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Posted By: dylan barrel length - 01/19/15
What is everyone's opinion on barrel length for skeet and sporting clays?

Posted By: erich Re: barrel length - 01/19/15
What ever your comfortable with.

Back when I was shooting competitively I shot 26" on International Skeet anything longer in 12 ga felt slow and cumbersome, with a 20ga I could go up to 28"

I just in the past few years started shooting SC on a more regular basis, 28" on my sxs and 30" on my O/U aren't bad. I think it is due to not having to mount from a full low position(toe of the stock touching the point of the hip)and not having the random delay in the release.
Posted By: grouseman Re: barrel length - 01/19/15
It's up to you to find your answer, we can't do it for you.
Posted By: passport Re: barrel length - 01/20/15
I like 30's on my 1100 but I like long tubes. 32's on my o/u
Posted By: Teal Re: barrel length - 01/20/15
I prefer long. 30 is the minimum. 32 is what I buy and 34 is what I'd make were I king for a day.
Posted By: battue Re: barrel length - 01/20/15
If I were prince for a day, I would buy the Perazzi 32in SxS I got to shoot the other day on sporting. It was a SC gun and around 8.5pounds, but it balanced. Would also have made a pretty good pass shooting Dove shotgun.

Only $18,000 and it was plane Jane. grin

On the whole, long and lean barrels for LW field guns, which are hard to find. Heavier the shotgun makes shorter barrels almost a necessity. 26in pumps and semis are pretty much the equivalent of 32's when compared to O/U's when referencing sighting plane.

Most SC shooters are at 32in for O/U's and 28 for semi-autos, but as mentioned the Semi's will have a corresponding longer sighting plane due to 5inches or so of receiver.
Posted By: GF1 Re: barrel length - 01/22/15
Really depends on the gun and the "feel". In general, shoot the longest barrels that feel comfortable, as these will be much smoother and more consistent on long crossers and other targets.

My pet is a Perazzi MX8 with fixed choked 33" barrels. If it had factory chokes, it would be a pig on a shovel. I find the Beretta DT11 with 32s and extended chokes very nose heavy, but about right with 30s.

There was a fad some time back toward 34" barrels, and the pendulum swung back toward the 32s. Whatever feels right is right.
Posted By: catnthehat Re: barrel length - 01/22/15
Depends on the gun I am shooting , because i don't shoot registered birds anymore, and just shoot my field guns so I can stay in shape with them- mostly 26's or 28's however.
Cat
Posted By: seal_billy Re: barrel length - 01/22/15
To me it depends on the gun. On benelli autos I like 28" barrels on heavy autos I like shorter barrels. I like longer barrels on O/Us because most balance between the hands (field guns), sporting guns tend to be weight forward and I don't like that, but that's just me. Although I have a beretta 391 sporting with 30" barrel, and its fine. Again it depends on the gun.
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