I have three Mossberg shotguns, a 590A1; and two 500's, one with a 20" barrel (8 + 1), and one with a 28" barrel,

that I bought to use for trap and skeet until I decide if I like it enough to get something better.

 

I can shoot the first two all day, with birdshot, buckshot, and slugs; and have done so at various classes and such.

The other one just beats the crap out of me, smashing me in the face so hard that within a few shots, my cheek bone is bruised.  Now before someone gives me the reflex response that I should keep my cheek welded against the stock, please keep in mind that I have no issues with the other two guns, so I'm having trouble figuring out what could be different.

 

Could it be an issue with how the gun fits me?  Or could it be just that the gun is a cheaply made (I paid less than $300 for it new), and doesn't balance well or something?

 

I appreciate any advice that you seasoned shotgunners might be able to provide.

Is the length of pull and drop the same on them all? What about magazine length and therefore balance?

 

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Frank, your not referring to your a** cheek, are you?  

I'll wager the pitch of one of those buttstocks is different. Assuming the LOP and DAH are similar, check the pitch. Buttstocks have positive, negative or neutral pitch. You can modify the pitch temporarily to see if this is the problem using shims or spacers and shoot a few rounds before making the change permanent.

 

Some background explained more eloquently that I can:

https://www.shotgunsportsmagazine.com/archive/aug11/story0811.html

 

http://www.americanhunter.org/articles/how-to-achieve-perfect-shotgun-fit/

 

 

 

They sell spacers that you can shim the buttplate with to alter the pitch to be more positive or negative:

 

http://www.precisionreloading.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PRE&Category_Code=SPACERS

I traded an O/U for just this reason.

Are you sure the LOP is not smaller on this shotgun and you're not smacking yourself with your thumb?