Poll: Educate me on barrel length

[DeanMk]

I've been shopping around for a new over/under for clay sports. Most everyone I've talked to has either implied or flat out informed me that I "want" a 30 or 32 inch barrel. I see very little benefit to a longer barrel other than weight. I'm a big guy (6'5") and it feels like most people have referenced my size when making their recommendations. I get that length of pull and shoulder comfort are important but I just can't wrap my head around the longer barrel thing? I feel like I shoot better with 28" and even 26" barrels. What am I missing?

If you have a break action gun now, try this experiment....take the barrel(s) off the gun, then shoulder the receiver and try to follow birds flying by with just the back part of the gun.
You can do it, but it feels odd and its hard(er) to swing the gun smoothly, especially if you try to throw the gun up quickly and track the bird (like in a hunting situation).
This is the effect of barrel length, or rather, the lack of it.
Trust me, I rock a 20 ga. single with a 25" barrel and its like there's nothing out there at all.
Took me a few years to get used to it because the lack of barrel length made the gun very whippy.
…but, do you really need 30-32" barrels?
My suggestion on that is to see if you can't try someone else's gun with the longer barrels and see how you like it.
I know, when I was a kid, I had a Stevens 511 SxS, also 20 ga. and it shot great for me with 26" barrels.
That gun had a lot more heft out front than my current single does, though. The effect of multiple barrels.
Anyway, hope that helps. Good luck and let us know what you end up with and why.

Dean

 

[FullMetalJerk]

Barrels have a sweet spot for maximum velocity.

 

[DeanMk]

I've been shopping around for a new over/under for clay sports. Most everyone I've talked to has either implied or flat out informed me that I "want" a 30 or 32 inch barrel. I see very little benefit to a longer barrel other than weight. I'm a big guy (6'5") and it feels like most people have referenced my size when making their recommendations. I get that length of pull and shoulder comfort are important but I just can't wrap my head around the longer barrel thing? I feel like I shoot better with 28" and even 26" barrels. What am I missing?

So what did you end up doing?

 

[DirectDrive]

28" Modified or 30" Full
Try 'em out and then pick one.

 

[T22]

So what did you end up doing?

Still haven't made a decision, if I go Over/Under it'll probably be a 30". Most of the guns I like are only available in 30/32. If I go with a semi it'll probably be a 28". Maybe. I'm starting to think I should just buy one of each and go from there....

 

[coop44]

Been shooting an 870 for years, 26" for skeet, 3 0" for trap. Works for me.

 

[DeanMk]

Still haven't made a decision, if I go Over/Under it'll probably be a 30". Most of the guns I like are only available in 30/32. If I go with a semi it'll probably be a 28". Maybe. I'm starting to think I should just buy one of each and go from there....

Sounds good.
Thanks for the update.

 

[ma96782]

Educate me on barrel length


My GF says, it not only about length.....

Wait a second.....what were we talking about?

Aloha, Mark

 

[Member 34319]

Ive been if the understanding that barrel length meant more velocity and tighter spread.

I do not believe a 28" barrel would be much better than a 30".

I would say a 18" barrel is much worse than a 28" barrel.

Ammo choices have a lot to do with this equation too.

Shooting past 50 yards, the longest distance one could when I did five stand, couldn't be easily be done with crap ammo. The clay flew further than this, that was the distance you stood from the thrower. I sucked big time at anything past 40 yards, so on the second round, I missed a lot.

Guys with single barrel guns would still be hitting all the way to 60-70 yards with 30"-34" barrels and better ammo.

 

[Mark-60]

IMHO, the difference is how the gun swings and balances. Velocity has zero to do with barrel length in a sporting shotgun (at least to the point of being noticeable) I've been shooting a Browning Citori with 26" tubes for a long time, recently moved to 32" tubes in a Citori 725 sporting. The only differences are fit, balance, and swing. The site radius may play a roll too, but not real sure about that.

Try a few if you can. As mentioned above, Tri-county has a unofficial sporting course on Sundays. I'll bet you can get some good opinions and maybe try a few guns there.

 

[DeanMk]

"IMHO, the difference is how the gun swings and balances..."

Couldn't have stated it better myself.
Exactly!