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Turkey Gun - Barrel Length?


salukis

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What do you guys think in regards to Turkey Guns and Barrel length? I'm considering a 26" barrel on a SBEII but want to know your thoughts on this? I will occassionally be using this for other game as well (squirrel, rabbit, dove) but mainly for turkey hunting. Benelli makes a 24" Barrel and a 21" Barrel are these any better or just the latest interest? I always thought the longer the barrel the better the accuracy. I can understand the convenience of a shorter gun in tight situations and the fact that it weighs a little less for those who move around a lot, run and gun. I would like to know your thoughts on this. Which do you prefer?

 

Thanks guys.

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I personally use a 24in. bbl. on my Benelli turkey guns. I didn't have that length set in stone when I went shopping,it came down to what was available.I knew that a 28in. was too long for my taste though,as it would get even longer when I put an extended tube in it.That would be way too long for the types of terrain that I hunt in.I have shot ducks,geese,doves,turkeys,and rabbits with these guns and never felt that I needed a longer or shorter barrel at any time.

 

My advise is to go to your dealer and handle as many guns as possible in as many configurations as possible,and go with the one that feels the most like an extention of your arms! good luck with your search.

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The longer the barrel, the better the pattern. Folks can say their 21's & 24's pattern the same as 26's and 28's, but in most cases, this is simply not true. Extensive patterning will show the difference. Steve Conover, who wins more still shoots than most, has proven this over and over with many brands of firearms.

 

I shoot a 26" bbl SBE II, but sometimes I wish I had a 28" for turkey.

 

But, one has to ask themselves what do they really need? If your shots tend to be short, like 35 yards and in, then barrel length is really not an issue. But if you need the occasional long range, a long barrel with throw a better pattern a longer distance.

 

My SBE II completely falls apart at 40 yards and beyond. This can be tough to deal with when I am on a trip and the only shots are longer than I'm used to.

 

I'll stick with the 26" bbl SBE II for now, but I'm always looking for a better pattern.

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I agree with CH, handle the SBE with different barrel legnths and see which one you like. I also like the 24 and have had no problems swinging on crows and geese. Although both my turkeys were shot at a combined 25 yards my gun with a carlsons choke and a jellyhead choke are more than capable at 40 yards. Hope this helps good luck I dont think you can go wrong with and barrel on a SBE Thanks Greg

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all of my shotguns have 28" barrels. i think this would depend a lot on how you intend to hunt turkey. if you are going to be stalking the birds, then use a short barrel with a full or extra full choke. if your sitting in a blind or heavy cover calling them up, use a longer barrel with a full or extra full. FACT:: a 30"full provides a considerably tighter pattern, than a 21" or 24" is at the same distance. the longer barrel gives you a little more effective range as well. thats why most of the goose guns you see have 32",34", and 36" barrels.

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barrel length as nothing to do with patterns. Its your choke that does all the work.

 

novaking

 

You are absolutely, factually, incorrect.

 

For whatever reason, for many guns, longer barrels throw better patterns, even when tested with the exact same choke or choke tube.

 

This has been proven many times over by still target shooting champions.

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Splash,

 

You tested a 24 inch barrel and the 30 inch barrel with a mod. choke on the same gun with the same shell. Man you need a wife or a girlfriend.

 

A 36 inch barrel is not a " waste of steel" . The front bead is farther from your eye which helps site alinment, which which helps with longer targets. Thats why you see Goose hunters with (most of the time) with 28-?? inch barrels, and upland hunters stick with (most of the time) 26inch or less barrel.

 

From what I have read on this forum and from other articals, they don't make a differance with the modern powders and shot we have today.

 

Bottom line you are not in a controled enviornment, (you not in a lab). Did you count every pellet before you reloaded them? Did you double check the powder? Were you in the exact spot when you pulled the tigger? Do you have the same trigger pull? Are you shooting inside? Outside?

 

Does it really matter if its a few pellets more than the shot before? Most game or targets need only 3-5 pellets to "kill" it.

 

Good luck with all your tests

 

Novaking

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There is no real ballistic advantage to a longer barrel. Longer barrels are generally better for wingshooting and if you're duck hunting, the people sharing the blind with you will appreciate another inch or two as it moves the blast farther out and away from their ears.

The longer barrels swing more fluidly and the longer sighting plane helps target acquisition.

 

Shorter barrels are good for turkey, rabbit, upland game where maneuverability is preferred over sighting plane.

 

As demonstrated in the video, a semi-auto such as the SBEII utilizes a longer receiver than does a hinged action gun. The receiver extends the sighting plane by several inches.

__________________

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A Benelli M4 makes about as perfect a Turkey Gun as you could possibly imagine. First of all, a shotgun developes all of it's velocity with modern ammo in 18" of barrel. Second, length of barrel is no factor in the pattern thrown by a shotgun. A turkey choke screwed into a M4 should pattern with a turkey choke screwed into any other length/brand of shotgun. Now, go out there and kill some damn gobblers.

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I pay no attention to the barrel length speed debate. The few fps either way doesn't matter to me. I recall it's in the single digit fps range per inch of barrel, which is irrelevant in the real world.

 

I have been shooting 26" bbls my entire life because they fit my style of shooting and hunting.

 

I hunt turkeys, so I like shorter barrels in general. Easier to move the gun around in tight spaces.

 

I hunt ducks from a tank, so the gun needs to be long enough to not slide all over the place. I don't like 24" bbls in duck tanks - they can slide below the tank frame - not good

 

I did have a 24" bbl Nova that I could not get to pattern well, so I'm can't say for sure shorter barrels pattern well.

 

I think a 24" bbl SBE II would be a great gun

thanks mudhen

 

novaking

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I Have A Wife .not That Its Any Of Your Business. I Have Done These Test Because I Wanted To Know The Out Come. The Gun I Was Using Was A Remington 870. I Have A 24"& A 30" Barrel For It , Used Federal Heavy Field Loads, On An Indoor Range, Standing Behind A Bench Shooting At 2 Separate 4ftx4ft Peices Of White Poster Board With An 18" Circle Drawn On Them. And No I Did Not Count Each Pellet, Because It Was Quite Clear What Barrel Put The Most Pellets In That Circle. This Is Not Opinion... Its Fact. If You Dont Believe It, Try It......that Is If ...your Wife Will Let You!!! You Are 1000% Wrong, And Most Everybody On This Forum Knows It.

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I pay no attention to the barrel length speed debate. The few fps either way doesn't matter to me. I recall it's in the single digit fps range per inch of barrel, which is irrelevant in the real world.

 

I have been shooting 26" bbls my entire life because they fit my style of shooting and hunting.

 

I hunt turkeys, so I like shorter barrels in general. Easier to move the gun around in tight spaces.

 

I hunt ducks from a tank, so the gun needs to be long enough to not slide all over the place. I don't like 24" bbls in duck tanks - they can slide below the tank frame - not good

 

I did have a 24" bbl Nova that I could not get to pattern well, so I'm can't say for sure shorter barrels pattern well.

 

I think a 24" bbl SBE II would be a great gun

thanks mudhen

 

novaking

 

If you were proven wrong by someone with more experience than you, would you still stick to the incorrect theory :confused:

 

Do you still wear the same coat you did in grade school?

 

Did you even read my reply or did you just post it up in a frantic masturbatory attempt to prove your self correct?

 

My reply applied to the barrel length speed debate, and my opinion still matches my comments from the above post. Even if I had posted about the barrel length pattern debate, I am entitled to change my opinion based on facts.

 

Still Shooting Champion Steve Conover has proven that many longer barrels patten better even with identical chokes, loads, etc. When you win as many titles as Steve has, and your opinion is contrary to Steve's, then you are the winner. Until then, you are the loser :)

 

And yes, many folks, like Steve, hand count every pellet, weigh powder with scientific accuracy, and are virtually unchallengable in their field.

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