ORIGINAL: SwampCollie
ORIGINAL: turkeyslayer34
every shell make has a differnt burn rate for powder so some may max out on burn at a certain length. trust me the heavier loads have a slower burning powder to keep it to saami spec. rule of thumb, is that you loose around 10 fps per inch shorter that 26, and you will loose center core pattern , this is why your pattern is so open. if you dont believe me there is mo mistake all the still shoot turkey target / and card shooters shoot 30+ barrels . now you can get it to shoot awsome , but it will take some work.
That is true 34.... however, slower shot charges typically remain tighter because there is less force/wind resistance pushing them apart.... just my expereince there. Still target shooters use #9 or #8 shot and .640 card cutter tubes.... those Remington STS or Winchester AA target loads they use have extremely fast burn rates. Rationale behind using a 30" barrel is simple: 1) Most people still believe it takes a long barrel to have a tight/dense pattern 2) a lot of competitive folks take advantage of everything they can.... if a 32" barrel puts you 12" closer to the target.... then you are closer and that may make the difference.
There are so many other/additional variables that make a difference when it comes to ultimate pattern results...barrel length is honestly one of the last concerns I'd have from a turkey HUNTING stand point.... I'd be concerned at times that a barrel was too long.
Oh and one other thing... if your 870 is throwing 20-25 pellets of #5 in a 3" circle at 30 yards.... then you have a pretty dang strong shooter. I'm not telling you that not all guns are capable of such performence, but its clear that you have found a combonation that is really sweet in your 870. My best friend (who owns the 1 in 1000 mossberg 835) had a choke tube custom made that shoots awesome out of his gun... I put it in mine and it shot worse than even the stock X-factor tube... I was really suprised at how much differently one gun can shoot from the next, even when almost everything is seemingly identical.
there are all kinds of still shoots, the one i was referimg to is the nwtf sanctioned ones where they shoot the H13, and the measure from the
muzzle to target they even have a guy stand on the line to make sure you dont creep up, if im not mistaken the winning gun, was a Browning BPS ivector plus barrel 30 inch with a Indian Creek black diamond....... with a H13, i think that gun is cappable of putting near 250 in a 10 at 40. and somewhere of 30-50 in a 3 inch circle. the norm at these shoots is a 28-30 barrel, your right they will use every advantage possible even if it only yields a few pellets. the trend years ago was shorter is better, nowturkey huntersare moving back to the 24-26 inch barrels
the card shoots in another whole galaxy of shooting a; kinds of wierd guns, totaly custom ground up using the #8-9 with 34 inch barrels and step chokes, sleeves etc....sounds like fun