What length barrel is ideal?

[rebelman]

Post what your ideal barrel length is and why?

[WildTigerTrout]

IMO 24" is nearly ideal. Long enough to shoot good patterns but short enough for easy handling in the woods. I have four turkey specific shotguns and three out of the four have 24" barrels. The other has a 26".

[WyoHunter]

I like 26".

[hookedspur]

I like 26".

   x1

[sbe2#]

26" for me also

[natman]

26" on repeaters, 28" on O/Us. I use my guns for more than just turkey hunting. Barrels any shorter than these do not swing well for wingshooting. Shorter barrels also give up velocity, no matter what the makers of those barrels tell you.

Your correct about shorter barrels not swinging well, although I'm not sure how applicable that is to turkey hunting. Shorter barrels do give up some velocity - about 50-70 fps between a 28" and and 18". That's not 50fps per inch, that's 50fps total. Not really worth worrying over.

Until someone comes up with a reasonable explanation and some hard data to the contrary, as far as I'm concerned there is no practical difference in patterns between say a 20 and a 28 inch barrel.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

I've gotten my best patterns from 12 gauges with 28" barrels.

[cahaba]

I have used barrels from 20" to 28". I hated the 28". It was a borrowed gun. I now have a 26" barrel  SX3 and it's my all time favorite. Its lite to carry and the recoil is sweet. It points well,shoots awesome patterns with just about any turkey load and its easy to carry even in the thick stuff.  I am also more accurate with the longer barrel. Percieved recoil is less than with short barrels.If I were buying a gun tommorrow it would be a 26".

[SumToy]

They will all work    just will need to tune the gun with a choke to fit your needs.  Most just say this works our t it in and go.   You can kill birds but if you want the most out of it you will need to play some.   

[allaboutshooting]

In 12 gauge and especially 20 gauge, 26" seems just about perfect.

Thanks,
Clark

[jblackburn]

 My 835 (the old viking grade) came with a 28 inch barrel and I was never happy with it until I put a 24 inch with an extended tube.  It's awesome now, a bit lighter and easier to maneuver through the brush.

My new 870 has a 26 and so far seems ok, we'll see after I carry it around this spring.

[gophert]

I use a 23" on the 870 SM...I had a 26" originally but have always liked to hunt with the shorter barrels.  The 26" did out perform the 23" as far as pattern density however. 

[nyhunter]

i get my best patterns from 26", but 24 is good also.

[rebelman]

Alright, Now that we have some responses let me reword the question a bit. It appears most like a 26" or shorter barrel. Why do people buy a short barrel and then add an extended choke? Does that no defeat the purpose of a short barrel? Or does an extended choke do something more than lengthen the barrel?

[West Augusta]

24" down from 28"