O/U shotgun barrel length

F

Frank44

New member
I am thinking about a Beretta 686 Onex O/U 20ga. What is the most popular barrel length 26", or 28"? What are the pros, and cons? I will be using it mostly for grouse, and busting clay pigons from a hand trap.
Frank44
 
You want the one that fits you best. Not allot of difference in those 2 inches. Pushing threw the brush and pines for grouse a long barrel may get in the way. On the other hand shooting clays or high flying aerial targets the longer barrels tend to swing and track better.

I have several shotguns only 2 O/H, for grouse I have 24" 28ga. For waterfowl I use 28" 12 ga. Also have just purchased but yet to pick up 28" 20ga. I dont shoot competetivly, just to sharpen up pre season. Then I just use whatever I plan on hunting with. I dont know what kind of terrain you hunt grouse in but here you find them in the thick stuff. 28" will be hard to swing fast in allot of brush.

My buddy uses a 20" 20ga SxS for rabbits and grouse. Doesnt swing well for me but he is fast with it in the thick stuff. I cant shoot it well. Everyones different.
 
The 686 is very light and trim to begin with, and I doubt you will have any trouble with 28 in tubes. I have a Citori 20 gauge XS Sporting Clays 28 in. that is pure poison on grouse, quail, doves, and even pheasants with the right choke and 2 3/4 in loads. O/Us are fairly short compaired to autos and pumps and are well suited to hunting close cover. I think the 28 in would be a bit more versatile and swing a bit smoother for trap and skeet targets.
 
I would have to get your attention away from the 26" barrels on a 20ga beretta. the Beretta shotguns are very light and wippy. If this shotgun you speak of is only for hunting, try to find one with 28" barrels, you will be really pleased in the end. I get asked these kind of questions all the time from my sporting clay students, and my answer to them is always the same. Get the longest barreled gun you feel comfortable with! I hunt with a browning xs sporting with 30" tubes and wish they made this particular shotgun in 28ga with 32" tubes. Longer barrels equal better sight picture Less preceived lead of a target,and swing smoother than the shorter barreled guns. Lee
 
I am an expert on shotguns, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I have killed hundreds of phesant over good dogs with an old Browning lightning 20ga 26 1/2" using winchester 7 1/2 AA trap loads. As I got older it dawned on me that everything I knew was either wrong or incomplete. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif Thanks dor all the expert advice. I will go with the 28". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Iam glad that I ask. I was leaning twards the 26". Thanks again.
Frank44
 
I have a Beretta 686 O/U in 12 ga. that I wouldn't sell for any reason!! Mine has a 26 and 3/4" barrel and I like it, the shotgun is compact and patterns better than any other shotgun I've owned. You will be happy with that gun regardless of barrel length.
 
For jump shooting i prefer the 26 inch barrel, for pass shooting the 28 or 30 inch is the best. If i was you the 28 inch would be my choice.
 
I also like the 28" it is the same length as my 24" benelli m1 because of the length of the semi auto action versus the over and under action. The 28" gives a little longer sight plane and swings a little better for me. But I also had a 26" that I liked too.
 
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I also like the 28" it is the same length as my 24" benelli m1 because of the length of the semi auto action versus the over and under action. The 28" gives a little longer sight plane and swings a little better for me. But I also had a 26" that I liked too.



This is the best advice given yet. You must realize the difference in lengths of semi-auto shotguns vs. O/U shotguns. The semi actions are much longer so if you are currently shooting a auto-loader make sure you lay the O/U down next to the auto loader at the gun shop and shoulder each for comparison. This is why I prefer my O/U's at 28".
 
The longer the barrels on an O/U the less percieved lead which is why the Skeet shooters converted to 30" O/U in the mid 90's upon the introduction of Sporting clays. A 30" O/U
still has less over-all length than a 28" auto or pump.

A 30" or longer sporting Clay shotgun is considered a standard in the US even through our targets are shot at closer distances than our European counter parts.

Hoggy
 
In my opinion a grouse/partridge shotgun needs to be short and light. Frank44 said its for hand held clays and grouse. Humping up and down those hills all day with a 30" gun will make you wish it were a 20". I'd go for a 26 only if they did'nt make a 24. Denny
 
On my 12ga hunting guns, I prefer 26" barrels and on my 20ga 28". All my clay guns have had 30" barrels except my International Skeet gun 12ga has 26". My saltwater duck hunting pump has a 21"barrel and handles just like a 26" O/U.

AWS

Edit: I'm 5'8" so long barrels don't swing quite as well for me as someone taller.
 
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I am going to run a bit against the grain on this thread.
I hunt Ruffed Grouse, and Woodcock, with a 28 ga. 26"
barrel, O/U, on a 28 ga. frame(under 6 lbs), and it is about
perfect for me. As for trap, the last time I stopped by the
local range, on their open Sunday afternoon shoots, I went
24/25, with the little 28. I had guys trying to get me to
join their trap teams. All of my auto-loaders, a Browning
Gold 10, a Rem. 1100 12 ga, a Rem. 11-87 SP 12 ga. and a
Franci 720(20 ga.), have 26" barrels. Ducks, pheasants,
grouse, woodcock, hand thrown clays, trap, and sporting
clays, all get shot with these guns, and the snooty guys
with their "tuned for the situation" shotguns mumble, or
marvel, at my results. I have purchased guns,
with 30"-32" barrels thinking I must be missing something,
and I was...Targets. For me fast moving targets, like
multiple shots on diving duck flocks scattering over head,
or multiple sporting clay shots, from different directions,
where quick reaction, and abrupt shorter swings, made for
more multiple hits, the shorter barrels made a big
difference, for me. So the long barrels have all been sold,
or traded, for 26" barreled shotguns. At the clays range
I have respectable scores, and in the field, I am usually
the first to limit. I will say that the even shorter
barreled guns are a bit too short and whippy for me, to
just pick up and shoot well. But it might just be a matter
of more practice with them.

Squeeze
 
I agree with Squeeze! Remember a time when my brother and I were invited to a high end sporting clays shoot with a bunch of bank presidents and the like. I walked up with my old, beaten 26" 11-87 duck gun with my shells in a paper bag. Just about everyone else had gold-inlayed this and that sporting clays guns and the clothing (shoes and all) to match. Wound up taking 3rd place.

It all depends on what feels best to you and what you can shoot well.

Moosetrot
 
Most of you guys are missing the point of the thread! He's requesting O/U barrel length. It's pretty hard to compare the swing and feel of a semi-auto of barrel length x to a O/U of barrel length x.

Bottom line is to shoulder and swing a few. Then go with what feels best...most of it is mental anyway.
 
For shooting pheasants over dogs I use a O/U 20 ga with 26 inch barrels or a Model 1912 pump 16 ga with a 25.5 inch barrel. I like the shorter barrels, but if I was buying the 20 ga over again I'd probably go with the 28 inch barrel.
 


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