Rifled Slug Barrel with Open Sights on Mossberg 835

**jgh176** · September 6th, 2011, 11:54 PM

So I've got this Mossberg 835. I bought a used rifled slug barrel with open sights, and it appears to be in excellent shape.

I took it out to the range to sight it in for the first time, and obviously just had the rear sight centered on the barrel. It shot WAY left. Like, off the paper and into the wood holding up the target.

Funny thing, though, it was extremely consistent. After I set the rear sight over by a lot, it was consistently shooting 1-1.5" groups at 50 yards, even though I was aiming far to the right of what seemed to be the "center" of the barrel and where it would be pointing.

Thinking it might just be bad alignment of the sights, I threw on a red dot scope and the same thing happened. From dead center, I shot way left. Once I adjusted the scope, I was consistent, but "pointing" the barrel far to the right to get it to the center of the target.

Funny thing is, with my turkey barrel the sights are dead on.

Is this unusual, something I should worry about, or is it fairly typical and no big deal?

**jgh176** · September 8th, 2011, 12:36 AM

Anyone? Please?

**98Redline** · September 13th, 2011, 11:08 AM

I would say that your experience is not typical, however if the gun shoots well, then stick with it.

If the sights are installed correctly then they should be relatively centered when you shoot.

Shooting off the paper at 50 yards would tell me that something is amiss.
Have you measured the position of both the front and rear sight from both edges of the barrel? Are the sights on straight?

Barring that does the barrel appear to be straight? If you lay a straight edge along either side of the barrel do you notice any variation from one side to the other?

You had mentioned that you installed a red dot. Where is the red dot mounted? D&T mount on the receiver?

**jgh176** · September 13th, 2011, 05:39 PM

Thanks for the reply. My visual inspection of the barrel and sights convinces me that there is nothing "off." The red dot is mounted on a picatinny rail screwed in to the top of the receiver.

It's consistent and I suppose it doesn't bother me as long as it stays accurate.

The rear sight is centered, and the adjustment of the little butterfly shaped thingy that you see through amounts to about 1/8 of an inch to the right of center. Not big, but noticeable.

**jgh176** · September 13th, 2011, 05:42 PM

If I were to center the rear sight, I would have to aim about a foot to the right at 50 yards to hit center.

**harold63** · September 17th, 2011, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by jgh176

Not big, but noticeable.

No one will notice it but you. The rear sight on a Marlin 336 and a Ruger 10/22 I own are not perfectly in the center. Just adjust it until your POA and POI coincide. If you run out of adjustment on the rear sight, you may have to have it remounted, but it is doubtful you'll run out of adjustment before you run out the duty range of a slug.