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26" verses 30" bbl. ballists?

daydreamer1
is there any real differance in say a 12ga. shotgun with a 26" bbl. with full chokes when compared to a 12 ga. with 30" bbl. with full chokes. this comes up when selecting a sporting shotgun. i beleive with equal shells the 26" bbl gun will brake clay targets the same distance as any 30"bbl gun. others say that the 30" bbl. gets out there and gives an advantage over the 26" gun. i say no way ,the shell is the deciding factor, who is corect?
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Comments

4 comments

Date Votes
  • MIKE WISKEY
    30" barrel gives you a longer sighting raidus, this is the only advantage. most target loads LOOSE velocity after 18/20" of barrel.
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  • bearman49709
    Mike has it right.I've been shooting shotguns for over 40yrs, shot every lenth from 181/2"-30" , and lenth has very little effect on velocity. I hunt ducks,geese, ruffed grouse, and rabbits and find 22" to be the most usefull, both of my shotguns now have 24" bbl's with winchokes that work very well. I find the longer barrel's get in the way in tight cover and don't make it any easyer to hit the clays, or for waterfowl pass shooting.
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  • nononsense
    daydreamer1,

    Mike and bearman have the sighting plane and velocity answer but I think that it is also important to think about how the shotgun handles.

    The difference that I notice with changes in barrel lengths with shotguns is how it mounts and more importantly, how it swings. It takes more time to get longer barrels to move (swing) than the shorter ones but once the longer ones are moving they are easier to keep moving. Simple physics.

    Best.
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  • makindu
    (NOTE: Copied directly from the tech section of the official Remington website)
    Question: Will a longer shotgun barrel shoot farther?

    Answer: Modern smokeless powders burn in the first 13 to 16 inches of the barrel and maximum velocities are obtained in the first 20 inches. Shot will carry the same distance regardless of the barrel length. Shot pattern will be the same whether the barrel is 21 inches in length or 30 inches in length, if the barrel has the same choke constriction.

    Our experts state there would be a small variation in velocity when using a 21-inch barrel as compared with a 30-inch barrel; however, the variation would be immeasurable.

    The basic advantage of a shorter barrel is that it will swing faster. The longer barrel gives the hunter a longer sight radius to be more precise, particularly when pass shooting waterfowl. Also, the longer barrel can often help balance certain shotguns better.
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