Poll
Question:
What do you consider a good barrel length
Option 1: 20 inches
votes: 15
Option 2: 22
votes: 48
Option 3: 24
votes: 59
Option 4: 26
votes: 36
Option 5: 28
votes: 8
Fun member survey , turkey gun only
Quote from: Old Gobbler on March 20, 2018, 02:30:27 PM
Fun member survey ,
26" for me.
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26 for me
I like a longer barrel for wingshooting, but shorter for turkey hunting. My 870s have a 21" and the supermag a 23". Ive hunted the 23 more than the 21, and its always performed well (both have). I'd prefer no more than 24 for turkeys.
20.5 without the choke...
24 for my 20 ga win and 26 for my Benelli 20 ga. That's the way they came so I'm good with them.
Voted 26. 870 has a 26, but also has an Indian Creek, so its more like 28. My 835 has a 24 with an extended so it's probably close to 26
My browning has a 22" barrel and I like it for the maneuverability. My benelli has a 28, and as much as I like hunting with it, it feels looong after carrying the bps around. When I get around to putting a dedicated gun together, it's going to have a 24-26 pipe on it, depending what model I decide to go with.
21 inch with about 1 inch of turkey choke sticking out ...22 total...
21 for a dedicated turkey gun. 24 if i only could have one gun to hunt everything with.
22 is my ideal length. Add 2" for an extended choke and it's a very manageable 24" barrel that gets the bang a bit further from the shooter and gets most of the velocity out of the round.
24" is handy in the woods
I am going to a 20 auto with a shorter barrel. It stinks getting old :OGturkeyhead:
I voted 24. I've had a couple of 21 Remington's but all mine are either 24 or 26
21"
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Got a 26" on my SBE II and a 24" on my single shot. The single shot has a short receiver and it swings nice, but I get better patterns out of the 26".
Jim.
22 for this short guy
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21"
21" with 1" of extended choke
I really, really like the 21" +1" Rem 870 20 gauge
(Did carry a 26" Benelli before that)
My 28 inch pipe out patterns all my other guns. A little awkward in the woods at times but really not so much as to complain.
20 to 22 for everything for me .once you get used to carrying a short barrel you never want to carry a longer one at least that's how it has been for me anyway.
I voted 22, i don't like my gun sticking up much higher than my shoulders when I use a sling. Barrel catches everything.
Always used a sawed off barrel cylinder bore to rabbit hunt, around 20 inches. Just use to a shorter barrel overall.
Quote from: Chris O on March 20, 2018, 08:21:49 PM
20 to 22 for everything for me .once you get used to carrying a short barrel you never want to carry a longer one at least that's how it has been for me anyway.
X2
To a degree, the choice is dependent on action type. For example, the breech and part of the barrel of a break action gun take the place of the receiver in other action types. Hence, the overall length of an over & under may be similar to that of a pump or semi-auto having a barrel 2" or more shorter.
21" with an inch of extended choke. Can't beat a short barrel in the woods, ease of carry and less cutting of brush for set up. Loss of velocity nil at turkey shot ranges. :OGturkeyhead:
I like a 26"
Whatever will fit in my gun case.
Hoping 21" if I can get my 870 ready. If not, the 24" 835 is there ready with some big shells loaded.
Both of my turkey guns have 28" tubes. I'm used to the length and they throw some nice patterns.
26"
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I also prefer 20"-22" barrel but can live with 24" in the turkey woods. 99.9% of my spring turkey hunting is done in more of a jungle setting than what I'd call woods. I honestly don't mind a longer barrel if I had somewhere more open to use it such as open hardwoods, fields, or pines. When moving on birds I've litteraly been stopped in my tracks by vines, saw briers, and brush, and had to dig, crawl, fight my way back out and go to plan b,c, then d. On two occasions I know for sure two different hot and ready gobblers were spooked when my to long barrel were grabbed by the brush resulting in a loud "clank" from a pumps forearm. With that said I have noticed the longer barreled guns did throw nicer more even patterns at 40yds though not really more pellets but more uniform spread of shot. I'd still take a shorty over the long guns though, after all if the occasional racket or occasional bump scares the bird silent it doesn't matter much what I'm shooting.lol
26" on my 20ga and 12ga
I have used a 20" and a 28". The 20" felt short to me and I missed a bird or 2 which is my own fault. I started using my 28" benelli and I feel like it is too long with the choke. My next gun is going to be in the 22-24" range.
I killed my first bird with a 30" barrel. My 935 has a 24" barrel and does just fine. But I think If I ever get another dedicated turkey gun I'd go even shorter. My waterfowl and my sporting clays guns both have 28" barrels. As has been said maneuverability in the turkey woods is key.
26"-28"I have tested time each year and always get better patterns out of longer barrels with same chokes and ammo.
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24"
When I was a kid I hunted with a 30" barrel. I was fine with it but when I got older and could afford a dedicated turkey gun, 24" became my favorite length.
24"
Hunted 21"-30" over the years.
Voted 26"
26" seems, for me, to be the best trade off between maneuverability and velocity.
21"for 870's and 26" for the autos
24" or 26" for me, most of mine are 26"
26 is happy medium for long range vs manuverability
21 inch barrel with another 1.5 of choke. My 11-87 has a 21 and it's all I ever turkey hunt with.
My all time favorite was 11-87 with a 23" Barrel. Loved the Rifled sights...
21" for me on my m2. I had a 26" barrel on my SBEII before that. I wouldn't say it cost me any birds, but it was a pain to maneuver at times. Since using the shorter barrel on the m2, I wouldn't want to go back to a longer one. I actually have an 18" barrel for it, but don't like the sights, so never patterned it.
26" for me also, I don't care for the blast of the shorter barrels. I hunted with an older 30" wingmaster for many years, and learned how to get around in the thick stuff with it. But my father give me a 870 SP 26" around 2001, and I've used it ever since. On nasty days I'll carry my ugly mossberg 500, 28" Mod.
My shotguns:
12ga. 26"
20ga. 21" I really like the 21" barrel over the 26 for turkey hunting
26" for me
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I settled on a 20" barrel on my old 500. Works great in the fairly thick woods I hunt.