Like any good science, what started as one project led me to other discoveries. Early work with Mossberg’s 990 Aftershock non-NFA “pistol grip firearm” soon had me expanding into SBS (ATF Short Barrel Shotgun) territory, which then led me to think about how to maximize the blunderbuss’s potential guided by various sights. There were some trial-and-error moments typical of any worthy research endeavors. One crucial part of my hypothesis — whether a handgun-configured red-dot sight could work on this short-range platform — was experimenting with various mounting and sight options.
Think about it. What has the red dot done for the handgun? Nothing more than elevated accuracy and speed levels for target engagement to new standards. Handguns and shotguns operate in the same engagement space dimensions, with the shotgun being a proverbial modern-day battle axe compared to the handgun as a rapier. A red dot offers a shotgun even more benefits than it does for a handgun, enhancing its potential. Gone are the days of the brass bead.
My conclusions: It’s time to red dot it, baby!
I originally mounted a Meprolight MPO Pro-F on a small section of Picatinny rail attached to the 990’s receiver. This worked, though I had lingering anxieties; it could have been better. That is when I spotted the Meprolight MPO Pro direct shotgun mount. As every researcher worthy of their sliderule has proclaimed: Eureka! This is what I was seeking. The direct shotgun mount with the petite MPO Pro-F lowers the eye level to right over the rib.
My choice of red dot did not waver from the Meprolight MP0 Pro-F during my Mossberg 990 journey. The closed nature of the MPO Pro-F creates a dependable design that will not be affected by weather or environmental conditions. Rain, snow, or debris cannot interfere with the dot reticle, enabling accurate shooting in any conditions. A CR1632 battery provides 20,000 hours of life. The Meprolight Pro-F follows the path of previous rugged Meprolight products, such as the Mepro M21, M22, and Tru-Vision. Here was a compact 1.8-ounce closed emitter red dot with three reticle options: 3 MOA dot, 33MOA circle/dot bullseye, and 33 MOA ring.
Eureka, indeed.
The MPO Pro-F’s circle/dot bullseye is what really cemented the sight’s use on a shotgun for me. Call me sheltered, but to this point, my ideal shotgun sight was the aperture set-up of iron sight with ghost ring. This was fast and offered a modicum of zero capability if slug use is in the works and enables centering the impact of buckshot patterns.
I had no clue what I was missing until I put the Meprolight MPO Pro-F on the Mossberg 990 SBS. The Pro-F’s circle/dot represents the “cone” of firepower the shotgun brings to bear. To visualize the sight cone, think about the spread of a buckshot pattern from muzzle to 50 yards.
MATCH MADE IN SHOTGUN RED DOT HEAVEN
My favorite personal defense shotgun load is the Winchester PDX 1 (now called Defender in the Winchester catalogue) 12-gauge load. It combines a 1-oz slug and three #00 pellets. The Winchester PDX 1 load harkens back to the “buck-n-ball” loads used by our forefathers against the British in the Revolutionary War and each other during the Civil War. The Winchester PDX 1 loads stretch preconceived 12-gauge lethality notions with its combination of slug and buckshot.
The 990 Aftershock SBS with Meprolight MPO Pro-F mounted low on the receiver allows for sighting in of the slug component of the Winchester PDX1 load. The MPO Pro-F’s circle/dot reticle gives you a sense of the impact zone of the three #00 buckshot loads traveling downrange with the slug. Anecdotally, Winchester has figured out, via a special wad, how to keep the 1-ounce slug centered among the #00 buckshot pellets that are nicely distributed around it in a triangle form for maximum target effect.
You don’t have to go with a boutique load. Regular buckshot loads will also require being sighted/centered, as well with the MPO Pro-F, with positive results. I keep saying it, but the circle/dot reticle is the way to go for these loads, duplex or not.
AT THE RANGE
Range testing of the 990/Meprolight/Winchester PDX 1 trio was the confluence of performance, combining the best of both worlds for the personal defense shotgun—single projectile performance and 10-inch buckshot pattern spread out to 20 yards, with one of the holes being made by the 1-ounce slug!
I selected a 50-yard zero, considering the engagement range and personal-defense role envisioned with the Mossberg 990 SBS and Meprolight MPO Pro-F red dot sight. The Winchester PDX 1 had similar accuracy as dedicated slug-only loads — 3-inch groups at 50 yards — with the added benefit of three #00 buckshot pellets allowing for multi-projectile performance. The Meprolight MPO Pro-F made sighting in a simple affair.
I further field testing this unit’s capability at Echo Valley Training Center’s Jungle Walk Range. The ability to move through its varied terrain and engage randomly placed targets hidden within cover suited the Mossberg/Meprolight MPO Pro-F perfectly. The ranges involved were between 35 and 80 yards. Multiple shots were fired at most of the targets to allow for the opportunity to manipulate the 990 SBS. Shoot two, load two, was my mantra, following the dictate of a tube-fed shotgunner. The Meprolight MPO Pro-F sight allowed for a wide field of view and quick target assessment/engagement.
The use of Meprolight MPO Pro-F red dot takes nothing away from the Mossberg 990 SBS’s celebrated “pointability” and quick shot placement on moving targets. Numerous thrown clay targets were destroyed while testing at Echo Valley Training Center with the Mepro red-dotted 990 SBS.
The shotgun’s popularity is derived from the ability to hit targets at moderate ranges better than any other weapon with its cone of firepower via the numerous projectiles it can send downrange with a single trigger pull. The firing of 6 rounds of #00 buckshot translates into 48-54 (depending on 8 pellet or 9 pellet #00) projectiles sent downrange in a few seconds. The combat shotgun’s utility should not be doubted or dismissed once its role is understood. The Meprolight MPO Pro-F with shotgun plate only enhances this.
Eureka!
SPECIFICATIONS: Meprolight MPO Pro-F
Magnification Range:1x
Objective Lens Size: .95”x .7”
Turret Adjustments:1 MOA
Windage/Elevation Travel: +/-30MOA
Weight: 1.8 ounces
Illumination: 10 daylight/2 NV Auto and Manual Brightness Controls
Available Reticles: Red 3MOA dot, 33MOA circle/3MOA dot, 33MOA circle
Battery Type/Life: 1x CR1632 Battery/20,000 hours
Waterproof: IP67
MSRP: $359