Shotgun Barrel Length

[Biggest]

I am looking at getting a new gun and quite like the SIlver Pigeon 1. I have been to a gun shop and handled the 30'' and 32''. The 32'' seems to be balanced better and although slightly heavier it feels the lighter of the 2 when in the shoulder.

 

What are the pros and cons of different barrel lengths? I know there is obviously weight differences but any other advice would be great.

 

Thanks.

[cant hit rabbits 123]

My Bettinsoli is a 30" barrel set up, and I think it swings alot smoother than any 28 or 26" gun.

[clayman]

As you already appreciate, longer barrels are heavier, and this moves the point of balance forward, requiring more support and more effort to get the gun moving. This can cause fatigue - but the extra forward weight also produces less variation in the smoothness of swing once the gun is moving and provides a steadier platform than short barrells for longer targets.

 

The fashion for long barrel comes from top FITASC shooters preferring long barrelled trap guns in prior times when sporters were 28" norm, and with long crossers the extra "pointability" of the sight picture along a long rib conbined with a steady inertia from the extra weight made accurate pattern placement on long targets easier.

 

Manufacturers responded to the fashion by making 30" and 32" sporting barrels and the sporting norm has become 30" now

 

The down side of the long barrel is that its slow to get moving for the faster target, so quick incomers and skeet etc still favours a short barrel.

 

Ultimately though, its what feels best for you, there are skeet shooters using 32" successfully and still many FITASC shooters using 28", so everything works if you have the right skills to use the different advantages of different lengths.

 

One solution is to have more than one barrel for your action, thereby being able to set the gun up to maximise advantage for different target speeds and distances.

Edited August 26, 2011 by clayman

[Biggest]

Thanks for the adivse. I wouldnt be able to afford to get multiply barrels. Im off to another gunshop tomorrow to try out some more and see what is comfy.

[silverhawk]

Go for the one that feels best,I shoot a semi with a 24inch barrel and i shoot better then i did with a 28inch,They all shoot the same distance no matter what the length its more the choke.Its what swings better and balance for you.for an over and under most people seem to go for 30inch.

[EdSolomons]

You don't want more than one set of tubes, it's almost as bad as shooting more than one gun. Get the length that suits your technique and physical abilities and Lear to shoot it at everything from 10 yards to 80.