Oversized/back-bored 12 gauge barrels: Which works best?

TheCoachZed

TheCoachZed

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Most of the manufacturers are offering overbored (Mossberg 835, 935 10 gauge barrels) or backbored (Winchester SXP @ .742, and I think BPS is similar) barrels on some 12 gauge models.

Which ones seem to do the best patterning? Is there a big difference between 2 3/4 and 3 and 3 1/2 patterns with the larger barrels? Is there a big difference between the Mossberg (.770ish) and other tighter barrels?

Do buckshot patterns improve noticeably with the larger barrels?
 
I have found that modified provides a nice tight pattern for 00 buck in my winchester sxp, slightly better then my 870 did, but that may just be the difference between 2 guns and have less to do with the barrel being back bored to .742.
I'm going to mention it here cause I wish someone in Canada would start importing it but there is a buckshot load produced by a company called Dixie, the Tri-ball, and it makes buckshot considerably more effective and viable out to 50 yards.
 
Over bored barrels handle larger shot better and reduce perceived recoil. The 500 series and the 870's are the only ones of the top of my head that are currently made and not over bore.

Larger bore diameter means less pressure applied to pellets causing less deformation and better patterns.

One thing that some people mention is poor accuracy with slugs in over bore barrels, I have not personally had this issue, Mossberg recommends not using slugs in the 935.
 
Turkeyslayer 1300 said:
Over bored barrels handle larger shot better and reduce perceived recoil. The 500 series and the 870's are the only ones of the top of my head that are currently made and not over bore.

Larger bore diameter means less pressure applied to pellets causing less deformation and better patterns.
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So does that mean the overbored barrels (935/835) will result in a drop in velocity?

I know the .742 barrels are supposed to outperform the .72 barrels, but what I'm most interested in is how they stack up against the .770 barrels. If I can't switch my Winchester to a left handed safety, I'm going to buy a new duck gun, and I want to have a 12 that patterns very well.
 
TheCoachZed said:
So does that mean the overbored barrels (935/835) will result in a drop in velocity?
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Ive wondered the same, I dont have a chrony but some reloaders on different forums report higher velocities with the 935 only when certain wads are used. Other wads they claim dont seal as well and their is a loss, but not much. not enough that you'd actually notice it when you shot a bird, it'd still die.
 
East Coast Sox fan has it right, a few fellows were claiming to get an extra 75-100fps with their 935's and I believe kent faststeel back when the 935 first came out. This was on a waterfowl hunting site I frequent.
 
The biggest difference is in the advertising! In the field the differences are so minute it isn't worth worrying about. A load that patterns beautifully in my Remington 870 does poorly in my Browning Gold 3.5". Another load that patterns beautifully in my Gold 3.5" does poorly in my Gold "Golden Clays" yet they have the exact same .742 "back bored" technology. As far as the velocity...in most cases you will see a larger variation from shot to shot than you will from barrel to barrel! Even the most even and uniform of patterns are useless if you can't center that pattern on your intended target! Gun fitment and lots of practice are the only secret to higher scores and more bagged game!
 
Why not wear a pair of shooting glasses and black out your left eye which forces you to build your not so dominant eye.
 
If you're cross dominate but you shot better off your right shoulder you may want to so to a proper skeet field and get a little coaching. There may be issues in your technique, stance etc that you aren't picking up on that are effecting your shooting. Also Have you tried coverring your left eye? A younger fellow that has started to join my waterfowling group has this issue and we remedied it with a piece of guaze and some duck tape when we first discovered his cross dominance was handicaping him. He's since blacked out a lense on a pair of his glasses and wears those when shooting now.
 
TheCoachZed said:
Well, gun fitment is one of the reasons I am thinking about switching. My 1300 shot great off my right shoulder, but I'm cross dominant. I have a hard time shooting it off the other shoulder, mainly due to the safety.
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I may be misunderstanding you. Do you shoot now with the dom eye?? if so cool if not and you are going to get real serious about skeet some day best make the move now and learn to shoot with the dom eye. If just for fun carry on. I shot right for 22 years but left eye dom . I could not make the final 10 in any event until I finally said OK time to go with the dom left eye plus I had a car accident which hurt my right eye. Took me 4 years and probally 50,000 rounds to get my scores back after the switch but did and picked up 10-12 birds or so out of 400 which got me in the game. I hated the old man for that but growning up left handed was a sign of the devil they said. I remember the nuns in school tying my left hand to the desk forcing me to use the right side. Imagine a teacher doing that today.
Also big advantage shooting with both eyes open. Just my opinion but have seen the same improvements with other guys that switched.
I remember for a laugh I would shoot 1/2 the field right and the other half left. I still shoot all right hand guns today on the left dom eye side but can no longer shoot a gun on the right side.
 
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Winchested said:
Why not wear a pair of shooting glasses and black out your left eye which forces you to build your not so dominant eye.
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That's OK for a skeet range. Not so great when you need both eyes to see ducks coming from both directions. Where I hunt this time of year, ducks can literally come from any direction, often about five feet off the deck. You need to be able to react quickly, and the longer time gap you have to take a shot the better.
 
3macs1 said:
I may be misunderstanding you. Do you shoot now with the dom eye?? if so cool if not and you are going to get real serious about skeet some day best make the move now and learn to shoot with the dom eye. If just for fun carry on. I shot right for 22 years but left eye dom . I could not make the final 10 in any event until I finally said OK time to go with the dom left eye plus I had a car accident which hurt my right eye. Took me 4 years and probally 50,000 rounds to get my scores back after the switch but did and picked up 10-12 birds or so out of 400 which got me in the game. I hated the old man for that but growning up left handed was a sign of the devil they said. I remember the nuns in school tying my left hand to the desk forcing me to use the right side. Imagine a teacher doing that today.
Also big advantage shooting with both eyes open. Just my opinion but have seen the same improvements with other guys that switched.
I remember for a laugh I would shoot 1/2 the field right and the other half left. I still shoot all right hand guns today on the left dom eye side but can no longer shoot a gun on the right side.
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My whole life, even when I "played guns" as a kid, I shot off my right shoulder. But I'm left eye dominant. I used to just squint my left eye as loose as possible to change my dominance when I shot, but this season, I said enough is enough, and started shooting off the left shoulder. I haven't shot a lot more ducks, but that's mainly because my late season hunting spots are hard to work anyway. I have noticed my shooting does seem better - I've made a bunch more long shots I never would have before. I certainly need more practice, but it seems the switch has made a difference.

I have two issues now: One, I hate the right-handed safety on my Winchester. That's directly related to issue two: I hunted just about everything (bears, deer, crows, ducks, geese, rabbits) with the same gun for the last few years and I was used to whipping it up to my right shoulder and flicking the safety off in one quick motion. I just don't have that smoothness off the other shoulder. I know I can work around that with practice, but if I can't get a left handed safety for the 1300, I think I am going to replace it, or relegate it to backup duty.
 
TheCoachZed said:
My whole life, even when I "played guns" as a kid, I shot off my right shoulder. But I'm left eye dominant. I used to just squint my left eye as loose as possible to change my dominance when I shot, but this season, I said enough is enough, and started shooting off the left shoulder. I haven't shot a lot more ducks, but that's mainly because my late season hunting spots are hard to work anyway. I have noticed my shooting does seem better - I've made a bunch more long shots I never would have before. I certainly need more practice, but it seems the switch has made a difference.

I have two issues now: One, I hate the right-handed safety on my Winchester. That's directly related to issue two: I hunted just about everything (bears, deer, crows, ducks, geese, rabbits) with the same gun for the last few years and I was used to whipping it up to my right shoulder and flicking the safety off in one quick motion. I just don't have that smoothness off the other shoulder. I know I can work around that with practice, but if I can't get a left handed safety for the 1300, I think I am going to replace it, or relegate it to backup duty.
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Cool. Keep with it is the key and shoot as many rounds as you can afford. You are and will become a better shot with a shotgun for sure using the dom eye that is proven over and over. Also you will over time get familiar again with the right hand safety on the left side, took me a while but now I hate a left hand safety. It is going to take a few years but it will happen.
Shooting with both eyes open is very important with a shotgun as you know regardless if hunting or clay targets. Too bad you didnot shoot skeet prior to the switch since you would know exactly where you started and the improvement would be very clear. take care

Some interesting reading

http://w w w.ospschool.com/know7.html
 
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TheCoachZed said:
That's OK for a skeet range. Not so great when you need both eyes to see ducks coming from both directions. Where I hunt this time of year, ducks can literally come from any direction, often about five feet off the deck. You need to be able to react quickly, and the longer time gap you have to take a shot the better.
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No need to black out the whole lens just a small piece of tape in the proper spot on the lens will work . a buddy of mine has his glasses rigged like that and it seems to work for him .
 
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