I fitted a slip on recoil pad and it matches the pull of the adult Citori. Or for more $$ Browning will sell you a full length stock.
Over-under 24 inch bbls
- Thread starter regulate34
- Start date
I fitted a slip on recoil pad and it matches the pull of the adult Citori. Or for more $$ Browning will sell you a full length stock.
Remington used to offer 1100s in 20ga with a straight stock and 21" barrels for upland. Tried one out at Remington Farms and it was a very quick handling gun
I've missed a lot of birds, but can't say I've ever missed one because the barrels got in the way. I shoot 30" and 28", and I don't think I would want a double with barrels shorter than 27".
It’s not the actual shooting. It’s that packing the gun around the 99.9% of the time instead of actually shooting.
My buddys laughed when i took a 12.5" barreled pump with a birds head grip turkey hunting in the late season. They had the chairs and decoys and calls and guns and blinds. I had my gun in a scabbard on my hip and a bottle of bug spray and a box call in either pocket. Hands free walk out in 80 degree weather is so much nicer. I get the point of carrying less when you move more than you shoot
Springer101
New member
- Location
- North Shore Montreal, QC
For thick wood, with the dog, I like a paradox shotgun (lower barrel been rifled which make the leads open wider). I have a FAIR XLight SNIPE 24" barrels, double triggers (you can have single selective trigger as standard), alloy receiver and fiber optic front bead. A dream to carry.
I've owned a couple SKB M-200s in 20ga with 25" bbls. I had bought into the thought that shorter was better for grouse but found that with a break action (SxS) that short or shorter, handling suffered.
Later, I bought another SKB (M-100) 20ga with 28" bbls and was very pleased with the handling improvement. Here we do close cover for grouse and woodcock. That extra 3" over the 25s made no difference whatsoever for maneuvering through alders. I would never buy a 24" O/U.
YMMV
When the discussion turns to carry ability or getting the barrels hung up on branches, there is a hell of a difference between a 24” or 26” barrel and a 12 1/2” barrel. The value people place on those two to four inches is out of synch with what actually happens hunting.
While I have 26” barrelled guns in 16, 20 and 28 gauge I can honestly say I’ve never made a gun selection for the day based on “needing” shorter barrels because of the cover.
madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
Shot a Citori Lightning 20 bore with 24" tubes for a couple of grouse seasons. Ended up with extended choke tubes in an attempt to improve the handling. Great little gun but it was a poke shooter at best. 26" 12 bore Citori upland special handled better despite bigger dimensions and more weight.
Darryl
Darryl
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I am finding myself with pump guns a little more confident in wing shooting 28 inch barrel.
Both in M37 Ithaca in 20 and 28 gauge.
Sometimes I wish that 26 inch IC barrel was actually 28 inches. However in this 20 gauge Featherlight it doesn't seem to really matter even in dense forest this thing kills birds like nobody's business 28 inch full choke. Cheap Winchester #7.5 shot
A natural pointer.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
I used to love busting grouse in the thick stuff with my 27" barreled 101 Pigeon....never had barrels hung up in branches ever and that gun moved easily with me through cover and came to shoulder fast to acquire targets. I would never hunt with an o/u or sxs with 24" or shorter barrels. I want some balance for good follow through, not something whippy as a licorice stick.
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To me weight between the hands and balance is most important
Here is a 12.5" barreled pump of un measured weight. Next is a 26.75" barreled sxs 6lbs 3oz as measured at a cgn sxs shoot. 7.75lb ish 28.5" barrel russian tank. 7lb 30" sxs and a 32" 10ga that weighs in at 11lbs 6oz. I hunt with all of these. I prefer the shorter guns the pump and lil spanish double for the thick bush as they come up much faster. The baikal i shoot the best but it and the massive 10ga double are alot heavier and slower for in thick cover. More open bush or lower vegetation the heavier guns handling is improved as the mount and swing arent rushed
To each their own. If walking 8 or 9 miles to shoot 5 birds is the game ill definitely take something easier to carry over improved balance in an open environment. Maybe im feeling my age. In a target rich environment ya ill take the nicer better handling gun. Hunting isnt just shooting and this country offers an incredible amount of varied terrain in which to pursue game
Attachments
Barrel length these days mainly primarily affects two factors, 1. swing, 2. balance. During the black powder days the longer barrel gave the powder opportunity to fully burn up to create the maximum shot velocity. Even a slow burning smokeless powder like Blue Dot is all burnt and spent inside 18". So the old tale that a longer barreled gun shoots farther no longer applies.
That being said and earlier post here stated that short barrels are not in style these days, how true. On a sporting clay field these days a 28" barrel is short, 30-32-34" are now in vogue. I used an OU in 26" for skeet and my sporting guns has 27" and 28" barrels.
The barrel length really affects the swing speed. Short barrel 24" guns swing will feel whippy compared to one with a 30". A practical test would be shooting 8 station with a 26", and then a 32". Balance gets affected as some guns can get front heavy with the longer barrels. I had a Ruger Red label with 28's and that sucker was front heavy, as the barrels were meaty. One thing a longer barrel does help with is not stopping your swing.
At the end of the day when all the arguing is done it boils down to what your comfortable with and if you can consistently hit targets.
That being said and earlier post here stated that short barrels are not in style these days, how true. On a sporting clay field these days a 28" barrel is short, 30-32-34" are now in vogue. I used an OU in 26" for skeet and my sporting guns has 27" and 28" barrels.
The barrel length really affects the swing speed. Short barrel 24" guns swing will feel whippy compared to one with a 30". A practical test would be shooting 8 station with a 26", and then a 32". Balance gets affected as some guns can get front heavy with the longer barrels. I had a Ruger Red label with 28's and that sucker was front heavy, as the barrels were meaty. One thing a longer barrel does help with is not stopping your swing.
At the end of the day when all the arguing is done it boils down to what your comfortable with and if you can consistently hit targets.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
That might be perfect for some yet not for others.
Ergonomics is a very individual thing.
unstableryan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Beautiful Okanagan Valley
I have a pile of shotguns and I like the 20" sxs 20 gauge for grouse... but then it's hopping out of the truck fast in September. It's too hot to hunt very far away from a road until Oct 15 or so.
