about saddle mount rail, but how good are they? Also considered smaller bead as Renegade said. I'd have to remove midbead if I go to a small one.

Actually a smaller height front bead in conjunction with a mid bead is GTG.
The mid bead will force your eye to bring the smaller front bead above it raising impact.
Might be your 10 buck solution.
And you might not even need a pitch spacer.

Maybe that fat bead you got on front aint the original either.

I bet it was brass and brass.
JMO.

What exactly are you trying to do??
Turkey gun set up????
Squirrel/ birding/ dove gun?
Is this gun fixed choked??

Aim high.

You’re welcome!

I'd like to bust a turkey with it. I prefer a bead over all else. I like to keep things as simple as possible.

Came with a improved cylinder & a Carlson full flush choke. They both shoot low. I need to get a good tight choke & to from there.

Meadow creek mount on the rib, then get a vortex venom to put on it.

You can also try different choke/shell combinations

Bennelli offer spacers,of different thickness that goes in the front of the stock. It essentially adjusts the angle of the rest of the stock, and thus your point of aim( I.e. hitting high or low) Not sure if you can do this to your Mossberg or not, but it would fix your problem.

I've got a check riser I'll try first as suggested by Dog Tick. If that doesn't cut it I'll get a smaller front bead.