Best All Round Barrel Length

[Zerstoerer]

What barrel length is recommended for an all round semi-auto 12 ga. hunting shotgun?
Choices are 24, 26 or 28".

Hunting dove, quail, rabbits, ducks and geese - and the occasional evil clay bird.
I have come to appreciate short barrel rifles for the handling, is the loss of velocity a big factor by reducing the barrel by 2 or 4 inches?

 

[sm]

28"

For me, the 28" allows for a bit smoother mounting of gun to face, less perceived lead, smoother swing and follow through. I am 6' , 170# and my sleeve length is 33".

Remember a repeater (pump or semi) adds ~ 2" due to design, so a 28" repeater is akin to a O/U with 30" barrels.

One can mount a longer barreled gun from low gun, just as fast as they can a shorter barrel gun. I can for one, and there are countless others, correct basics of gun mounting - not the barrel length.

One thing to consider is your physical dimensions, height, build, sleeve length, and how a shotgun balances for you. Some like the balance between the hands, others like me prefer a "wee bit" ahead of hands. Some that are shorter, stockier, and shorter armed than I , prefer 26".
That 2" makes a wee bit of different on balance, smoothness, and not stopping swing for some of these folks.

Though I like, and prefer longer barrels - I have settled on 28" for any shotgun be it a repeater, O/U, or SxS for a general purpose do everything shotgun.

hth

 

[Third_Rail]

Though I've not hunted before, I do like 26-28" barrels. They just feel better, not to mention they're not as loud as the 18.5"... not that those are useful for anything other than HD.

 

[Skywarp]

trap 28


skeet 24-26

 

[Wwalstrom]

Barrel Length

Actually, a pump or semiautomatic action will add about 5 inches to the length of the gun, as compared to a double.

My overall preference would be a 24 to 26 inch barrel set for everything except trap and waterfowl over decoys.

For years, the only shotgun I had was a Browning BPS Upland Special (12 Gauge) ... english stock and a 22 inch barrel. I got teased quite a bit at the trap range about my "slug gun". The really funny thing was, the slug barrel I purchased for it was 24 inches . I really miss that gun.

The shotgun I miss even more was a Browning Gold 12 ga 26 incher. It has been replaced with a Browning Gold Classic Stalker 12 ga 28 incher, and I wish it had a 26 inch tube.

To sum it up, IMHO, a 26 inch tubed repeater or 26-28 inch double would cover the 80/20 rule (80% of the time, it will do just fine ... and may or may not work for the remaining 20% of the time).

 

[45auto]

A lot depends on the weight of the bbl also. What feels "right" is most important.

Many barrels are lighter and longer today, then way back when.

Generally, 24" barrels are considered "short" for anything but upland game, again depending on "weight". You don't see 24" on the skeet field either.

Autos typically add 2" of length compared to O/U's so I'd go with the 28" if it were me and the gun felt good. If it feels too heavy, then 26".

 

[JohnBT]

I'm indecisive. So I always pick 28.

870 Express 12 ga. - 28
SX-2 Waterfowl 3-1/2" - 28
Guerini 28 ga O/U - 28
1100 12 ga. - 28
SX-1 - 28
& etc.

One of these days I'll get a 30" or 32" clays-style O/U, although it won't be any Citori I've ever handled with barrels that long. For the past few months I've been looking at a beautiful B. Rizzini 12 ga. clays gun with 32" bbls. that handles very nicely, although for $6600 I could get a Blaser or some kind of P or K gun.

Long barrels are good. My duck hunting buddy hates them. He hunted last season with a little 870 with a 21 or 22" bbl.

Think of the duck decoys I could buy for $6600. Decoys, dog, boat, clean long johns and a new hat.

John...6' and 185. Okay, 190 this week.

 

[axeman_g]

good question.....

When you get the definitive answer let us know

What I mean is that barrel length is like Ford vs Chevy. It really is about preference, job being done and the gun itself.

I personally like shorter barrelled shotguns, but I am sick like that. I have a WM with a 28" tube that is my duck and goose gun, if I ever go duck or goose shooting. But I shoot 26" or less barrels on clays and live birds and rabbits.

 

[slabsides]

I'm more a rifleman/handgunner than I am a shotgunner, and I've been schooled to prefer a balance more to the rear than a true shotgun man might. Maybe I'd be better with the shotgun than I am if I had my old 1100 Skeet back, or the 28" Ithaca 37 which was my first shotgun, way back---but I really like the way my 1100 Special Field sits between my hands, and for the kind of shotgunning I do, it seems to do the job.

 

[Zerstoerer]

slabsides - What barrel length is your 1100?

Looks like there is no real answer to my question. Anything form 24" to 28" is 'recommended'.

How much does an increase in length by 2" increase velocity - and how do you chronograph a shotgun shell?