Barrel Length

[Fuzrat]

Totally depends on your build and the balance !

Totally agree with the balance, however, I would disagree slightly with the build thing. Going by build I should be shooting a 26" being 5'6 and the weight of your left bicep I have never got on with shorter barrels, far too whippy, and shoot a 32" myself BUT it is very nicely balanced

 

[k80ben]

By building have no interest in height, it down to how they handle the gun, strength and centre of gravity is huge

 

[Emmsy]

I am a newcomer, relatively, but I believe that better cartridges and tougher standards lead to a typically longer sporting target than say 15/20 years ago, hence the trend for 32. Or so I am told..

imo sporting clay targets has probably got closer in 15 years not further out, just now with they way they can set the traps they tend to be more floppy, curling etc which sort of requires that extra gun stability of the longer tubes

 

[Salopian]

I feel sure it is more to do with balance.

There are tremendously good shots who use 30" barrels although I do agree that there has been a trend towards longer barrels.

Not many people favour 34" barrels finding them too long. That was until Blaser and John Jefferies came along with his HPX Perazzi both taking the time to sort out the balance.

Personally I think a well sorted 30" is not too far off the mark.

Robert Churchill would of course disagree and he did kill some far out pigeons very efficiently.

 

[WezC]

See, reading this thread I am more confused

I too was wondering about barrel length, so when I go in the gun shop, I have more of an idea what I should be looking for.

I don't want the "salesman" in the shop to sell me something I am never gonna manage.

Surely there is some sort of reference point on the sizing, ie: your weight and height, length of your short stumpy / long gangly arms ?? :???:

Wez.

 

[Hamster]

Surely there is some sort of reference point on the sizing, ie: your weight and height, length of your short stumpy / long gangly arms ?? :???:

Wez.

No there isn't really, not with barrel length anyway although fit wise there are sensible guidelines. Barrel length wise most won't go far wrong with 30" which seems sensible for most clay as well as live shooting situations, 32" is that tiny bit better for most experienced clay shooters.

 

[Alan Maughan]

I can understand the significance of balance in terms of how the gun feels and appreciate that a heavier but well balanced gun can feel lighter in use than a lighter but poorly balanced gun. There are many references to a good point of balance being the hinge pins but Ive also seen this debated based on how far your hands are appart etc.

My 32" Kronos has a 13oz Gracoil fitted so the exact point of balance is 1" behind the hinge pins. At this stage in my learning curve Im not sure if this is good or bad? The further I move my hands appart the more the gun feels butt heavy. Moving my hands closer together gives me a more neutral feeling but I dont feel comfortable.

I guess the answer is to add some weight underneath the fore end but then wonder if I will just end up with a heavier and numb feeling gun - guess I will have to try it and see.

 

[EdSolomons]

Be careful if re ballancing, a small amount of weight can make a big difference.

 

[Will Hewland]

Many things need to be right, so somebody would need to see you shoot it to answer this IMO. The hold will affect balance, but also the way the gun is handled and controlled. I was at a small shoot a while ago and watched a bloke hit 1 ex 10 on a stand of two quartering birds. When he finished I sent him back in to the cage and told him to move his hand further up the fore end (because he was nearly holding the action). Two balls of dust. He couldn't believe it.

 

[Dog Tyred]

32 Inch Trap for me.

Time for a poll me thinks!

Can someone (cleverer than me) set one up to establish what the most common barrel length is amongst forum members?

DT

 

[Salopian]

I doubt if physical build can be a true indicator of what length barrels will suit an individual.

I believe that I may well have been one of the first to ever go to 32" Barrels for clayshooting in 1984.

I am 5' 6" on a warm day and just over 5' in Winter my gun with barrels open resting barrels on my boot is above my waist.

But because I am happy with the balance it feels like a wand when addressing birds, in fact Ben H and 40UP David have commented that sometimes I am too fast.

Now that is me in error not the barrels.

I firmly believe that if you and your gun are synchronised, barrel length either long or short can be accommodated.

Stance, style, poise and balance.

 

[GavB]

Be careful if re ballancing, a small amount of weight can make a big difference.

+1

recently had my gun balanced with more weight moved toward the recoil pad, and did make a big difference, and will do until i get used to it.

just to add the weight remained the same but was moved back about 8", I use a 686e 30"

had a few swings with a 682 gold e 32" the other day and that felt lighter but much smoother, sort of glided when swung

 

[Alan Maughan]

just to add the weight remained the same but was moved back about 8"

How was this achieved?

 

[Westward]

See, reading this thread I am more confused

Surely there is some sort of reference point on the sizing, ie: your weight and height, length of your short stumpy / long gangly arms ?? :???:

Wez.

I don't think the learning curve ever ends but it does get less steep as you gain experience. Any of the popular sporting clay guns will do a reasonable job for the majority of novices and as skills develop you will become aware of the differences in balance & feel and start to form preferences.
It's always worth remembering that the gun makes the smallest contribution to your performance and scores.

Like Hamster says, there really isn't any simple relationship between physique and barrel length. I'm pretty fit and very active but also old and slim built, yet when a mate shoved his 9½lb 32" K80 into my hands for a few shots it didn't feel any heavier, slower or harder to shoot than my 8lb 32" Prevail. Incidentally my Prevail, which is my 6th sporting clays gun, is the only one I haven't wanted to re-balance.

 

[Will Hewland]

Liker that old chestnut of gun-fit; balance and barrel length are best left not overly worried about by a novice. (As long as they are roughly right. No 26" barrels or Browning Cynergy should be entertained). After 10,000 shells, start worrying about detail.

 

[GavB]

How was this achieved?

fishing weights packed near the stock bolt then just swapped the packing round and the weights nearer the pad, made the barrels with a bit more whip so I really have to slow myself down which isnt a bad thing

 

[Wonko the Sane]

In terms of load performance, barrel length is meaningless at any length over 18-20".

What is meaningful, as has already been noted here, is how the gun feels. Personally, I've not used a 32" that didn't feel slug-like. The heavy barrels for me are +/-1.5kg and most 30" (75cm) barrels are in that area - ones I use anyway. Mostly I shoot 28" (72cm/1.46kg) slightly lighter barrels and have never felt that the gun was holding me back. One of my faves is an old Mirage w/ 1.43kg / 70cm barrels. And I have a 70cm/1.34kg that imposes no handicap at all that I can detect. Lightspeed fast and the easiest thing to shoot.

But then, I'm old, sorta gimpy, and relatively talent free so YMMV considerably

Charlie

 

[chippy]

i think all the top shots use 32" and longer barrels to get closer to the clays, the cheating gits :.: :.: :.:

chippy

 

[Salopian]

Chippy,

Thanks for that little gem, I've been standing 2" further back, but when I shoot with Rutland Ed and take into account his height, stock length, barrels, and chokes I am shooting from the previous stand.

Frankly I think no one would be disadvantaged if they shot 30" barrels.

I think sometimes we all need to clear our heads of technical rubbish, stop worrying and just shoot the targets.

 

[chippy]

Good point there.Tall shooters the cheating gits.

chippy