Stupidity of a 30" barrel

Oh year, think thats bad, try a Mosin Nagant, and put the bayonet on, that'll remind you that infantry was just a Pikeman when he runs out of bullets (and watch the roof)

question is, how does the gun swing, most shotguns are set up for water or upland birds, and the gun needs to follow the arc flight with a natural swing

And a longer barrel is going to give you a tighter group and faster shot.
that said, 18" with a decent choke will do you most hunting, but for birds you want a barrel/choke that patterns well at your desired range. Now an duck hunter can come correct me, cause I haven't gotten to get out in the muck, and most of my experience duck hunting is limited to the orange "duck hunter" duck and 'gun' I bought for my son (that's really fun BTW)

Just because you don't understand something doesn't make everyone else that buys a longer barrel a moron.

That "moron" is probably a hunter or clay bird shooter that wants a smoother swing and a much better chance of hitting what he is shooting at.

You won't win, or even place in the bottom 10% at the Grand American trap shoot with your 18" barrel.
And you would go deaf from the muzzle blast that close to your face if you shot as many shells a year as those guys do.

There really IS very good logic to longer barrels for hunting guns and target guns.

rc

the question is so moronic as to not justify an answer

I find 30 inch too short and prefer 32" barrels on my sporting guns. Anything shorter than 28 has very poor swing dynamics which makes hitting moving targets more improbable

Sounds like you have a lot of learning regarding shotguns to catch up on

As stated above the longer bbl often helps with the swing and follow. As to the gain in FPS I cant tell as im not brave enough to chrony one

shooting geese on the fly

joed
Stupidity of a 30" barrel
Why do shotguns come with a 30" barrel? From the time I got my first centerfire rifle I've hated shotguns. Why? What reason does a shotgun need a 30" barrel for? I can't see a reason for it and someone can tell me.

Few years ago I did buy another shotgun, a Mossberg with 18" barrel. Now that's better. I don't even have a problem with a 26" barrel. But to me I'd like to get my hands on the moron that decided 30" barrels were needed on shotguns.

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Something I'd learned a number of years ago. It's almost always better to ask questions than to make statements in a group setting.

As well as being vastly better for wingshooting, long barrels are MUCH quieter and present less muzzle blast. Also with heavier loads they give you somewhat more velocity.

Basically they're better for everything except handiness and portability concerns.

I can't believe this is even a question. I thought for sure this was a troll post until I saw the OP's post count.

Anyways...I have a 30" barrel on my trap gun and a 28" barrel on my waterfowl gun. My trap gun is a joy to shoot and swings beautifully. My waterfowl gun is perfect for its intended purpose.

I would like to find the moron who decided 30" barrels were too long.

you must be kidding right ? why do we need a longer barrel on a revolver should go hunting with a 2in snub nose too should be just as good right

joed said:

I guess that's the problem, I don't do any hunting where I need the swing. And I'm not so sure that I follow the logic that the longer barrel would give a smoother swing. Wouldn't a 26" barrel have the same swing characteristics of a 30" barrel?

And my next question would be the people that shoot trap, what length barrels do they use?

To me it would seem that the short barrel would swing better.

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It's easier or a shorter barrel to change direction. That's a good thing (within limits) for things like quail hunting.

It's easier for a shorter barrel to change direction. That's a bad thing for things like trap and waterfowl where a smooth swing along the correct line is a necessity. If a short barrel were better for trap, trust me, you'd see all of them switching in a heartbeat. The first guy to use a short barrel who started consistently winning would cause a sea-change in equipment.

I think you're trolling, but I'm feeding you anyway. There is a huge difference in swing between a 26" and 30" barrel _on the same gun_. Even though it's a small difference in weight, it's at such a distance from the axis of rotation that it's very noticeable.

Matt

I find 30 inch too short and prefer 32" barrels on my sporting guns. Anything shorter than 28 has very poor swing dynamics which makes hitting moving targets more improbable

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Personal preference, I shoot with a 26" and I do just fine. This is with an 1100 too.

Short barreled shotguns are for home defense, and internet commandos.

A 30" barreled shotgun is great for sporting purposes (hunting, clays, etc). I'd dare say, nearly perfect.

And a longer barrel is going to give you a tighter group and faster shot.

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I was under the impression that group tightness (pattern) was more dependent on choke. I also thought that longer shotgun barrels really don't add much to velocity.

Am I right?

guess that's the problem, I don't do any hunting where I need the swing. And I'm not so sure that I follow the logic that the longer barrel would give a smoother swing. Wouldn't a 26" barrel have the same swing characteristics of a 30" barrel?

And my next question would be the people that shoot trap, what length barrels do they use?

To me it would seem that the short barrel would swing better.

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It starts to swing faster and stops just as fast resulting in missing from behind

Trap single barrels are typically 30, 32, or 34" long

Does as 12 inch baseball bat swing like a 34" one? The answer is no, and gun barrels act in much the same way

Longer barrels do not noticeably increase velocity nor do they have anything to do with pattern - pattern is determined by choke and after about 14" give or take, velocity remains fairly constant - there is a chart on the net somewhere showing a drop at 20 and then remaining the same or so

I don't have a need for a 30" barrel, but understand why. Especially on doubles. It is about balance and overall length really. A pump or semi has a longer receiver and will have roughly the same overall length and balance as a double with barrels 4" longer. For my uses 26" on an autoloader or pump is about right. But a double would need about 30" to give similar handling chracteristics.

It also depends on the type of shooting you do. For longer range shots the longer barrels help with a smoother swing. For faster snap shooting situations a shorter barrel comes up quicker and is less likely to be caught in brush while swinging.

Any barrel length is a compromise. That is why most pumps and semi's come with 28" barrels. That is a pretty good compromise for most hunting situations. I prefer 26", sometimes even 24" dependng on the gun because I tend to find myself in situatons where I'm more likely to get the fast snap shots more often than long range passing shots.

There's a reason why trap guns are made with 32" and 34" bbls. They work better for that game. The swing is smoother and more consistent due to the increased weight and greater kinesthetic leverage of the longer bbl and less reactive to breathing and muscle twitch. Also, especially at the longer handicap ranges, they help with tracking the clays. It is very difficult to play the trap game well with a barrel even as short as 28", compared to the longer ones.

So, you blame the barrel for breaking the window?

Would you believe I've broken a window in the house because of the long barrel?

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You would admit to being that clumsy?
You've already said you're pretty clueless about shoguns, why keep sticking your foot in your mouth?

Do not point the muzzle at anything you do not intend to destroy.... windows in this case...

Frozen North said:

Do not thrust the muzzle through anything you do not intend to destroy.... windows in this case...

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Fixed it for ya.