bearhire Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 what difference does barrel length make? is it just to do with swing and balance or does it actually effect shot patterns etc..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayman Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 Longer barrels tend to be heavier forward, moving the balance point out from the fore-grip. For long slow targets, extra weight at the front gives a smoother steadier swing, so long barrels have become fashionable after top sporting shooters went to 30" and 32" trap guns for top level sporting and FITASC. 30" and 32" sporters have now become common because of this following. Also, the longer barrel gives greater "pointablity". You use the rib, not the bead to aim with, and the longer the tramlines on the rib in your lower periphery vision the better impression your brain gets of the direction of fire. Long barrels however, also have disadvantages. Greater forward and overall weight greats fatigue quicker. and fatigue has significant effects on shooting ability. Supporting the longer gun and balancing it against the body weight will be detrimental to shorter and lighter shooters, or those without good upper body and arm strength. Its also slower to get the greater inertial mass of long barrels moving, so for fast and close targets ie skeet, close driven game etc, short barrels are preferred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 What he said above.... .....and yes, you do get a TINY bit tighter pattern with a longer barrel. But choke will potentially have a much greater effect, so don't buy a long barrel for a tighter pattern!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearhire Posted January 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 cheers guys, so there would not be alot of difference between say full choked 25" barrels and full 32" barrels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 cheers guys, so there would not be alot of difference between say full choked 25" barrels and full 32" barrels? The only way you would notice any difference was on a pattern plate, and you would have a job then. As said, Choke has much more effect than barrel length! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearhire Posted January 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 thanks for clearing that up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayman Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 (edited) cheers guys, so there would not be alot of difference between say full choked 25" barrels and full 32" barrels? Choke is determined by a defined pattern count in a set size circle with a given cartridge at a set range. If extended chokes, or longer barrels or smaller gauges are giving tighter / looser patterns with the choke designations in the barrel this is purely poor choke regulation and it means the chokes are not what is written on them. Wear and tear, modifications, cartridge and wad type all effect the pattern result, so statements like longer barrels give tighter patterns is a generalisation that might be true of some brands of gun, but is not correct to true pattern regulation. Correctly regulated chokes throw identical patterns regardless of gauge, choke length, barrel length etc. Choke is not a measurement in the gun, it is a distribution on a pattern plate. Edited January 24, 2010 by clayman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.