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Wingbone

A longer barrel will not shoot a tighter pattern than a shorter one with the same choke. You will lose pellet velocity with a shorter barrel. A shorter barrel will be handier in thick brush and a tad lighter to carry. A longer barrel will gave you a longer, more accurate sighting plane if you are aiming with beads. If you use a scope that won't matter. I with shoot a 28" barrel and don't have too much trouble getting through the brush.

jalvja

bgidd,The length of the barrel has nothin to do with the pattern in todays guns with todays shells.The advantages to a shorter barrel are the gun is lighter,easier to move without bangin brush,The only disadvantage with a shorter barrel is with a shorter sight plane some people have a tendancy to shoot hi.This can be fixed with rifle sights or a scope or just remember to bury your cheeck into the stock.I think you'll like a shorter barrel.My gun has a 21"barrel and I love it.

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Natty Bumpo

According to the Federal cartridge company you loose about 10 fps. of velocity for every one inch of shorter barrel length less than 30" even with modern turkey loads.

outdoorsmen

What everyone has stated is correct. I have used a 28" on my 870 with a extended tube (about 29.5" overall) for years. It worked great. I would not get a short barrel if you are going to use it as an all-around multi-purpose gun. This year I'm using a 26" barrel on my SBE with a extended tube.
you don't need a short barrel, it's a limiting factor in the useability of the gun.

Spit-n-Drum

A shorter barrel has advantages and disadvantages, but in my eyes a shorter barrel is the way to go. With todays chokes a shorter barrel will shoot just as tight of groups as a long barrel. Only problem is that they are a little harder to aim so, most go with a double bead or an after market sight. The shorter barrel will make your gun lighter so recoil may be increased a little bit, but probably wont even be noticable. It will however make the gun much easier to swing and move around in the woods especially in tight spots.

maytom

I have a 21&quot; barrel on my 1300 and a 26&quot; barrel on my 11-87. I'm constantly getting hung up with the longer one. While slung over your shoulder it catches every branch it seems as your walling through the woods. True, a longer barrel would be better for other types of game hunting, so if that's all you have is one gun with a long barrel that's ok. But if you want strictly a gun for turkey hunting, the short barrel is the way to go for all the reasons that the guys have already given. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Broken Scope

Okay you guys can flame me. Why does the Outlaw Turkey Shoots have I think it is a 6ft barrel limit class? Im not talking the small time turkey shoots. I talked to one of the guys that makes choke tubes for them and asked if it makes a difference and he said ,Why do you think we shoot the long barrels for? Ive tried diff barrels on 10s and 12s and it does make a diff on some guns.Good topic

1950KID

I think the 28 inch barrel is very good for turkey hunting, but I wouldn't go any longer.
The 28 is easy to aim. Anything longer is probably overkill. I've never had a problem with mine in the brush.