Barrel length

[ips]

You can't shoot a long gun the same way you do a shorter one but if you put the effort in and adjust your hold points and reduced swing, rhythm etc, you'll get to see they almost drive themselves compared to 28".

i don't want to start an argument between anyone but that contradicts wonkos statement that barell length does not effect dynamics etc. Personally i agree with you from my limited experience of a few guns other than my preferred 30 imo they do handle differently and imo it is specifically due to the barell length. If barell length made no difference then why different lengths ?

Just my opinion and as i say i do not mean to fuel an argument.

 

[Hamster]

I think our friend Wonko would probably shoot a 32" by choice if he lived here and shot ESP every week. If barrel length didn't affect dynamics why would GD carry a 32" gun around if 25" did the business ? He has shot all lengths including 34" for a while but went back to 32" as the best compromise.

 

[ips]

Exactly hammy. Its like many other aspects of guns and shooting, if all things were the same all things would be the same. Or something

 

[Jonny English]

If you charted barrel length and titles and championships won, I would bet that 32's would be most popular shortly followed by 30's (maybe with the exception if skeet). It's not often you see many people shooting a 28's in many comps these days.

 

[Lee Roberts]

Ps, thank you for your views, we all learn something new every day, I'm on game tomorrow and if like my last few days out I will love my 30",
Hope we all meet at one shoot ground or another as I will buy the teas or coffees for your opinions ........


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Simbo]

Stick two 16 1/2'' together, you won't regret it!

Ps tonight I'ave mostly been drinking Port :tease:

 

[Skeet UK]

Clever gave reason's for his answer . I was wondering what the reasoning was for other's giving similar advice .

Fair enough, I would go along with that.

 

[Les53]

As with many things,there are no hard and fast rules,its a case of use what works for you as an individual. No matter if you shoot sporting,trap or skeet. Best to get out there and try it as assumptions are often incorrect. In fact as shooters we waste far too much time worrying about such things,especially when we are still rookies and what is really needed is practice and experience!!!

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I certainly can't speak to ESP since I've never shot it really don't see that happening.  Barrel dynamics are determined by the effective inertia of the weight in your front hand.  If I had a kg1.65, 28" barrel it would be slow and steady.  And I could make it slower and steadier with some weight in the forend.  I already know the uselessness of exploring anything related to the world of physics so I'll forego that.

For decades pigeon shoots were won with 25/26" barrels.  And not with meager scores.  Tastes changed, fads changed, O/U's are commonest now and longer barrels but the scores aren't any higher.  In the good old days I shot consistently in the 20's (no big shakes I know but my best anyway) at bunker with a 70cm/kg1.38 barreled pigeon gun.  Never bettered 24 but I'd bet vital body parts it wasn't the barrel let me down.  Never shot any better with any barrels including my fave kg1.48/75cm Honest To God bunker barrel.

Just because you think it doesn't make it so.  Just because you believe it doesn't make it true.

Shoot anything you like.  I'm sure it won't bother me in the least.   reved:

Charlie

 

[SIMON-B]

What ever lenghth of barell you choose make sure it fits with your sature and strength. The more shooting you do will grow those arm muscles you didnt know you had. My first gun had solid ribbed 30 inch tubes that weighed a ton, they would knacker my arms after 100 birds for the first six months, I now shoot much lighter 32 inch barells and find the lenghth helps on slow steady distance targets ( personal  experience no science behind this ). Gun balance is another factor to consider heavy barells light stock? what do you prefer, this is something you will find in your own time. :training:    

 

[Hamster]

If you charted barrel length and titles and championships won, I would bet that 32's would be most popular shortly followed by 30's (maybe with the exception if skeet). It's not often you see many people shooting a 28's in many comps these days.

Agree  , it's far more likely that people go from short to long than the other way round which is another reason to go long in the first place, also 32" guns are much easier to re-sell which must tell us something. Obviously not everyone can live with long guns but the majority would probably save themselves the cost and hassle of a part exchange and avoid having to gel with different lengths at different times.

The thing that makes me smile is when some hint that it's some sort of clandestine conspiracy by manufacturers to talk us into one thing or the other by putting them in the hands of sponsored shooters !  What difference does it make what we buy, a sale is a sale. In fact it would be better for them to convince us that 24" barrels with no recoil pad are the way to go since that would surely improve their bottom line ? Every 15 guns sold with 32" barrels is actually costing them the material for a new set of 30" barrels for a start.

 

[Hawkeye]

Does anyone think that a shorter barreled gun might be an advantage to a new shotgun / ex rifle shooter ?

 

[Hamster]

Does anyone think that a shorter barreled gun might be an advantage to a new shotgun / ex rifle shooter ?

I'd personally say not, in principal I don't believe an ex rifle shooter is at any huge disadvantage trying to switch to shot guns as many claim, certainly no worse than starting from scratch for beginners who've rarely even held a gun before. At the very least you can argue they have appropriate stance and recoil awareness and surely most realise to hit a moving target they need to be moving too.

What short, lighter guns induce by default is rapid movement on and off the correct line, need sustained input coupled to less controlled recoil/muzzle flip phase. Many's a time we kind of rifle certain targets anyway so knowing how to point a gun isn't a bad thing then.