Barrel length

[stringtalker]

This might be a stupid question but here goes, is a 18.5" barrel long enough for a 12 gauge turkey gun. How much will a short barrel affect velocity

[allaboutshooting]

This might be a stupid question but here goes, is a 18.5" barrel long enough for a 12 gauge turkey gun. How much will a short barrel affect velocity

Not a stupid question at all and one that gets a lot of discussion quite often. Any barrel will work to kill a turkey as long as you spend enough time at the range to know what it will do and what you can do with it.

Manufacturers of shotshells use a 30" barrel, 3' from the muzzle in temperatures that are normally in the 60s or 70s, to test muzzle velocity. Since both barrel length and temperatures affect muzzle velocity, when you shoot a shell from a barrel shorter than 30" or in temperatures less than those used to test the shell, your velocity will be less.

That having been said, you can still kill a turkey in much colder temperatures and with shorter barrels than those used to test velocity.

In optimum conditions, you can get a full burn of the powder used in most modern turkey loads in 18". If it's very cold, that may not happen in that very short barrel however. A shorter barrel also can have more muzzle whip and may not allow enough time for a shot charge to settle before reaching the choke and then the muzzle and may not give you the kinds of patterns you're accustomed to seeing. Your patterns may have large holes in them, for example.

Lastly, it seems that a 26" barrel is just about perfect for patterning without being too long to carry in the turkey fields and woods. Any shorter and consistent pattens can be difficult to achieve. Longer adds little benefit to patterns but does reduce muzzle whip.

Thanks,
Clark

P.S. I learned a long time ago that some folks just like short barrels and that some short barrels will pattern well. I've seen them do it. My recommendations are based upon the majority of barrels that I've seen. Good luck to you.

[Spring Creek Calls]

From my experience, Clark is absolutely right about the 26" barrel. I shot my 1300 with a 22" barrel for years and reserved the 26" for duck/pheasant hunting. After deep cleaning both and purchasing a new IC .660, a trip to the patterning board showed me the 26" produced a more even, more dense pattern than the 22" shot after shot.

[VA_Birdhunter]

Great advice from Clark.....you will see and find quickly he sure knows what he's talking about!  I always pay very close attention to his posts!

God Bless

[mikejd]

I have an 18  1/2 inch barrel on one of my 1300's and have no problem putting 200 hits in a 10" circle.
so for me I cant imagine needing any more hits then that so I will settle on comfort of carrying and handling in the woods over a longer barrel with a few more hits.

[Gooserbat]

If that's what you got, use it.   If your looking for an excuse to send some coin I'd go with a 24 or 26.   

[alclark2]

This might be a stupid question but here goes, is a 18.5" barrel long enough for a 12 gauge turkey gun. How much will a short barrel affect velocity

I'm curious about the gun and choke constriction. Have you patterned it yet? Time at the range will tell you the limitations of your gun.

[WildSpur]

I am sure your 18.5 barrel will be fine.  We limit our shots to 40 yards and reality is most shots will be 30 yards or less.  For a hunting gun I wouldn't lose sleep over a short barrel.   

[natman]

A shorter barrel also can have more muzzle whip and may not allow enough time for a shot charge to settle before reaching the choke and then the muzzle and may not give you the kinds of patterns you're accustomed to seeing.

I don't doubt your observations, but I'm not so sure about the explanation. A short barrel is stiffer than a long one, so I don't see how it could have more muzzle whip. At 1000 fps, the shot is going to travel the last foot of a 30" barrel in 1/1000th of a second. Just how much shot settling is it going to get done in that time that hasn't happened already?

I'd like to suggest that any difference in patterning would more likely be due to higher pressures at the muzzle with the shorter barrel. I suspect that this effect could be decreased by using a ported barrel or choke. What does your experience show with regard to short barrels and ports?

This might be a stupid question but here goes, is a 18.5" barrel long enough for a 12 gauge turkey gun. How much will a short barrel affect velocity

Going from a 28" to an 18" barrel you'll lose 50-75 fps velocity. That's not per inch, that's total. Not really enough to worry about.

[silvestris]

You give up something by going to a short barrel, but you gain in other areas.  About 1980, the end of my 30" barrel on a Browning 2000 hung on a vine costing me a monster gobbler at the 2 o'clock position at 20 yards.  I said "never again" and I had the barrel cut to 24" and had Briley choke tubes installed.  The gun served me well for many years. 

I have no interest in shooting a gobbler past 35 yards, so my quest since has remained having a sufficiently dense pattern at that distance.  If your game is setting the world record for the longest shot on a gobbler, then the longer barrel (with proper choke) will probably serve you better.  I also hate my slung barrel getting hung up on overhanging vegetation as I move through the woods.

[paboxcall]

Clark is spot on.

That said, my 1300 totes a 21" barrel.  I had the option to pick 18.5", but went with the 21".  This barrel patterns awesome, but I still wish I had the 18.5" instead.

I just like spring hunting with a shorter barrel, it's all about easier carry and overall comfort when sitting against a tree.

Go with the short barrel - as Clark mentioned do your part and pattern it, and it will do everything you ask of it in the spring woods.

[drum817]

I got a Weatherby pa 459 with an 18.5" barrel last year....I love it and it patterns great.!!!

[paboxcall]

I like the looks of that drum!  Awesome pattern.   

I got a Weatherby pa 459 with an 18.5" barrel last year....I love it and it patterns great.!!!

[Snoodsniper]

I have a 26" and a 21" barrel for my BPS and they both pattern very well. In turkey hunting situations I want the 21" barrel. It's lighter and easier to maneuver. If muzzle whip is an issue have it ported and lengthen the forcing cone.

[GSLAM95]

In patterning I want to mention one more thing.  How many pay attention to outside air temperatures when patterning their guns?
I know Clark mentioned 60-70 degree temps for factory testing muzzle velocity but I have also noticed a huge difference in my patterns when I was testing various loads in colder temps 30-40 degree air temps.  Those who live south may not see this but here in Southern IL when it's still possibly cold in March/April I was shocked at the difference in patterning.
I have seen guns that had a devastating pattern at 40 and 50 yards in 70 degree temps that were borderline of being the same at 25 to 35 yards with air temps being 30-40 degrees.
It was amazing to see the difference barrel and air temperature can make in a pattern.  I don't duck hunt very much anymore but we even experimented with our loads and chokes at different air temps as well for this years back and it is an eye opener.