Who uses what length barrells for game?

[Jonny English]

I only have the one gun at the minute, the 2nd generation 525 browning with 32's, it balances a little infront of the hing pin, which isnwhere i like it for clays. My problem is my game shooting, i can shoot all medium to long range birds without too much trouble, my problem is the closer but not too close faster birds, i'm just not connecting at all.

Been out roosting tonight and decked all the distance stuff, never touched the closer quicker birds.

Are my 32's just that little bit too long for general game and pigeon shooting, what does everyone else use and find?

 

[Darkside]

No.

 

[Fuzrat]

32's for me, one gun for everything. What method do you use for the close fast clays? and do you try to do something different just because it has feathers on it? 

 

[** Pending Removal **]

34"

 

[Jonny English]

I try to shoot pull away, i've found that medium to long range birds want 3 to 4 feet, so I presumed closer stuff wanted 18'm too 2 foot, bit a fast close clay i can sometimes give 3 to 4 feet quite easily.

I want to avoid blaming my tools, if its just me shooting like a tit and not trying new stuff.

I've either got to go backwards to the beak or forward to 3 to 4 feet? But just don't know which way at the minute. I'm just stuggling to grasp why a 50 yarder wants 3 to 4 feet and a 20 yarder may want the same!

 

[Jonny English]

Perfect example this evening, stood in a clearing in a small to medium height wood, there's no wind so the pigeons are spiralling down from high up, the birds are swooping in trying to take there speed off to come into the trees, they appear to be going at a very steady pace, I shoot anywhere from beak to 18'' and miss with skeet choke at 20 yards ish, the pigeon speeds away, i then deck it with 1/4 and 2 to 3 foot of lead at 25 to 30 yards no problem. I do this time and time again, eventually start to leave the closer ones and concentrate on the high and distance stuff.

 

[Fuzrat]

I've found I tend to overleed the close stuff, once those long tubes get going its difficult to hold them back. A VERY good pigeon shooter told me I need to work on my muzzle control for these. 

They are usually still going a fair clip when spiraling in and only really lose speed when they flare the wings for landing. Imho its one of those experience things, it takes some time to build up the sight pictures and really is trial and error. Thats why pigeons are such great sport, you never get the same speed and angle and you really have to go with instinct.

 

[SoR]

Bum belly beak bang!

 

[Jeremy Baker]

30" for me.

 

[sibaldib]

I have been using my 20 bore all season (due to back problems) It has 28" barrels and whilst it is OK for snap shots, I was suffering on the driven birds.

As a result I have invested in a 30" version and if Beretta had made a 32" I would have been sorely tempted.

 

[Fuzrat]

I have been using my 20 bore all season (due to back problems) It has 28" barrels and whilst it is OK for snap shots, I was suffering on the driven birds.

As a result I have invested in a 30" version and if Beretta had made a 32" I would have been sorely tempted.

Guerini do a 32"

 

[Darkside]

A keeper friend of mine shoots with a 32" 16 bore O/U...very light with next to no recoil with 29g shells. Took him a while to "tune in" on close stuff, in his words "...you have to be very deliberate on close birds, especially if they are slow!!!!"

 

[Jonny English]

Well it looks like i'm not going to get away with blaming the gun, so just more practise needed. Luckily I should be out roosting again next Sat so will have to try something new. If I had to choose between which type of bird I was competant with, i would want it to be the distance stuff, but its just annoying!

I've considered all sorts this season, 30'' mk60 game gun, 30'' 20 bore, 30'' barrells to go on my 525. But I know full well that none of them will transform my game and pigeon shooting, i have to learn to use the one I've got first!

 

[Fuzrat]

Practicing on woodies, ah its a tough life

 

[Jonny English]

It is indeed, it was hard going last night, no wind so they were coming in from any direction and from high up, but I got a few last night, but not as many as i should have had!

Been using 30 gram 6 clear pigeons in fibre, nice little cartridge from GB, the 32's are a little punchy though.

 

[Fuzrat]

yep same for me yesterday, no wind and a warming late afternoon sun. they had picked their wood by half 2 and were just floating around lazy.

Im on Kent velocity pigeon. 29g of 6's. Plenty to do the job through 5/8 and 3/4 roosting and a nice light decoying shell

 

[Jonny English]

I only started at 4.00 ish had the kids at at a party from 1.00 till 3.00, my hot spot was from 5.00 till 5.30 they came flooding in, the wood i'm in is only fairly young so I go with skeet and 1/4 as the trees are only 20 to 30 foot tall.

 

[squimp]

I shoot game with 31" barrels (for what its worth).

I shot well (relatively!) at high pheasants for the first three times I went to Mid Wales this season. Then I went on a small day in Essex shooting birds at much shorter ranges and I lost the plot entirely.

The next two days in Wales I was rubbish and it took me lots of practice to work out what was going on. Luckily I got things back on track for the last day of the season.

If you can hit the longer ones then it isn't the gun -  it has to be technique and 'muzzle awareness'.  

 

[Maxum]

32s for me on both 12 & 20 g