11-87 -- 26" 28" or 30" ???
- Thread starter Cramer
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Depends on what your going to use it for. Trap? Skeet? Field gun? Balance and handling are really the only major differences when it comes down to barrel length. All current powders will generate all the get up and go that they are capable of inside a 20 inch barrel.
TrapperReady
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What kind of bird hunting?
In general, my preference is for the longest barrels I can get. I just plain prefer the way that they handle and it's what I'm used to shooting. For things like waterfowl and pheasants, where you are shooting (relatively) in the open, the long barrels are not a hinderance.
However, if you are talking grouse and woodcock, then barrel length definitely comes into play. The type of cover in which I find grouse is usually so thick that anything much over 26" is a pain... in fact I cut a Model 12 down to a smidge under 24" and it's just about perfect.
If it were me, I'd get the 30". Then, if you find yourself wanting to hunt birds in heavy cover, you've got a great excuse to buy another gun.
In general, my preference is for the longest barrels I can get. I just plain prefer the way that they handle and it's what I'm used to shooting. For things like waterfowl and pheasants, where you are shooting (relatively) in the open, the long barrels are not a hinderance.
However, if you are talking grouse and woodcock, then barrel length definitely comes into play. The type of cover in which I find grouse is usually so thick that anything much over 26" is a pain... in fact I cut a Model 12 down to a smidge under 24" and it's just about perfect.
If it were me, I'd get the 30". Then, if you find yourself wanting to hunt birds in heavy cover, you've got a great excuse to buy another gun.
JohnBT
Member
...or a hacksaw...
You cut down a Model 12? Oh, the horrors.
John
You cut down a Model 12? Oh, the horrors.
John
TrapperReady
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JohnBT - Yup! Sawed it right off. I know that I'll end up in Hell, but it was worth it. I picked up a beater 16ga (w/ a 2 9/16 chamber) with a full-choke barrel for less than a used 870 Express.
The stock's got a small chunk out of the toe and the finish was redone (badly) and then mostly worn off again. I trimmed the barrel back in order to get rid of the choke and make it handier in the woods. It is flat-out lethal on grouse and woodcock. It's light enough to carry "at the ready" for hours and is short enough not to hang up on brush.
If it had been in decent shape to start with, I never would have done it, but this was nearly a salvage job from the start. One of my "this would be cool" projects would be to send it off to Simmons and have them do the works:
- retrim the barrel and crown it properly.
- add a rib and front bead.
- cut the ejection port, ream the chamber and swap out parts to handle 2 3/4" shells.
- polish and refinish.
- replace the wood.
- jewel the bolt.
I'll probably hunt with it for a few more years and then have it worked on and put it away for one of my sons.
The stock's got a small chunk out of the toe and the finish was redone (badly) and then mostly worn off again. I trimmed the barrel back in order to get rid of the choke and make it handier in the woods. It is flat-out lethal on grouse and woodcock. It's light enough to carry "at the ready" for hours and is short enough not to hang up on brush.
If it had been in decent shape to start with, I never would have done it, but this was nearly a salvage job from the start. One of my "this would be cool" projects would be to send it off to Simmons and have them do the works:
- retrim the barrel and crown it properly.
- add a rib and front bead.
- cut the ejection port, ream the chamber and swap out parts to handle 2 3/4" shells.
- polish and refinish.
- replace the wood.
- jewel the bolt.
I'll probably hunt with it for a few more years and then have it worked on and put it away for one of my sons.
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