28" vs 26"

Super-Dave · June 23, 2009, 06:11 AM

This is a question for those shotgun experts out there.

When should you use a 28" barrel vs a 26" barrel?

oneounceload · June 23, 2009, 07:25 AM

For whenever you want a little more weight out front to keep your swing smooth - crossing targets (clay or bird) for example. Personally, I prefer 30-32" barrels for that reason

BigJimP · June 23, 2009, 10:09 AM

I'm no expert ...

But shoot longer barrels whenever you want to - and like OneOunce said - the longer barrel gives you a little more weight forward and helps most of us smooth out our swing and follow thru - vs a shorter, lighter gun that tends to be too "whippy" for most of us to shoot moving targets.

Personally for hunting birds, Skeet and Sporting clays I prefer a 30" barrel in a semi-auto or an O/U and a gun that weighs about 8 1/2 lbs overall - but well balanced between my hands. I do have a couple of guns with 28" barrels - but I find them way too short in terms of "feel" these days.

For Trap I go to a 32" or 34" barrels ...and a gun with a gross weight of about 10 lbs - but again balanced between my hands ( just a little forward of the trigger )..

jmr40 · June 23, 2009, 10:35 AM

Depends on which experts you ask. The guys who spend a lot of time at the clay games prefer the longer barrels. When they go hunting they hit better with the longer barrels because that is what they are used to.

Most of the serious hunters I know who rarely ever shoot at clays, but put a lot of meat on the table prefer the shorter 26" barrels. The key is get used to whatever you have and I doubt if you will be able to tell a significant difference between 26" or 28".

I believe the longer barrels are a great help with the harder, more difficult shots. A shorter barrel will help get on target quicker and make the easy shots even easier. There are times when a longer barrel would increase the odds of me making a longer, more difficult shot. But those are low percentage shots anyway. I just pass on those and save my ammo for the shots I am more likely to hit anyway.

Lee Lapin · June 23, 2009, 11:10 AM

If 26" vs 28" makes much of a difference at all, that shooter must be the Princess And The Pea of shotgun barrels

.

lpl

clang · June 23, 2009, 04:34 PM

In General:

Shorter barrels - Quicker handling and more lively

Longer barrels - smoother swing and follow through

Longer barrels are back in vogue right now. 30"+ are what the target guys are using.

If you are snap shooting, or in dense brush, the shorter barrels are the way to go. If you have large crossing shots at distance, the added stability of the longer barrels are preferred. If you have both (as most hunters do) take your pick on what is more important or split the difference with a 28" barrel.

But truthfully, there is not that much difference between a 26" & 28" semi-auto or pump. Doubles will show twice the difference between barrel lengths, because they have twice as much barrel out front.

If I had to choose - I would go for the 28" barrel, or even a 30"er. I can use all the help I can get steadying my swing. But I hunt pheasants with a 26" O/U, mostly because that is what I have....

Dave McC · June 23, 2009, 08:56 PM

Last week, I had the privilege of trying out a friend's Churchill XXV.

The XXV has 25" barrels, is built to the standards of best British guns and was in vogue as a sporting gun off and on since the 30s. Two sets of barrel with this one, choked, IIRC, 3 and 7 POC and 15 and 20.

And pretty as an Arabian Filly.

I didn't hit well with it. Just too different from the Beretta with 32" barrels and my beloved 870s with their weight forward balance.

I could, given time and practice, do much better with it, but I doubt I could talk the owner out of it for the next year, darn it.

It would make a great quail gun with those open barrels or a superb Dakota pheasant tool with the longer ones, but I'd need a case or two of practice ammo before it'd work for me.

And for longer shots, clays except skeet,etc, I'd want longer barrels like I have on other guns.

SeekHer · June 26, 2009, 04:49 AM

Birds in thick cover 26"...

Birds in an open field 28" or ducks/geese over decoys...

Ducks/geese pass shooting or known long range flushing field birds 30"

Clays 30" or 32"

dgludwig · July 1, 2009, 12:20 PM

I think a difference of two inches in barrel length would be more noticeable in a double than it would in a repeater. Sometimes the length of the receiver alone makes more of a difference in the shooting qualities of a repeater than would lopping off or adding two inches of barrel.

LanceOregon · July 5, 2009, 03:46 AM

Besides all of the above, shorter barreled shotguns also have greater muzzle blast, and thus damage your hearing more.

Experienced shotgunners go for longer barrels.

-

bamafan4life · July 5, 2009, 05:44 AM

I like long barreld shot guns (30 and 32'') on a bird gun. a mid length barrel (24-28'')for general purpos. a shorter barrel for a woods shot gun (20-22'') and shorter barreld shotgun for around the house (18.5-20''). You really only need one shotgun, but you can never have enough shotguns!

SumToy Custom Barrel · July 5, 2009, 11:19 AM

This is a good one. We build custom target barrels and get ask this all the time. Now as to how many shoot it will put on paper you need no more then 32 inches. From our test work a 32 will out shoot a 36. We have did alot with the 22 to 26 inch guns and they will stand toe to toe with the long barrels. Now the long barrel will add some weight and slow your swing down some. It will give you a longer sight plain also. now the down fall is that you take 22 inch barrel and shoot a target that is not moving. You don't have to be as steady with it. The 32 to 36 inch guns will multiply the whip and means you have not shake as much.
My deal is if you target shoot we work on what you have. If you have a 26 and a 30 we work on the 30. If you have a 26 we don't buy a 30 to just work on. Now with moving targets it is what you feel best with and can hit the best with.

June 23, 2009, 06:11 AM	#1
Super-Dave Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 795	28" vs 26" This is a question for those shotgun experts out there. When should you use a 28" barrel vs a 26" barrel? __________________ If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever. George Orwell

June 23, 2009, 04:34 PM	#6
clang Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2009 Posts: 119	In General: Shorter barrels - Quicker handling and more lively Longer barrels - smoother swing and follow through Longer barrels are back in vogue right now. 30"+ are what the target guys are using. If you are snap shooting, or in dense brush, the shorter barrels are the way to go. If you have large crossing shots at distance, the added stability of the longer barrels are preferred. If you have both (as most hunters do) take your pick on what is more important or split the difference with a 28" barrel. But truthfully, there is not that much difference between a 26" & 28" semi-auto or pump. Doubles will show twice the difference between barrel lengths, because they have twice as much barrel out front. If I had to choose - I would go for the 28" barrel, or even a 30"er. I can use all the help I can get steadying my swing. But I hunt pheasants with a 26" O/U, mostly because that is what I have.... __________________ If the horse don't pull you've got to carry the load.

June 26, 2009, 04:49 AM	#8
SeekHer Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2005 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 295	Birds in thick cover 26"... Birds in an open field 28" or ducks/geese over decoys... Ducks/geese pass shooting or known long range flushing field birds 30" Clays 30" or 32" __________________ There is a certain type of mentality that thinks if you make certain inanimate objects illegal their criminal misuse will disappear! When the human race dies out, it will be because it was brainwashed to be so totally, completely, utterly safe that it no longer dared to keep on living

July 1, 2009, 12:20 PM	#9
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	I think a difference of two inches in barrel length would be more noticeable in a double than it would in a repeater. Sometimes the length of the receiver alone makes more of a difference in the shooting qualities of a repeater than would lopping off or adding two inches of barrel. __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

June 23, 2009, 07:25 AM	#2
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	For whenever you want a little more weight out front to keep your swing smooth - crossing targets (clay or bird) for example. Personally, I prefer 30-32" barrels for that reason

June 23, 2009, 10:09 AM	#3
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I'm no expert ... But shoot longer barrels whenever you want to - and like OneOunce said - the longer barrel gives you a little more weight forward and helps most of us smooth out our swing and follow thru - vs a shorter, lighter gun that tends to be too "whippy" for most of us to shoot moving targets. Personally for hunting birds, Skeet and Sporting clays I prefer a 30" barrel in a semi-auto or an O/U and a gun that weighs about 8 1/2 lbs overall - but well balanced between my hands. I do have a couple of guns with 28" barrels - but I find them way too short in terms of "feel" these days. For Trap I go to a 32" or 34" barrels ...and a gun with a gross weight of about 10 lbs - but again balanced between my hands ( just a little forward of the trigger )..

June 23, 2009, 10:35 AM	#4
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,808	Depends on which experts you ask. The guys who spend a lot of time at the clay games prefer the longer barrels. When they go hunting they hit better with the longer barrels because that is what they are used to. Most of the serious hunters I know who rarely ever shoot at clays, but put a lot of meat on the table prefer the shorter 26" barrels. The key is get used to whatever you have and I doubt if you will be able to tell a significant difference between 26" or 28". I believe the longer barrels are a great help with the harder, more difficult shots. A shorter barrel will help get on target quicker and make the easy shots even easier. There are times when a longer barrel would increase the odds of me making a longer, more difficult shot. But those are low percentage shots anyway. I just pass on those and save my ammo for the shots I am more likely to hit anyway.

June 23, 2009, 11:10 AM	#5
Lee Lapin Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: SE NC Posts: 1,239	If 26" vs 28" makes much of a difference at all, that shooter must be the Princess And The Pea of shotgun barrels . lpl

June 23, 2009, 08:56 PM	#7
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Last week, I had the privilege of trying out a friend's Churchill XXV. The XXV has 25" barrels, is built to the standards of best British guns and was in vogue as a sporting gun off and on since the 30s. Two sets of barrel with this one, choked, IIRC, 3 and 7 POC and 15 and 20. And pretty as an Arabian Filly. I didn't hit well with it. Just too different from the Beretta with 32" barrels and my beloved 870s with their weight forward balance. I could, given time and practice, do much better with it, but I doubt I could talk the owner out of it for the next year, darn it. It would make a great quail gun with those open barrels or a superb Dakota pheasant tool with the longer ones, but I'd need a case or two of practice ammo before it'd work for me. And for longer shots, clays except skeet,etc, I'd want longer barrels like I have on other guns.

July 5, 2009, 03:46 AM	#10
LanceOregon Junior member Join Date: May 10, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,774	Besides all of the above, shorter barreled shotguns also have greater muzzle blast, and thus damage your hearing more. Experienced shotgunners go for longer barrels. -

July 5, 2009, 05:44 AM	#11
bamafan4life Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2009 Posts: 190	I like long barreld shot guns (30 and 32'') on a bird gun. a mid length barrel (24-28'')for general purpos. a shorter barrel for a woods shot gun (20-22'') and shorter barreld shotgun for around the house (18.5-20''). You really only need one shotgun, but you can never have enough shotguns!

July 5, 2009, 11:19 AM	#12
SumToy Custom Barrel Member Join Date: October 26, 2008 Location: GA Posts: 63	This is a good one. We build custom target barrels and get ask this all the time. Now as to how many shoot it will put on paper you need no more then 32 inches. From our test work a 32 will out shoot a 36. We have did alot with the 22 to 26 inch guns and they will stand toe to toe with the long barrels. Now the long barrel will add some weight and slow your swing down some. It will give you a longer sight plain also. now the down fall is that you take 22 inch barrel and shoot a target that is not moving. You don't have to be as steady with it. The 32 to 36 inch guns will multiply the whip and means you have not shake as much. My deal is if you target shoot we work on what you have. If you have a 26 and a 30 we work on the 30. If you have a 26 we don't buy a 30 to just work on. Now with moving targets it is what you feel best with and can hit the best with.