The Mossberg is a more solid, better quality gun. Parts are more stout than Winchester. A look at the ejectors on each will tell you a lot. I no longer have a Winchester pump. Mossberg is a much better gun, IMO.

 

Mossberg for me as well, the 835 is a great waterfowl gun. Plus you will like the extra weight when shooting stout 3 or 3 1/2 inch loads. You don't carry a deer or waterfowl gun much so thee trade off is worth it. I have had mine for about 12 years and never had an issue.

 

Nine pounds is really heavy. I am a big guy and my eight pound SX2 stays home if I have to carry it much.
Not saying the SXP is a great choice either. I would go with a Mossberg 500 over it and the 500 has lots of options including a combo bird/deer gun at a great price.

 

My 835 weighs exactly the same as my 500, 7 1/2lbs. What sort of setup were you looking at?

 

Are you getting a slug barrel with these guns. The bird barrels on both the models are overbored which might not work so great for slugs.

 

Mossberg

 

I agree with BADDUCK. It would be hard to find a better pump than the 500 in that price range. It won't use the 3.5" Roman Candles but who needs them? I have been hunting and shooting with 2 3/4" all my adult life. Never saw where I needed anything more.

 

If you are going to be mostly stationary - deer, turkey, waterfowl - and shooting heavy loads, those extra 2# will save your shoulder a LOT

 

I don't have an 835 or an SXP, but I have had a Mossberg 500 I bought in 1980 that's still going like new. In 35 years I have had to replace only one part, the trigger guard, which I broke myself, no fault of the gun.

This 500 has came with an 18" cylinder barrel and wood furniture, I added a Polychoke later and hunted with it like that for years. Over time I have acquired several other barrels, and it's the only gun I have ever spray painted, more than once. It's been rained on, dropped in mud and once went over the side of the canoe.

When I replaced the trigger guard last year I stripped off all the old paint, went over all the metal with cold blue and Aluma-black and added a set of Hogue Overmolded furniture and it looks and shoots like nearly new.

Does this sound like a gun that's been babied? But it just keeps on going...

The 835 is the 500's bigger brother and is even better built. I presume you know the difference between the 835 and the SXP (and the Mossberg 535) is the oversized bore on the 835 smoothbore barrels.

Mossberg uses a barrel with a 12 gauge chamber leading straight into a .775" bore, that's the 10 gauge standard vs. the normal .729" 12 gauge. It's supposed to give better patterns and velocity, and the guys that use them and the 935 auto seem to really like them.

Oneounceload is dead on: when shooting heavy loads you will come to appreciate the extra couple pounds soaking up some recoil. My 500 runs right at 7.5 pounds now and 3" duck loads will get your attention, even with the excellent Hogue recoil pad and synthetic stock.

One last point, the 835 is 100% American made and the two times in 35 years I had to use Mossberg customer service they were excellent and really took care of me, the last time so well that I shouldn't post the details here. :wink:

The Winchester SXP is made in Turkey. Nothing wrong with Turkish guns, I and friends own several, but it might make a difference to you, and parts and service may not be as easy to come by.

 

I don't have an 835 or an SXP, but I have had a Mossberg 500 I bought in 1980 that's still going like new. In 35 years I have had to replace only one part, the trigger guard, which I broke myself, no fault of the gun.

This 500 has came with an 18" cylinder barrel and wood furniture, I added a Polychoke later and hunted with it like that for years. Over time I have acquired several other barrels, and it's the only gun I have ever spray painted, more than once. It's been rained on, dropped in mud and once went over the side of the canoe.

When I replaced the trigger guard last year I stripped off all the old paint, went over all the metal with cold blue and Aluma-black and added a set of Hogue Overmolded furniture and it looks and shoots like nearly new.

Does this sound like a gun that's been babied? But it just keeps on going...

The 835 is the 500's bigger brother and is even better built. I presume you know the difference between the 835 and the SXP (and the Mossberg 535) is the oversized bore on the 835 smoothbore barrels.

Mossberg uses a barrel with a 12 gauge chamber leading straight into a .775" bore, that's the 10 gauge standard vs. the normal .729" 12 gauge. It's supposed to give better patterns and velocity, and the guys that use them and the 935 auto seem to really like them.

Oneounceload is dead on: when shooting heavy loads you will come to appreciate the extra couple pounds soaking up some recoil. My 500 runs right at 7.5 pounds now and 3" duck loads will get your attention, even with the excellent Hogue recoil pad and synthetic stock.

One last point, the 835 is 100% American made and the two times in 35 years I had to use Mossberg customer service they were excellent and really took care of me, the last time so well that I shouldn't post the details here. 😉

The Winchester SXP is made in Turkey. Nothing wrong with Turkish guns, I and friends own several, but it might make a difference to you, and parts and service may not be as easy to come by.

Thanks for sharing. Probably the most informed response I have read with respect to any aspect of hunting. I experimented with an autoloader and am going to return to the 835 or a 500. I have made some good shots with an 835. Do you guys find that the 500 feeds 3 inch shells reliably? My old 835 cycled anything.

 

been shooting Mossbergs for 40+ years and don't plan on changing anytime soon
the 835 is a great shotgun

 

Winchester hasn't made a decent pump gun since the model 12 and the new version is even worst! :arrow: The current pump is made in turkey along with every thing else.
Get the Mossburg.........................and this from a Remington guy??? :lol:

 

Are you getting a slug barrel with these guns. The bird barrels on both the models are overbored which might not work so great for slugs.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

Mossberg is a solid choice. Jury still out on SXP in my opinion. They have gone from the 1200, to the 1300, to the Speed Pump, to the SXP, so it certainly ought to be better. The Turks can make good guns, they just don't do it for dirt cheap. Not a new concept, and lots of companies are sourcing stuff in Turkey, including Benelli.
This from a 100% Wingmaster man.

 

Hey guys, I've narrowed my choices down to the Winchester SXP or the Mossberg 835. I'm going to use it primarily for deer hunting, but will use it for waterfowl & turkey also.

Neither one is a good choice for deer, compared to shooting a rifled 20 gauge with sabots. For deer, either a Savage 220 or an Ithaca Deerslayer 20 gauge is a substantially better path to take.

 

Of the two I'd go Mossberg...

 

Staying within the parameters you set of Winchester and Mossberg, not throwing out another brand (Remington) I would go with the Mossberg. Just my personal experience.

 

@Splashdog @ShotgunAfficianado
You guys maybe didn't notice, this thread is 11.5 years old?? Last reply was 10.5 years ago? Pretty sure he made a win vs Mossberg decision lol...

 

@Splashdog @ShotgunAfficianado
You guys maybe didn't notice, this thread is 11.5 years old?? Last reply was 10.5 years ago? Pretty sure he made a win vs Mossberg decision lol...

Thanks, I did notice and will keep that in mind. I am looking for a new shotgun with 3 inch chamber. Hard to see and handle shotguns in my area, which is primarily long gun country so I have to reach out. I currently have two Wingmasters. Both are 2 3/4 inch. I also have a Dickinson Arms 20 gauge O/U.

 

Mossberg shotguns are tough as framing hammers. I have a 500 that I've been dragging around for almost 40 years.

I have duck hunted in salt water. I have laid in bean fields until it was so full of sand it wouldn't cycle. It has ridden in the bottom of the boat hunting hogs and in the back of the truck hunting deer. This gun has killed more critters than rabies and still going strong.

Given the choice between Mossberg and Winchester I would choose the Mossberg.

 

I just bought a Winchester SXP 2 months ago, Basspro had it on sale for $199 for Father's Day! I actually needed the Invector Plus choke system for a 24" metrobarrel choketube, reduces sound. So I couldn't get a Mossberg.

However, I have shot 8 boxes at skeet with the SXP, and it has performed flawlessly. Loads have been 3/4oz up through 1-1/4oz subsonic. It fits me well and shoots to point of aim, I am getting 22-24 out of 25 at skeet with it. The pump action is smooth. Some folks in reviews mentioned they weren't used to what Win calls pump assist or such... it is nothing to worry about. It just unlocks bolt and moves forearm maybe an inch, I found it to be a great reminder to shuck a new shell. I shot a Win Model12 for 20 yrs as my only shotgun, and I found this SXP pump action to be very similar.

For $199 sale they had, I can use it as a hammer if I don't like it lol. Very happy with it so far. Not a fan of the safety at front of trigger, but used to it fine now. This is a MUCH MUCH better gun than the Remington Express, fit and finish wise, the chamber and feeds are all well polished, no shell hangups like the Express gives.

Can't comment on Mossberg as it has been 20yrs since I shot a 500.

 

Not only does Mossberg make a "stout" shotgun, but aftermarket-everything is readily available. I compare the Mossberg Shotguns to the great Chevy Small Block 350!, Is it the best, no, but it is pretty good, all the time, and if you can't find a part for a 350-you haven't looked.

 

Great point. I already have a set of Carlson's Delta Waterfowl chokes for the 500.

 

The pump assist on the SXP would absolutely turn me against it.

 

That's what I was saying... it is a non player, complete marketing thing. It is the exact same as a model12, or just a standard pump, you just don't have to press a button to release slide. It's really just normal, they shouldn't even mention it.

 

835, but get a separate slug barrel.... field barrel is .774