Shotgun Barrel Length

[Elmo]

Is there a significant difference in accuracy between a longer barrel and a shorter barrel. Some people say a longer barrel provides better balance when swinging but I hardly ever swing. Maybe that is something I should be doing. I have a 28" field barrel on my Mossberg but I would prefer something shorter and lighter.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

how much shorter are you looking to go? the longer barrel will generate more speed in the shots. if you are only looking to go down to a 26" you are talking ounces. if the gun weight is an issue I would think the stocks would be a more significant place to look.

[Elmo]

I was thinking of going down to 20" to 24". Weight was probably not the right choice of words. I meant cumbersome. I use the field barrel more for small game in shotgun only zone more than I do for waterfowl. For small game, I tend to do a lot of trekking and the long barrel constantly gets caught up in branches.

[Dinsdale]

I have a short factory 28 ga barrel at 22"....it's fun to carry.

You can get a short smooth bore slug barrel for most guns and have the fixed choke change if required or have screw ins added.....maybe the sites taken off if you want. I have sights on the 28 and shoot birds and clays with it too.

How about a single shot NEF/H+R in say 20 ga.......they're tiny and light to carry......super inexpensive too! They have a compact 20 thats only 36" long with a 22" barrel.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I actually owned a Winchester. i think 1300 or 1400. 21" barrel with screw in chokes. 3 shot auto in 20ga. used it in tight cover over my springer. great little gun. bought it used for 200

[Elmo]

I have a Mossberg 500 combo. It came with a 18.5" smooth bore and a 28" field barrel with modified, improved cyclinder, and full chokes. They're selling 20" and 24" barrels for the Mossberg 500 with the same 3 chokes for about $200 a barrel. I'm just wondering if it'll have a drastic effect on my shooting/accuracy if I bought the shorter barrel? It seems like you guys prefer the shorter barrel so I'm guessing it doesn't have a significant negative impact on your shooting?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I wouldn't hunt waterfowl, Turkey or open field phesants with it. but for any other small game situation I can't imagine you would see any noticable difference.

[Elmo]

Good to know, Culvercreek. Thanks.

[Red]

my favorite deer gun is my mossberg 500 with the 28'' smooth bore barrel really accurate with the slugs even at 100yards open sights. also very good for the small game.

[Pygmy]

My 11-87 has a 21" barrel, and a 28" barrel...

I bought it as a turkey gun with the short barrel and then eventually bought the 28" barrel just for waterfowl..

In the OLD days, you needed a 28 or 30 inch barrel to completely burn the powder , and there was significant difference in velocity between a 20" and a 30" barrel..

Nowadays, with modern fast burning shotgun powders, the difference is not significant, at least out where the rubber meets the road. The game will never know the difference. Most loads burn thier powder in 18" or so.

As far as ACCURACY is concerned, the only difference is the fact that the longer sighting plane of the longer barrel is somewhat more precise. However, with shot loads, and the fact that they get wider at longer ranges, that is a questionable advantage. We're not talking benchrest shooting here.

I have used my 21 " barrel on my 11-87 to do some of the best wingshooting I have ever done. I shot my one and only lifetime TRIPLE on ducks with it, and have shot numerous triples on geese with it....

In my opinion the handling qualities of the shorter barrel far outweigh any advantage that the longer barrel might have, in most hunting situations.

[Pygmy]

Elmo....The short answer to your question is there is NOT a significant ballistic OR accuracy advantage to a longer barrel as far as shooting shot loads are concerned .

In my humble opinion, a shorter barrel has better handling qualities for most small game hunting applications.

Keep in mind the fact a side by side or O/U double is considered ideal for most upland applications with a 26" barrel.

A double gun with a 26" barrel is about the same length as a pump or auto with a 23 or 24" barrel, due to the length of the action..

[Early]

If I could have one barrel only for all applications, I would choose a 24"-26" barrel. That said, I have seen my grandson shoot everything from rabbits to turkeys to passing geese with only a 21" barrel. Then, too, I have an old Savage Fox double with 30" tubes that I have had great success with. Go figure !!!!

[WNYBuckHunter]

If you aren't shooting skeet, clays or trap and you don't do much water fowling, you probably won't notice much with a shorter barrel. Personally, I like a 26 inch barrel with screw in chokes. Kind of a do it all length to me.