A fill-in-the-blank shotgun barrel survey

[Amadeus]

So when I finally get my 870 (sometime this summer) an 18" barrel will be compulsory. The gun will spend most of its life as an HD/2-gun target blaster. But I see myself taking part in other yet to be determined activities. So -- a combo will be necessary. Question is which barrel length/choke combinations are best suited for each of the following activities:


1) Trap

2) Skeet

3) Sporting clays

4) Quail hunting

5) Turkey hunting

6) Duck

7) Deer

8) Pig (or are they best taken with a rifle?)

 

[Al Thompson]

1-6, IMHO, would be best served with a 26 or 28 inch barrel and choke tubes. I'm not a big wingshooter, so will defer to those who are.

Deer and pigs, IMHO, are slug territory. I think a good balance is one of the rifle sighted smoothbore barrels loaded with the slug that you and your barrel like.

 

[kudu]

I would go with a 28" with choke tubes. Would even be good for pig and deer with a rifled choke tube in for slugs. Put some clamp on sights on for slug shooting and you got it made.

 

[Dave McCracken]

A 26-30" barrel set up for choke tubes is quite versatile and like friend Al says, good for clays and most hunting.

When I think of hog hunting, though I've done little of it, there's a little voice in my ear whispering, "Rottweil Brenekke"....

For slug use and HD/CD, it's hard to beat one of the smoothbore 20" barrels with open sights. One here is tube ready, wears a Modified or IC when on duty and a rifled choke tube for slug use. The ghosts of maybe 15 deer can vouch for its effectiveness.

The 18.5" job is hardly handier, IMO. Others differ.

 

[Amadeus]

"Rottweil Brenekke"....

Translation please?

 

[sm]

Rottweil Brenneke Cartridges: http://www.dnrws.com/rottweil.html

I agree with all previous posts.
For example :
870 express combo , and buying extra chokes, BA/UU/R ...

One does not have to break the bank. Most good shooters have more money invested in ammo/...than in other component( s) combined.
Training, lessons. instructions are the others.

*
870 Express Combo gives choice of 26" or 28" bbl - I prefer 28".
The other bbl is a shorter "slug" bbl with rifle sights. Offered in a "smoothbore" [ what a regular bbl is] or "rifled". - I prefer the smooth because more versatile. I can run old Forster slugs [ the ones we had since forever] or buckshot...any...shot.

Whole deal is to have short bbl to run any load one wants. Smooth allows this.

 

[Amadeus]

In an ideal world I would rather have a minimum of gear. Say -- an 870 with one 20" barrel and a pair of chokes. Maybe an improved and a full. Not sure that would work for all my needs though.

 

[sm]

Longer bbl is advantageous for wingshooting. Be it ducks, doves, pheasants...skeet, sporting clays, wobble trap...

Smooths the swings, and "less apparent lead"

That is why that old man in the field is painting doves out of the sky with a long tube ...gun may be fixed choke...it may not be 12 or 20 ga either...and the gun may be 40 yrs old...he limits out in less than 1 box with shells left over.
Then again it might not be an old man

hush up Dave...don't tell on me...age is "subjective" and I ain't "subjecting"

 

[Amadeus]

That is why that old man in the field is painting doves out of the sky with a long tube ...gun may be fixed choke...

So would this be an appropriate equation?


Long tube for things that fly. Short tube for things that walk. Choke: optional.

 

[sm]

YEP !

 

[Dave McCracken]

The 1 1/4 oz Rottweil Brenekke seems suitable for most stuff this side of Triceratops, Amadeus. Capstick wrote of taking Cape Buff with some.

Seen two hogs Brenekked. One over 250 lbs, other over 300. Short blood trails, fast and humane kills.

Very effective on whitetails, but any slug I know of does the job there.

 

[Amadeus]

So the long barrels = bird work. But the 18.5" barrels. Are they good for anything other than just HD? (Dave,I think you may have answered this but I will ask to be certain) If I were to get a gun with an 18.5" smooth, cylinder bore barrel could I just as effectively use it for deer as for "serious social work"?

 

[Dave McCracken]

My oldest 870 has the barrel cut to 18" and a bit. Rifle front sight and peep rear. It too has done well investing in venison futures.

A bead sighted 18" barrel will work for slugs, and also for stuff like quail, grouse and woodcock in the proper hands.

 

[sm]

Amadeus

Remington made a "bird gun". English straight stock, 21" bbls. Great for toting in thick brush, for woodcock and quail. It is has also been known to take doves, clays, deer, varmits and work well for HD and civil unrests.

Rumor is * ahem* some folks lessened the pistol grip, on an existing 1100, 870, 1300, model 37...etc...used a shorter bbl...fixed choke or had aftermarket chokes installed to accomplish same deal.

Rumor is...they still work for ALL things intended.

 

[Amadeus]

You guys are giving me some good information. I enjoy "carbine" sized guns. And I don't really like spending lots of money on gear. So the more I can do with a shortyshotty the better.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Amadeus,

You have gotten some good advice here. Your 'KISS' approach is IMHO a good one.

You can do a lot of what you seem to want to do with a short (18- 20") barrelled shotgun. Some clubs will have rules against barrels that short though, if you are planning on doing much formal claybird shooting. Given the list of things you want to do, I think you should settle on two barrels- a 26- 28" vent rib or plain barrel with choke tubes for birds and clay pigeons, and a 20" smoothbore barrel with rifle sights for the other things. Remington has sold 20" RS barrels with choke tubes in the past, dunno if they still do. But several reliable companies can install RemChoke tubes in any suitable barrel if needed.

The Combo deal sounds like just the ticket for you- Remington's current 20" smoothbores come from the factory with fixed IC chokes and the long barrel has choke tubes.

Stay safe,

lpl/nc

 

[mondocomputerman]

I was thinking about this very thing just a few days ago! I started searching the major gun manufacturers for something that would fill many jobs. I have found one I like, The Winchester 1300 Camp Defender. It is like the regular defender but has a wood stock and a 22 inch barrel. It is a sleek looking shotgun. It doesn't look like a "tactical" shotgun for home defense, and is pretty versitile with a 3" chamber and choke tubes. Here is the link