Shooting trap and barrel length....

[wacki]

Does it matter? If so how much?

What does the longer barrel give you? Just power?

[kudu]

wacki, barrel length only adds 10-30 fps on your velocity from 20"-34", not much more power. What barrel length does do is extend your sighting plane and help with perceived lead. Dedicated trap guns usually have at least 30" barrels and many have 34" barrels. This length also helps you get a bit more weight out in front of you and helps with follow through of targets. Also the more weight of the gun the more it will help dampen recoil. Trap can be shot fine with an 18" barrel, but usually not as well as a longer one. As with any shotgun the fit to the shooter is the most important.

[Dave McC]

Kudu nailed it, as usual. If you're out to win the Grand National, get a long barrel. If it's for fun, use what you have and enjoy....

[wacki]

what is perceived lead?

[kudu]

what is perceived lead?

This is what the shooter sees when leading a target, or measuring in front of a target. With the longer barrels it is easier to get the feel for the right lead on a bird. No two shooters see the exact lead on a target, we just go by a set standard of what the lead is supposed to be. It is more noticable on a skeet field where many targets are up to 3 feet of lead.

Trap is less lead untill you move back to the longer yardages. At 27 yards with a slow shooter you can have 3' of lead on some targets when they go to extreme right and left. It is just easier to use longer barrels at these games for the shooters point of view.

[Skeetin'870]

the longer the better. in skeet and trap. I know that rugerdude uses a riot shotgun for skeet. While some people use insanely long barels.

[Spotted Owl]

One of the most fun things to do is to show up at a trap or skeet field, where no one knows you, with a short-barrel riot gun, preferably in camo. All of the locals will give you strange looks--until you break 25 straight...

[D-squared]

One point that has not covered regarding longer barrels for trap is the improved site plan of the longer barrels. Alot of people think trap is a "point in the niegborhood" and shoot. Actually trap is a high accuracy game best played with a full choked barrel.

I once tried a 34 inch duck & goose full choke barrel on my M1100 Trap. It did swing smoothly, and it really smoke balled the targets. but I found it was a little to front heavy for my tastes so I got ride of the barrel.

I once tried a friends BT-99 with a 34 inch barrel. I was a real nice shooter.

One other thing is that most trap barrels are setup to pattern 60/40, with 60% of the shot being above the center of the pattern. Some handicap shooters go even higher.

Have fun, D-squared.

[Tacoma]

FWIW, keep in mind too that barrel length is a relitive thing when it comes to ballance and sighting plain. A semi/pump has the reciever length added into that equation where a single/double's barrels start right near your nose.

i.e. A 30" tube on a semi will produce an overall longer gun than a 30" tube on a double.

[D-squared]

Tacoma, you are correct indeed. That is why those 34" barrels are not very popular with trap shooters.

There does seem to be trend with sporting clays competitors towards the 30" barrels on the semi-autos.

D-squared

[Russ5924]

I would go with 30 inch barrel and IMP-MODIFIED choke that is just a little less than full. :)