Will an 18" barrel be useless for grouse?

[mr00jimbo]

I have an 870 18" and know the duck hunters tote around 30" barrels...do you think it would make that big of a deal in making bird hunting a success or a bust?

 

[Nine]

I have an 870 18" and know the duck hunters tote around 30" barrels...do you think it would make that big of a deal in making bird hunting a success or a bust?

I've used my 870MM to take MANY grouse. Not too many have escaped.

 

[JohnC]

I use a 14" barrel for a couple of years and of the few that I had shots at, none escaped.

 

[Nine]

Ah, yes!

I've used the norc HP9-1 as well. Handy handy for the woods of northern MB.

 

[canucklehead]

The only thing the length of the barrel does is alter the 'swing path'. Longer barrels are easier to swing in a straight line.

An 18" will work fine for grouse. Especially if they flush close... shouldering a short barrel is faster than a long one.

 

[Grouse Man]

Most importantly, what kind of birds? Choke may play a bigger role than barrel length, depending on what birds you're after.


**never mind . . .

 

[beretta boy]

On the ground, 18" will work fine.

On flushed birds, something in the order of 24" to 26" seems to work better on pumps & autos ... 26" or 28" on doubles. For the coverts I hunt, Cylinder and Improved Cylinder or Light Modified chokes seem to work best for me, with 1 oz. of & 8's.

Useless ... No, but perhaps not optimum.

 

[straightshooter]

No reason you can't hunt grouse with an 18" barrel. It would be best suited for early season ruffies, when the cover is thick, the birds flush fast, and there's less room to manoeuvre. I agree with Grouse Man that choke is more important, though - especially with late season ruffies and shartail.

The long and the short of it is that ANY shotgun will do. Hunt with what you've got. The worst thing that can happen is that you'll miss one that you might have got otherwise. Big deal - you still get the rest. Once you really get into it, it's like any other sport - you start to want more equipment choices and you get pickier as you learn the ins and outs.

SS

 

[Calum]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but while we are on the topic of 18" barrels, and grouse does anyone know where one could find an old C-lect choke to install on my Maverick 88's 18.5" barrel? So I can dial in a tighter pattern.

I'm finding my other 28" barrel is a Bear to trudge through the brush with.

 

[Nine]

 

[Calum]

Now there is a good dinner your holding.

Hey I have the same sling, only when my short barrel is on I have it the other way, so I can carry it muzzle down, and not behind, and below the back of my head.

Your mileage may vary.

Also are them slugs in the ammo sleeve on the stock?

Great pic.