870 Supermag VS Mossberg 835

DartonJager

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As my sons and I are now all turkey hunting together, I need a another turkey gun and are down to either a 870 super mag or a Mossberg 835. I am leaning strongly towards the Mossberg 835 as it comes drilled and tapped for a scope which is in my opinion a HUGE advantage because I'm going to put a red dot on which ever gun I buy. Also important but to a slightly lesser degree is the 835 is cheaper than the 870.

I will be the only one using the gun as my boys will be using the 870's.

What I would like to know is there any major reason not to buy the Mossberg 835 VS the 870 Supermag? I've read two things about the mossberg VS the 870 #1 some people claim the 870 is better made than the 835 and some people have claimed the Mossberg 835's trigger is not as good as the 870 Supermags. Has anyone found either of these claims to be true? Is the 835's trigger rough enough to be considered a deal breaker? After all this is a shotgun I'm trying to get a good pattern inside a 10" circle at 40 yards not under an inch at 100 yards.

I have also read that the Mossberg's over-bored barrel is designed specifically for turkey hunting and throws tighter patterns than the 870 does over all regardless of chokes or pellet size. Is this at all true?

Lastly strangely enough no one near me has any 835's in stock so I can do a hands on side by side inspection and comparison of a 835 VS a 870 Supermag, so the information I receive here will have significant impact on which gun I buy.


This gun will be for turkey hunting only and not see use hunting anything else.

Thanks,
Art.
 
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Little more info on your son could be helpful. I have sold all my 870's and the one 835 I owned for softer recoiling auto shotguns for turkey hunting. I own a Benelli M2 and enjoy shooting magnum loads out of it.
 
I just bought a 870 super mag this year for turkey hunting and mine came drilled and tapped for a base. I also bought a Carlson TSS choke tube for it and and with the federal tss #9 shot it shoots really good. It seems like a solid gun and the trigger is pretty nice for what it is but I don't have any experience with the 835s either.
 
Little more info on your son could be helpful. I have sold all my 870's and the one 835 I owned for softer recoiling auto shotguns for turkey hunting. I own a Benelli M2 and enjoy shooting magnum loads out of it.
Actually neither of my sons will likely shoot it as they are very happy with their 870's. Also recoil is not a factor for me. No I don't actually enjoy shooting my 12ga 3.5" 2oz turkey loads while sighting in or patterning, but I don't loathe it either, and i never notice recoil while hunting.

Mostly I am interested in if what i have read that the Mossberg 835 produces better patterns with turkey loads than the 870 is true or not.
 
Well so much for 835 VS 870. I stumbled and do mean STUMBLED across and bought a all mat black Benelli Super Nova with a factory pistol grip stock, receiver drilled and tapped and a 24" barrel for to good a price to pass on. I disassembled it as far as I could and it looked like new in box condition.
Going to outfit it with a Leupold VariX-II 2-7x33mm shotgun scope.
Will see how it does VS the 870 Supermag with turkey shells.
 
I have an Mossberg 835 and its functions well for me. I use it for turkey hunting. They are both good guns, I would get the one with the best price if they both feel good to you.
 
For me, either would work fine. The 835 has an over sized bore and will throw nice patterns but the ones I have shot kick like a rented mule.
870 will also throw nice patterns and does not kick me as hard so that is most likely the one I would pick if forced to choose between the two.
 
I have a ported barreled 835. Trigger isn't horrible, but worse than an 870. 6.75 lb gun with 3.5 inch Hevi-Shot loads are PUNISHING! Put a limbsaver pad on it and is tolerable. I just wanted a cheap gun for turkey and coyote hunting that I didn't care if it got scratched or banged up a bit. Bought it used and never looked back
 
its more than the gun, choke and shells are the important things. i use a rem 870 12ga 3" mag. with federal 1-3/4 oz TSS # 9,s and its deadly, my sight in target at 35 yards.
 

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As my sons and I are now all turkey hunting together, I need a another turkey gun and are down to either a 870 super mag or a Mossberg 835. I am leaning strongly towards the Mossberg 835 as it comes drilled and tapped for a scope which is in my opinion a HUGE advantage because I'm going to put a red dot on which ever gun I buy. Also important but to a slightly lesser degree is the 835 is cheaper than the 870.

I will be the only one using the gun as my boys will be using the 870's.

What I would like to know is there any major reason not to buy the Mossberg 835 VS the 870 Supermag? I've read two things about the mossberg VS the 870 #1 some people claim the 870 is better made than the 835 and some people have claimed the Mossberg 835's trigger is not as good as the 870 Supermags. Has anyone found either of these claims to be true? Is the 835's trigger rough enough to be considered a deal breaker? After all this is a shotgun I'm trying to get a good pattern inside a 10" circle at 40 yards not under an inch at 100 yards.

I have also read that the Mossberg's over-bored barrel is designed specifically for turkey hunting and throws tighter patterns than the 870 does over all regardless of chokes or pellet size. Is this at all true?

Lastly strangely enough no one near me has any 835's in stock so I can do a hands on side by side inspection and comparison of a 835 VS a 870 Supermag, so the information I receive here will have significant impact on which gun I buy.


This gun will be for turkey hunting only and not see use hunting anything else.

Thanks,
Art.
As my sons and I are now all turkey hunting together, I need a another turkey gun and are down to either a 870 super mag or a Mossberg 835. I am leaning strongly towards the Mossberg 835 as it comes drilled and tapped for a scope which is in my opinion a HUGE advantage because I'm going to put a red dot on which ever gun I buy. Also important but to a slightly lesser degree is the 835 is cheaper than the 870.

I will be the only one using the gun as my boys will be using the 870's.

What I would like to know is there any major reason not to buy the Mossberg 835 VS the 870 Supermag? I've read two things about the mossberg VS the 870 #1 some people claim the 870 is better made than the 835 and some people have claimed the Mossberg 835's trigger is not as good as the 870 Supermags. Has anyone found either of these claims to be true? Is the 835's trigger rough enough to be considered a deal breaker? After all this is a shotgun I'm trying to get a good pattern inside a 10" circle at 40 yards not under an inch at 100 yards.

I have also read that the Mossberg's over-bored barrel is designed specifically for turkey hunting and throws tighter patterns than the 870 does over all regardless of chokes or pellet size. Is this at all true?

Lastly strangely enough no one near me has any 835's in stock so I can do a hands on side by side inspection and comparison of a 835 VS a 870 Supermag, so the information I receive here will have significant impact on which gun I buy.


This gun will be for turkey hunting only and not see use hunting anything else.

Thanks,
Art.
 
Do your shoulder a favor and check out the pattern from a full choked 835 shooting low brass 6-71/2 shot. Works for me but I'm sure there are tons of professional turkey slayers that will have a legitimate reason to by 3.5" shotshells at over $2 apiece.
 
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