Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

I would like to hear everyone's opinion on shotgun barrel length.
Let's assume that you have two shotgun's, same make, model and gauge.
IMO a shorter 22 or 24 barrel is handier than a longer 26 or 28 inch tube and will pattern just as well....what do you think?
Does barrel length matter in the field to Average Joe hunter.

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

It's not the length, it's how you use it!;)

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

I have a 21" Benelli Super 90 and a 30" Browning A-5, and handling-wise, I prefer the Benelli. Pattern-wise, there is no difference, but I do like the 30" for the longer sight plane and swing.

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

Longer barrels simply swing better, that is the only real advantage. My A-5 stalker has a 21 inch barrel and I like it.

Keep in mind a pump or semi auto with a shorter barrel is much like a break action with a longer barrel since they don't have an action. So my 21 inch browning is a lot like shooting a 30 inch break action gun.

Paul

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

If I'm hunting Quail, Snipe,Turkey or Rabbits, I prefer the 22". If I am pass shooting Doves or Ducks, I prefer the 28"....

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

always used 28" or 30" on my wing shootin guns...i agree, they wing better IMO.

for my turkey and now fur getter(predators) i love my 21" barrel on my 870.

though any wing shooting i do this year will be with it...either that or the old mossberg with a 28" but i am going to dedicate that a slug gun...my my 870 will stay turkeys and predators and buy a nice semi or o/u next year for my wing shooting needs...

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

popeye used to be..... the longer the more accurate.....what happened to that?

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

One other thing to consider...My Remington 1100 slug gun has a 21 inch barrel, without ear protection that thing is sure loud....It makes a heck of a short range quail, dove, wood duck and jump shooting rabbit gun though...

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

Nope. The only difference is smoothness of swing. Which if you like shorter barrels, can be changed with weights. Choke tubes took care of the length issue.

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

I recently purchased a Mossberg 835 Turkey gun that has a 20" barrel which came with an xfactor turkey choke. I was planning on purchasing a longer barrel, possibly a 26 or 28" VRto hunt small game etc, but I was wondering if I might be able to get by with the20"VR barrel, andjust usea modified choke tube in it, rather thanpurchasing aseparate barrel?

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

You have to remember, all those F.P.S.(feet per second) claims pertaining to shotgun shellvelocities are all based on a 30" barrel length.
So by going to a very short 21" barrel, your not getting the "advertized velocity claims"!!

It all depends on what your using your shotgun for? For Duck, Geese, and any other "Wing" shooting, you want a longer barrel length for easeof swing like mentioned above, but also a better sight picture with that longer barrel as well. So by using a 28" or 30" barrel length for this type of hunting, itwill also shoot much faster than a shorter tube!!

Yes, a shorter barrel in the turkey woods is easier to maneuver around with, but I really feel that a 24"-26" barrel is a great compromise for speed and maneuverability!!;)

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

Barrel length is more important to wingshooters who need more weight forward to aid in swing and follow-through. It is possible to choke a barrel to get just as good patterning from a short tube as a long one. In addition, shot loads don't lose much velocity from chopping back a barrel.

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

Actually everything I have read lately says that with the newer loads and powders they reach velocity in barrels as short as 18-19 inches. A long barrel does two things, effect the balance of the gun and lengthens the sight radius. And when using a shotgun on moving targets you really shouldn't be aiming anyway.

Paul

RE: Shotgun Barrels -Does Length Matter
 

Thanks for all the comments. The question arose from a conversation I was havingaboutwhat makes a good general purpose use shotgun. The type that most of us probably had at one time or another, where you use it for everything from rabbit and squirrel to upland birds to dispatching farmyard varmints.