Barrel Length ??

[DeepSouth]

I bought a Beretta Xtrema from a coworker, I love the gun and have no problems with it. But I will use it mainly for duck hunting, it will get used some for turkey, deer, ect. anyway the barrel that came on it is only 24 inches which is great right now in turkey season. But duck season will be here before you know it and I may prefer a 28" barrel.

My question is how much does barrel length really matter? I know most modern powders claim to be burnt up in roughly 25 in. I can look at the muzzle flash and tell this is usually true, so I assume the main reason for a longer barrel would be helping point of aim, right? So how much does it really help? I am a bit stumped on what to do, another barrel is $600+ bucks, so I am wondering if that extra 4in is really worth it. I thought about just trying it (the 24 in) and seeing how it worked but I haven't done enough wing shooting to know just how well, or poorly, I am doing or how much of a disadvantage I am at. So I come to you experts humbly asking if I should bite the bullet and buy another barrel or just practice until I feel comfortable with the short barrel.

I will also ad the guy I bought the gun from put a glow sight on it and it is like an inch and a half long so the end of the sight actually makes it more like a 22" barrel, and I'm not sure how the thing is put on there but it is FIRMLY attached.

Thanks in advanced

DeepSouth

 

[jmr40]

I wouldn't spend that kind of money for a longer barrel. I usually compromise and prefer 26" barrels on repeaters. A longer barrel may be preferable, but you can do pretty well with the 24" with practice.

 

[Snarlingiron]

My opinion is that it will make little difference. In terms of velocity the difference will be negligible.

The long barrels 28" and longer does smooth out the swing for some folks, but there is always a trade off. I personally don't like to make my way through the woods, briars and brambles with a big long tent pole snagging everything in sight.

If you haven't shot it a lot yet, that's the first step. Get thee to the range. Shoot some skeet, some sporting clays, even just some practice trap, but shoot the gun. Then if it doesn't work for you consider changing things up. I'm betting you will find that it won't require very much if any changing.

As far as the glow bead you will get opinions ranging from they are the greatest things since pockets on a shirt right on down to they are the spawn of satin. You decide. Me? I like 'em.

 

[Bud Tugly]

IMO a lot of it is what you're used to. Most of the shotguns I've ever owned have had barrel lengths between 22-26". I shoot well with them, so anything longer just seems clumsy and unwieldy.

Most folks probably disagree since around 28" seems to be the most common length. I'd just go out and shout a few dozen boxes of shells through it at some clay targets and see how it feels. You might just get to like it as is.

Depends on how experienced you are with other lengths.

 

[Badger Arms]

Barrel length in shotguns is an odd thing. The reason for 26"-30" barrels being common today harkens back to the days where double-barrel guns were all there was. A longer barrel pointed better and swung better. But when you look at modern repeaters, the breech is actually about 6" further forward than it is on a break-action. That would mean, in a perfect world, that for the same overall length, a repeater should have a barrel length of about 20-24".

But hold on. Length is only one factor. There is also balance. Where a gun balances, how much weight is distributed where, how it swings, how it points, etc. are all important to how the gun feels.

Now, ignoring what was said before, a shotgun develops almost all of its velocity within 18-22" with modern smokeless powders. The longer the barrel, the less the gain on an exponential curve. It actually starts slowing down with too long a barrel, though I don't know if any are ever that long.

You get two things with a shorter barrel, greater recoil and greater muzzle blast. They aren't significantly different, short and long barrels that is, in this respect, but understand that it will be there.

Me? I go for shorter barrels. I'm tall and the long barrels of slinged shotguns get in the way. That's just me. I don't notice any difference in how many birds get broken between my 21" and 26" barrels.

 

[PA4476]

First things first.....

Have you priced a Beretta Extrema barrel ?

That will probably answer the question for you.

 

[Virginian]

Only the guy behind the gun can answer that. It matters enough to me that I had two 30" Light Contour barrels shortened to 28" and the RemChokes re-installed. 26" is okay for skeet or quail on my 20, but for longer range work I like a 28" barrel on an 1100 and a 30" barrel on a Wingmaster.
A longer barrel is also nice for your companions and the dog in the duck blind.

 

[chas08]

I wouldn't spend that kind of money for a longer barrel.

I agree with the above statement. Shoot the 24" and get used to it. Then go hunt ducks. My youngest daughter hunts all birds (doves, ducks, geese) with an 870 SPS Turkey model she likes the lighter weight and balance of the shorter gun.

 

[RetiredLawman]

Barrel length is not much of a factor as this test chart indicates. I love short barrels as they are much handier to use in a tight place like a duck blind.

 

[oneounceload]

Barrel length has everything to do with swing and momentum. That glow site is nice for stationary targets like turkey or deer, but can be a real hindrance with flying birds, where you should be looking at the target, NOT the sight.

 

[chas08]

That glow site is nice for stationary targets like turkey or deer, but can be a real hindrance with flying birds,

I'm not fond of glow sights either, But if any bead on a shotgun that you are wingshootig with, is anymore than an out of focus reference point. Then your doing it all wrong. I see the bird...shoot the bird, my focus is on the target. And follow through is something that can be developed with any length of barrel. Longer heavier barrels may enhance it.

 

[DeepSouth]

First off, sorry for being so long getting back but a storm came through and knocked out the power for a while then I had to go to work. Anyway I think the general opinion is to just keep thing "as is" and see how well it works. That is kind of what I was hoping you would say, and I guess that is what I'll try.


Thanks for the help.