Shotgun barrel length ??

[chummer]

The chock and drams of powder pretty much dictate how far out you will reach. The down side to shorter barrels are felt recoil and greater muzzle blast. I had a friend who hunted with a 26" barrel remington, we did alot of bird hunting together when we lived in hermiston, he did very well with that gun, ducks and geese. The good thing about it was hunting quail and pheasent, alot lighter and a quick swing.

[Gooseman]

If you're going to pack it around, you'll want the shorter barrel. One thing to consider is the balance of the gun. Too much barrel weight will slow your swing.
The other thing to consider is a back bored barrel tends to deliver better patterns. Not all barrels are back bored.
I shot a Remington that was back bored, and felt that it was a better shooting gun than my SBE.

[bigshark]

We all have opinions that differ one way or another on this subject. Many live bird shoots have been won with short tubes and tight chokes.
Shorter barrels do seem to make a shotgun point quicker, but most quick guns are not as easy to keep on the target. Those who shoot longer barrels believe the gun swings better and is more easily put on and kept on target with longer tubes. I buy into the later, but I also believe that if you are a one gun shotgunner you will make anything work well if you practice,practice,practice. As the guys who shoot for money say: Beware of the guy who owns only one gun!

[KingFisher85]

I like my 26 inch barrel. I have one on one of my shotguns. Swings real nice. I would rather have 26 inch barrels then the 28-30 inch.
And chummer said it. "The down side to shorter barrels are felt recoil and greater muzzle blast."
Can sure feel the recoil in my 20 inch barrel.

[reeldick]

I've hunted with an SKB 12 gauge O&U W/ 26" barrel for years. Great for ruffed grouse in heavy cover. Gives you a quick swing. It has also been a good gun for short shooting over decoys for ducks.

[Lured In]

IMHO...getting a gun "fit" for you is more important than barrell length. A gun that fits (drop in comb, length of reach,etc.) will have a better net effect on your shooting than barrell length.

That said, the suggestions above hold true. Go short for a reduction in weight and increasing your speed to get on target. Go long for steadiness on swing and a longer sighting plane.

Most of todays fast burning shells will burn out even in a 24" barrel. Another consideration is if you are planning on shooting rifled slugs (not sabots) out of your smooth bore. The longer barrell will help with patterning.

I shoot a 28" barrell on my Benelli and I love it. The gun is lighter than my buddies Remington with a 26" barrel.

Either way...good luck!

[ICHTHYDEMON]

All the shotguns I've ever had have had a 28" barrel. I thought about a shorter barrel,when I bought my 835 ulti-mag,but I decided the 28" tube felt smoother when I swung the gun.

I don't believe cutting 2" off the end of a 12ga. barrel is going to increase "felt" recoil either.
Who feels or hears recoil or muzzle blast when hunting anyways? I sure don't. My 835 has a ported barrel,which is known to increase muzzle blast,I can shoot it in the field all day,and not notice the blast. Maybe it's just me?

[Crashin' Bait]

On those ported barrels, usually its your hunting partners that feel and hear the muzzle blast. OUCH!

[crabbait]

You got that right, Crashinbait!

I shoot an SBE with 26" barrel for waterfowl with a one inch extended choke. I like the gun alot and have gotten pretty good with it. With that said, it takes concentration on keeping the gun moving to hit with any regularity. Short light guns are quicker to mount but also easy to stop, resulting in misses to the rear.

If you look at Sporting Clays guns, you will see nothing but 30" or even 32" barrels. For tough, sometimes long shots, the extra barrel length results in a smoother swing with much less tendency to stop the gun. I really like my Ruger O/U with the 30" tubes for pheasant when steel/non-toxic shot is required or when hunting wild pheasants that tend to flush further out.

For the tight stuff (quail, grouse, planted pheasant) I love the 26" tubes on my Browning 20ga O/U. Again, it is quick to the shoulder but good technique is required to keep the gun moving through the shot.

Summary: Barrel length is not critical, but longer tubes can help make up for less than perfect technique. For an enlightening experience, take your favorite hunting gun to Mitchell's Sporting Clays and see if the light weight will also mean less weight in the game vest.

[ 05-08-2003, 10:38 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[Merle]

I'm getting ready to purchase a new shotgun. I'm considering a 24" or 26" Barrel, which I could put a turkey choke into and use on predators. I have been told that the shorter barrel may give me a disadvantage when duck and goose hunting. All of the shotguns I have ever owned have had 28" or 30" barrels. I would like to know if the shorter barrel is undesirable for bird hunting?

[Tilla]

If you have a 3 1/2" capable gun the shorter barrels keep the overall length down. I like 26". The real short barrels like 22" are a bit noisy to your buddies in a blind, but are neat in upland situations.