Shotgun barrel length for hunting.

[mudgrip4]

I have always used longer barrel 12gs for both trap-shooting and bunny hunting i.e. 26 to 30". Most trap guns will be 26-28" - not shorter.

My current bunny shotgun is an old restored 1950s side-by-side Savage with 30" barrels.

The short i.e. 20" barrel shotguns have proved to be ineffective past 30-40 yards or so due to quicker pellet spread, while the longer barrels appear to hold tighter spread better and will reach out to 60 yards on bunnies.

Have a bloke trying to tell me even 20" barrels will have same spread pattern at 60 yards but my experience strongly suggests otherwise.

Any comments from experience and/or pattern testing.

 

[struff55]

BBl length has nothing to do with distance it is determined by what the choke is the tighter the choke the further it will be able to kill or break targets.

 

[mlehtovaara]

BBl length has nothing to do with distance it is determined by what the choke is the tighter the choke the further it will be able to kill or break targets.

Not true my 14 foot barreled shotgun with an open choke puts shot alot tighter at 15 ft than my 30 inch barrel with a turkey choke.

Just illustrating a point. It does play a small role, but not a major factor.

 

[gixer]

I always pick my barrel length according my situation if possible. For skeet, I like a mid length barrel, of 28", so I still have a decent amount of weight to keep the swing smooth, but also allow me swing fairly quickly. For Grouse and rabbit hunting, I like a
24" to keep the weight down a little, and to keep the gun a little shorter for trampling through the brush etc. it also allows me a real fast swing cus those critters move pretty quick and usually are close shots.

When we go crow shooting, or in the duck blind or layout blinds for geese, I like a longer barrel aswell, 28 or 30". Weight is not a concern then, and most of the shots are more of a straight on shot. Plus in the duck blind with two other guys, the longer barrel keeps the noise away from the guy next to you. A 24" barrel is not a god choice for a duck blind!

My 2 cents. Gixer.

 

[Claybuster]

Not true my 14 foot barreled shotgun with an open choke puts shot alot tighter at 15 ft than my 30 inch barrel with a turkey choke.

Just illustrating a point. It does play a small role, but not a major factor.

That would be true. Shot from a 14 foot open choked barrel would only be one foot from the muzzle at 15 feet and would have a tighter pattern than a 30" barrel regardless of choke.

Where did you find a 14 foot barrel? Must be a ##### to carry in the woods.

 

[mpjustin]

That would be true. Shot from a 14 foot open choked barrel would only be one foot from the muzzle at 15 feet and would have a tighter pattern than a 30" barrel regardless of choke.

Where did you find a 14 foot barrel? Must be a ##### to carry in the woods.

lol

 

[Win/64]

I have always used longer barrel 12gs for both trap-shooting and bunny hunting i.e. 26 to 30". Most trap guns will be 26-28" - not shorter.

You don't see to many Trap guns these day's with 26-28" barrel lengths. Single barrel guns are usually between 30-35" O/U's usually 30-32" some even 34". The length of the barrel has more to do with "swing" than anything else. Also the added weight can help with taming recoil.

 

[pharaoh2]

Myself, I prefer shorter shotgun barrels for hunting. If your hunkered down in bullrushes or other tree/brush cover a shorter barrel is just a bit more maneuverable. That's the same for grouse in the forests. On the prairie a longer barrel isn't any handicap, but I'm still more comfortable with a 26 inch pipe. That's just personal preference.

 

[Claybuster]

All else being equal a long barrel will pattern much the same as a short barrel so the decision is less about pattern and more about utility in the field and how well you shoot the gun. The perception that shorter barrels have more open patterns is from an era when longer barrels had tighter fixed chokes and vice versa with shorter barrels.

I've used shotguns in the field ranging from 24" to 32" and for a sxs or o/u my minimum length is 28 inches. Once guns get shorter I find they get whippy in their handling and I tend not to shoot them as well. For semi-autos and pumps 26" is about as short as I want to have for wingshooting or fast moving targets on the ground. The only time I'd seriously consider a shorter shotgun is for shotgun-only deer hunting, predator control or if I took up turkey hunting.

Longer barrels are somewhat harder to manage in tight cover and a 32" o/u is too long. For waterfowling from a blind it doesn't matter how long the barrels are IMO and a 30" semi-auto is what I prefer. I know there are people who recommend semis as short as 24" for ducks and geese but I can't shoot them as well as the longer guns.

 

[looch]

Stating what may be obvious, so I apologize in advance, but also take into account the overall length of the gun will vary based on the action type - break open shotguns will be shorter than semis or pumps with equal barrel lengths. I prefer a break open for this reason - my left hand finds the forearm more easily. A 26" is my preference, but my current European made gun is 27.5" (70cm).