Nicolas Lenze 04.11.22
Many shooters find their way into hunting because they like to pull the trigger…a lot. This is one thing that big game hunting, if you’re any good at it, will not afford you. This is exactly why I started my hunting career with small game and birds. I was recently invited to participate in my first guided goose hunt by my friend Brett of XL3 Rigging. Unfortunately, the shotgun I brought along was not usable and I had to borrow a 3 ½” pump-action 12-gauge. This was not ideal and left something to be desired. If only there was a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun designed specifically for the needs of a waterfowl hunter! Well, Mossberg answered my call with the Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl.
Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl: Specifications
- Gauge: 12
- Capacity: 4+1
- Max shell length: 3”
- Barrel length: 28”
- Overall length: 48.75″
- Weight: 7.75 lbs.
- Finish: Patriot Brown Cerakote
- MSRP: $1,092.00
Thoughts Before Shots
The Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl came to me as separate pieces. After picking it up from Centennial Gun Club down the street in Centennial, Colorado, I could see why. This shotgun, equipped with a 28” barrel, would have been unwieldy in a box. Opening the box revealed a Patriot Brown shotgun, accented with a Truetimber Prairie camouflage stock and forend.
Having been on my goose hunt, I remembered how cumbersome gloves could be, so the enlarged bolt handle was a sight for sore fingers. The bolt release button was where it should be, and is size appropriate for use with these same gloved hands. The circular shape led to some strange feelings, but we’ll touch on that later.
The muzzle is threaded to accept screw-in chokes (Accu-Choke compatible). The barrel has a rib running along its entire length. At the end of the barrel, I found a very bright fiber optic front sight. The triangular shape was different from the brass beads I have been accustomed to, and I was excited to see how it performed.
Talking Turkey: Field Use
Though the name of this gun is Waterfowl, shotguns are well known for their versatility. I wanted to test it with a variety of loads for a variety of purposes. Many of us hunt several kinds of animals, but not all of us can afford to have a separate boomstick for each. Some people may even use their hunting shotgun for defense.
We tested five different loads. Each one was fired at the same target from five yards, 10 yards, and 25 yards.
Paper and data are cool, but if we’re being honest, it’s not very fun. I desperately wanted to use this firearm on a real hunt, but I couldn’t line it up. So, I went for the next best thing. On my next outing to the range at MODTAC Training Group, I brought a big box of clays and got to work.
Admittedly, I’m not Kim Rhode. I did, however, knock a whole lot more out of the sky than I was expecting on my second time shooting clays. It was an extremely windy day, so we didn’t shoot the whole box, but of 22 hand-thrown clays, 11 met an untimely end by the hand of the Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl.
With my previous statement on versatility in mind, I wanted to bring home another type of bird. We’d be eating well this coming Thanksgiving had this turkey not been made from balloons, glue, and newspaper. Turkey hunting requires a higher degree of accuracy if you want the job done right. Headshots are the way to go, so that was my aim. For this, we used the 3″ #2 waterfowl loads.
Call the Pilgrims. Dinner will soon be on the table.
Smooth as Water or Fowl and Wretched?
Most of my shotgun shooting up to this point has been with good ol’ pumps. I had fiddled and played with semis, but this was the first time I really let one rip. The difference in felt recoil was incredible. I know that Mossberg is very proud of the newly designed gas system, and they should be. Getting back on target was unnecessary because I was still on it (at least that’s how it felt). Another contributor to this was that front sight. The bright triangle created a single point that was easy to track and didn’t require me to cover my target. I’m a fan.
The enlarged bolt handle was a breeze to manipulate, even while wearing gloves. I was wearing the cold-weather version of the PIG gloves from SKD Tactical. They’re nowhere near the thickest gloves out there, but they didn’t hang up on the 940 Pro Waterfowl.
The bolt release is large and easy to activate. However, the shape of it made me want to press it in flat against the receiver. This isn’t the case. The front of the circle pivots inward with the circle’s center as the fulcrum. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is weird, and still trips me up sometimes, even after putting hundreds of rounds through the gun. Maybe that’s just me.
Overall, the Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl is comfortable, feature-rich, and surprisingly handy for having such a long barrel. The camo pattern gives it an aesthetic boost that is also practical. Call me a snob, but I usually find camo-pattered shotguns to be a bit cheesy. After my goose hunt with a 3 ½” pump shotgun, the light recoil and ease of operation are a clear advantage when on a hunt with a high round count. If you want to read more directly from Mossberg, you can find the details on their website. Don’t forget to follow along on their social media pages. You can find Mossberg on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Happy hunting!
