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Shotgun barrel length

Started by MossRem, March 03, 2012, 12:33:42 PM

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MossRem

I've got a question that maybe some of you on here can help me with. I'm sure this has been asked about before. If so, please excuse me...
I'm thinking about using an older 12 gauge 3" Remington 870 Express this turkey season. It has the old "orange linseed" Remington stock and forearm (it's probably a 1980s gun) and a factory Remington extra full choke. It also has the shorter 21" barrel.
My old reliable 870 was a 1990s Express with a 28" barrel. I've always used a factory full tube with it and was pleased with the results...but whoa is it heavy, and I'm middle aged now! ;)
My shells of choice have always been Winchester Black #5 and Federal 2 and 3/4" #5.
What I'm wanting to know is how much hitting power and performance I'll lose, going to the shorter barrel.
I've never fired the shorter gun without ear muffs so I have no idea how loud the report would be in the woods. I did take the shorter gun squirrel hunting a few times and found it was much lighter and more manueverable in brush than my longer one.
Any thoughts on this?

yelpy


    I would go for it!

    You won't loose much performance. From what I have seen and read the shorter barreled guns don't pattern quite as well as a longer barrel. You can work on that to get it where you like. I know I enjoy carrying around a lighter gun and will probably switch to a using a light weight 20 guage eventually.

allaboutshooting

I too have one of those guns, an NWTF model with the 21" barrel. It can be a challenge to get the types of patterns with these short barrels that we see with barrels of 26" or longer. However, they will certainly throw turkey killing patterns and for whatever reason, some will pattern quite well.

Shorter barrels also put the muzzle blast much closer to you than longer ones, so they are louder to us and anyone around us when we shoot.

Since the barrel is shorter, it doesn't take much movement at the muzzle to change to POI, something to remember.

Having said all of that, I understand why some people like to carry shorter barreled guns in the turkey woods. If that's your choice, I have a few recommendations.

First of all, I'd deep clean the bore. It really helps. Secondly, I'd make sure the fire control unit is cleaned of all grease, oil, etc. and oil the pivot points only. I'd install the barrel hand tight and then put 3-4 more clicks on the magazine cap, using some padded pliers.

Lastly, I'd recommend that you consider some Hevi-13 "Bronze" shells with 2 oz. of #6 shot. It's the most consistent shell on the market today, in my experience and will help to optimize the performance of your gun.

If you choose to shoot lead shot, I'd recommend the 3" Winchester HV shells with 1.75 oz. of #6 shot. That will give you all that you need in the way of energy at the target and the smaller #6 shot just patterns better to give you more coverage.

Lastly, my 21" barreled gun likes the SSX turkey choke better than any other choke I've tried with it.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your gun and the turkey woods this spring.

Thanks,
Clark
"If he's out of range, it just means he has another day and so do you."


MossRem

Hi, Clark! (and all who posted, thank you)
I've done some thinking since I first posted this.
I'm getting "cold feet" about shortening up. That particular 870 I mentioned was one I bought to be a home defense gun, not because I was displeased with what I already had.
With my long-barrelled guns, I know what I already have. I know that I can get close to advertised velocity from my loads. This is important to me because of the brushy public land areas that I hunt at.
If I were hunting field turkeys, I might be comfortable with a short-barrelled gun. There would be nothing between me and the bird but air and nothing to disrupt the shot pattern and knock pellets off their paths.
When I get a shot, I often have to cut through brush. I believe that not all the pellets make it there. That's why I want all the pattern and velocity I can get. I've already patterned my longer-barrelled guns and I know what they'll do. Plus, I know they all shoot to POI, too.

SKFOOTER

Quote from: JohnDoe on March 04, 2012, 10:44:26 AM
Set that short gun up. Get a 660 Jelly Head choke and some Hevi #7s. You can kill some time till your season opens and have the lighter, shorter, more maneuverable gun you were thinking you wanted.

John
Exactly!  My 870 w/21" barrel and Jellyhead .660 consistently puts 225-250 Hevi-13 #7 pellets in a 10" circle at 40 yards with the 3 inch 2 ounce load. :OGturkeyhead: