I am currently using a mossberg 835 with a 24" barrel but am considering using my 870 some with a 28" barrel. In you opinion is there any major benefit over short vs long barrel.
I like a shorter barrel personally because to me it's easier to swing around on target. I've shot turkeys with 21,24,26,and 30in barrels. Longer might pattern somewhat better but the small loss of pattern is worth the short barrel to me in maneuverability
I like 26"
26" for me. Have hunted 18, 21, 24, 26, 28 and 30" guns. The more consistent/better pattern of the longer barrels I've experienced is worth more to me than a maneuverability advantage. The 18" Win 1300 was a pleasure tote for 25 toms but was always a very fickle patterner in spite of a bunch of $ dumped into and through it.
I am a 24" barrel guy...have been for many ,many years beginning with a 1970's era Franchi 48AL.
Currently own a BPS 10, Stoeger 3500 and Benelli Super Black Eagle all 24".
I think its a good all around length...handles well, patterns well.
My .02
20" - 21" for me
24" is what I have right now and I couldn't imagine using a 26 or 28. I catch the 24 on almost every branch and tree already, I'd be breaking every branch and tree with any longer of a barrel.
Personal choice all the way. Any where between 21"-26" works for me.
Shortest I can find. My 18 patterns well enough to take any bird within range. I am really not a field hunter mostly woods so I like the short guns for there manuverability.
I have turkeys guns with barrels between 21" and 26". My favorite is 24" though.
I like 24"-26". Shorter barrels are more maneuverable but I like the steadiness and sight plane of a slightly longer barrel. I hunt rabbits and grouse with a 26" barrel in way thicker places than I'll ever hunt turkeys and I guess I'm just used to moving the longer barrel around obstacles. It's all personal preferance and feel.
I'm partial to my 18.5" Vinci kills em as dead as my 30" sticks.
I like 26" as well. I carried a browning this year with a 30" and it hung on everything! So I found that that 4" made a huge difference!
26-28, longer barrels pattern better...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I went from 24 to 21 in my 870 I like the shorter barrel and it throws a better pattern then my 24in barrel and I put a lot of shells through it before buying a new gun
I like the 22 inch barrel on my 535 just fine.
I prefer 28" cause I'm hunting pastures and fields where I hunt and allows me to make 60+ yard shots. But as others have stated I catch a lot of branches when shouldered walking. If I'm pulling out a sneak on a bird just have to unshoulder it and hold in front of me. So Really Just Depends On Your Style Of Hunting And Where You Are Hunting.
I shoot a 26 or 28, i think they loose their balance below 24...I'd do a 24 but that would be a min for me
21"-24" in the turkey woods. Seems to maneuver better and anything to lighten the gun in those situations where you have to hold the gun up for an extended period of time. Easier moving through the thick stuff when trying to set up on a gobbler in a hurry. Just accustomed to hunting with the shorter barrel.
26" on repeaters and 28" on O/Us. A 28" O/U is shorter than a 26" repeater due to the length of the action. Like another poster, I hunt grouse in places way thicker than the places I turkey hunt and use the same gun I turkey hunt with, a 6 lb 12 ga O/U. No problems getting through the brush, and no problems holding up the light gun. I like the "free" velocity increase of a longer barrel and keeping the muzzle blast further from my ears. But I can understand the appeal of the shorter barrels for turkey guns when maneuvering in tight spaces while seated.
I use a 23" on my 12ga 870SM. Add another 1 to 1-1/2" for the choke. I think this is good compromise between the advantages of both longer and shorter barrels.
There is a slight gain in velocity with a longer bbl......about 12-15 FPS/ INCH of bbl.
26" for me
Both my shotguns that I have now, have a 26" barrel. The 26" seems to give the best patterns for me. If i have the choice of lengths I would keep the 26" on my nova and put a 24" on my 870. The 26" barrel is okay for run and gun but when I decide to hunt from a blind, it gets annoying. I believe overall with 24 or 26" is the best all around.
24 is just right, Mike
Have shot 21 and 26, albeit different guns, but I prefer the 26 for pattern and balance.
My super mag with the 23 pipe is the longest I can go. Really like my 835 the the 20" but it is not an 870.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk