Which do you prefer? 28" or 26" Barrels
 

What length barrels do you all prefer on your shotguns? 28" or 26"? Does the 2" difference really help/hurt range & patterning? I currently have a Mossberg 500 with a 28" barrel, but I'm considering a Benelli SuperNova with a 26" barrel. Thanks.

If you are shooting decoyed birds, the 26" barrel will be fine. I prefer the 26" because it feels better to me and I'm able to get on the birds quicker. I shoot a 26" Benelli 20 gauge and have no problems with geese or ducks. If you are in a pit you have to be careful not to ring your buddies ears. The shorter the barrel the easier it is to do that. Good luck and welcome to the forum!!

Yes. I shoot over decoys in tidal wetlands. I also use the same shotgun for upland bird & small game... Thanks for the welcome.

There is definitely no difference in a 26 " and 28 " barrel as far as performance and patterning are concerned..

Patterning is a function of choke, not barrel length..

I've shot waterfowl with barrels from 20" to 32"....Some of my best shooting ( my ONLY triple on ducks plus several triples on geese) was done with the 20" barrel..

All in all, I think it is a matter of personal preference... A 26" barrel seems to swing best for me, either in a repeater or an over/under..

I have a O/U and a SxS both with 26" barrels for hunting in tight cover.


Everything else is 28".

Thanks for the replies & info.

26 in all of mine except my o/u which is 30

im shooting a 28" browning silver... and before that i shot a 26" pump. so to me its just a matter of acclamating to what your shooting. I did fine with both.

i would really like to get a gun with a 26", but i think the new nitromags are 28's. Probably a stupid question, but can the barrels be cut down at all? have a gunsmith cut down a 28" to a 26"?

I shot a 26" BPSfor years now I shoot a 28" O/U both in 12ga seems to me to not make any difference at all . I do have a 28" bbl for the BPS but just didn't care for it . Can't say why it just didn't feel whatever it was that the 26" felt like. I always liked the feel of my Moms 28" mod 12 though. Personal choice I think you just have to try each 1 on for yourself , like me you might find you like the longer bbl on 1 but not the other.

Bbls can be cut and choked or refitted with threaded chokes but it may be less costly to buy the shorter/longer bbls. I was going to have the short BPS bbl fitted with brilly's when I found the 2nd bbl with 3 chokes for $25 more than the work and 2 chokes.