Guns.com recently cut down a beautiful Christmas tree using a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun. It took a single shot of Winchester’s 3-inch 1 1/8 ounce steel shot to cleanly sever the 3-inch stem. Traveling at 1,550 feet-per-second, it’s no surprise that it fell the tree with such ease.
Mossberg 500 shotguns were introduced in 1960 with the US military adopting it not long after that. Mossberg claims the 500 model is the only shotgun to pass the U.S. Army’s Mil-Spec 3443E test. This includes firing 3,000 rounds of full power 12-gauge buckshot in unforgiving conditions. While the Marines officially switched to the Benelli M4 shotgun in 1999, many branches of the U.S. military still use the 500 today.
What makes the Mossberg 500 shotgun so handy for tree cutting work comes down to this dependability and affordability. A new or used 500 series shotgun will run you around $500 at Guns.com.
Available in a variety of models and configurations, we opted for the SPX model to nab this Christmas tree. The SPX features an adjustable ghost ring rear sight, a high visibility front sight, a six-position adjustable synthetic stock, a five-round side saddle, a Picatinny rail over the action and a pistol grip.
Empty, the gun weighs 6.75-pounds. Equipped with an 18.5-inch ported barrel, the SPX boasts a compact and maneuverable design with the ability to sport five 3-inch shells in the tube and one in the chamber — That’s more than enough firepower for Christmas trees and much more.
PICK UP A MOSSBERG 500 SPX SHOTGUN TO CUT DOWN YOUR OWN TREE
The Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)
The five-round side saddle on the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)
The business end and elevated high visibility front sight of the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)
The adjustable ghost ring rear sight mounted on the Picatinny rail on the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)
Another view of the adjustable ghost ring rear sight on the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)
The elevated front sight and business end of the ported 18.5″ barrel of the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)
The Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)
Winchester Super X 12-gauge 3″ 1 1/8 ounce steel shot. This ammo packs a punch. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)
The post Chopping Down a Christmas Tree With a Shotgun appeared first on Guns.com.