What’s the point of a coach gun

Travis Bickle said:
I would counter and say what's the point of a pipe on a shotgun longer than 20"?
There's only so much acceleration a shot group is going to reach, after that distance in the pipe it's just going to slow down if anything. The shot pattern is based on the choke of the barrel. You can have a 15" full choke and it's going to pattern the same as a 36" full choke except with the 36" pipe your shot is probably now slower velocity at the muzzle if anything.
20" barrel is perfect. That's what I have on my 1 and only shotgun. Long enough to fire slugs accurately and not have to swing a massive 4 foot pipe and very easy to manoeuver. Light weight and balanced.
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For me it’s the “Bang” factor. A 20 inch barrel rings my bell but my 28 inch barrels are tolerable (you can’t wear plugs hunting grouse)
 
MiG25 said:
Nope, a 36 inch tube gets you almost 2 feet closer to the target than a 15 incher.
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Ha!
In the end though it boils down to what feels best for the shotgun shooter. You don't gain any velocity between a 20" or a 32" etc Chokes make the pattern not the barrel length
I prefer a 20" barrel all the time but it's definitely a personal preference thing to the individual.
 
I have a whole selection of 13.5" to 16" shotguns in various gauges... .410, 20gauge, 12gauge. Pump, single shot, over/under, lever, mag fed pump... I really need to take a group shot, if for no other reason than to try and remember what I already have so I don't accidentally buy (another) duplicate.

Other than the mag fed, which is mostly just a range toy, the rest of them get used practically. Once you get used to the shorter barrel guns, it becomes hard to convince yourself to grab a long barreled shotgun from the cabinet. I'll hunt grouse, harry maggies and crows at the farm, pick off rabbits, use them in the spring gopher shoots (when you can get up close and wipe out 3-6 in one shot while they're poking their heads out of the hole). Good bush/pack guns.

They're just so much easier to handle, in almost all conditions, than something with a longer barrel.

I don't hunt migratory, where a longer barrel for a bit of extra velocity and the "swing" balance comes into play. If I'm shooting clays, I will grab one of my full length guns, though.

The biggest thing I've found, is that with the short barrel guns, chokes matter a LOT more. You get some crazy wide patterns with cylinder bore, but can really tighten things up with a full choke. This is especially true of lighter shot in the #6 to #8 range. Heavier shot seems to hold together better (cylinder bore works fine for 00 buck).

In short (ha!)...

Buy it. Shoot it. Come Luke, join us on the dark side.
 
First 12 ha was a Stroeger coach gun. I bought it for shooting rabbits in thick alders. Worked well. Still after 29 years and still works great. It started my urge for doubles. Last time I went to buy a double I came home with 4. One was a hammered coach gun.

Go get the coach gun. ��
 
I have a 45 long colt rossi ranch hand. It kind of fits in the same circumstances. It's a bit goofy, fairly impractical, not very common, but it is the most fun that you can have with your clothes on that money can buy
 
A long barrel won't gain you much with low powered loads, but when when you start getting into the hotter stuff it makes an increasing difference.

As in, getting the full 1325 fps out of a typical buckshot load instead of only 1250 fps that you can expect out of a riot length barrel, or 1600 fps from a slug load instead of only 1450 fps.
 
Useless junk. Good luck hitting a flying grouse with one.

They handle like a baseball bat but seem to be popular with posers.
 
SuperCub said:
Useless junk. Good luck hitting a flying grouse with one.

They handle like a baseball bat but seem to be popular with posers.
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You ever used a good one or thought that there may be other uses for them than bird hunting?
 
I like the short-barreled shotgun's because you can take them down very quickly and pack them away, if I am traveling or in a remote location, I can bring a shotgun along that doesn't take a lot of space, should I need one, I can put it together really quickly. I like to travel armed
 
SuperCub said:
Useless junk. Good luck hitting a flying grouse with one.

They handle like a baseball bat but seem to be popular with posers.
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Shot dozzens of flying grouse....rarely missed one. Quite a few rabbits on the run as well, a couple of ducks one day, a wolf once, a cougar once....i'd have to say not much has escaped it. Nothing I own shoulders faster, points faster and goes bang faster.
 
I shot a few rabbits and crows with a 18.5 inch single shot before i "upgraded" to a coach gun. Easy ti swing and short barrel keep the muzzle out of the snow.
 
870P said:
You ever used a good one or thought that there may be other uses for them than bird hunting?
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What other use is there for a shotgun outside grouse hunting? :)

I have tried them BTW. The guy I hunt with bought one and traded it to me for something else cuz he couldn't hit squat with it. I sold it FAST!
 
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