Hastings barrel--26" or 28"?

[DAL]

I'll finally be ordering a Hastings barrel for my old 870 Wingmaster, but I'm not sure which barrel length to order, 26" or 28". (My current barrel is 28".) Although I don't bird hunt, I may do so in the future. What I'll mainly use this gun for is cottontails. Any tips on this dilemma?
DAL

 

[Preacherman]

Personally, if you're planning on tracking fast-moving bunnies, I'd go for a shorter barrel... 24" or even 21". This moves faster and easier than the longer ones. Just my preference, though - I know that some swear by longer barrels for smoother tracking of clay pigeons. YMMV.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Man, you just opened a can of worms.....

Of the two mentioned, I'd go with the 26" job, since you have the 28" already.

But there's little that can be done with one and not the other, unless one has tubes and the other does not.

For quail, woodcock,grouse and other smaller birds taken close, a shorter barrel may handle better for a quick swing. OTOH, in a dove field or after NoDak ringnecks, alonger barrel is generally preferred.

Barrels on bird guns here run 21" to 30", and each has something it does very well and something it doesn't do as well as one on the opposite end of the length spectrum.

WEG for all around would be something like 23", but a better choice would be two barrels, a long one for where a little more inertia in the swing's a good thing and a short one for speed.

HTH...

 

[DAL]

Dave McCracken, the barrel I have now, in fact, does not have choke tubes, so the Hastings will be much more flexible due to its tubes. Your reasoning is sound in that since I already have a 28" barrel (with a modified choke), a 26" barrel would be a plus.

Preacherman, I'd like to have a 24" barrel for bunnies alone, but since I may use this gun for wingshooting someday, a good compromise (I hope) is probably the 26". If I ever have the spare funds, maybe I'll get a 24" barrel, but who knows when that will be.
DAL

 

[Dave McCracken]

I'm saving up for a new Remchoked barrel myself,and haven't decided between a 26" for the reasons you cite and a 30" for clays and giving my blind buddies a break from the mighty blast of Frankenstein's bunty 21" barrel with goose loads.

Remington gets the nod over Hastings only because I don't want to have add a 4th set of choke tubes to the mess I have on hand now.Hastings makes good stuff.

You may be better off with the 26", the bit of extra weight from the tubes will make it feel pretty much like the 28" fixed choke barrel.

 

[Mannlicher]

I outfitted my old Browning A-5 with a 26inch Hastings WadLock II. I love it. without the old 30inch full choke barrel, the Browning is a shooter again.