does the shot pattern change that much ?
what are the advantages of each?
is a 26" as eefctive on doves?

are you talking pump, over under , automatic

You're getting all the velocity you are going to get out of modern shotshells in that 26" barrel. The longer barrels are holdovers from the days when shotshell powder took much longer to burn.

Pattern is dependent on how well the bore is polished, the forcing cone and the choke.

That said, some folks like the longer barrels to help with follow-through when wingshooting.

thanks for the help

its O/U

Longer sighting plane is the only advantage. I like a longer barrel on a O/U for trap and skeet because of the overall shortness of an O/U, but in a duck blind or dove hunting a 28" is my choice.

I like the 26" barrel when possible.. after that 29". Just a personal preference.

I've seen them all work effectively duck hunting. I'm partial to a 28 inch barrel, either way I encourage you to "paper" whatever gun you get. Get some packing paper and hang it up, shoot it at your avg. shot distance and try different choke and shells. You will be amazed.

For instance... 28 in barrel,

tight slews, and swamps... 2 3/4 #4 Steel Shot for ducks.
wide open pond, marsh..... 3 to 3.5 #2 Steel Shot for ducks.
wide open rice field..... 3 1/2 #2 or 0 Steel shot for Geese

Prior to papering my gun, I was all ate up with 3 1/2 shells and they didn't work for me and my gun on tight shooting.

I have a buddy that can outshoot most with a 26in barrel, then he went to a 28 and improved somewhat.

Figure out what works for you and work on that.

good luck.

30 points the best. But swings the slowest and harder to get down on

28 lessons the slow swing

26 is quicker but points ok
24/22 very fast point and swinging but points worse

My duck gun is 26

My pheasant/quail gun is 22

I use 26". They say longer sight plane is more accurate, but crammed in a duck blind makes you appreciate a shorter barrel.

I still tend to believe in the that longer barrels will give you more muzzle velocity, be it rifle or shotgun. Now do I thin kit's such a significant difference that it weighs heavily in my barrel length choice? No, but something about that sets well with me mentally.

I do think it comes back to sight radius and swingability (<- if that's even a word). I do think the 26" and 28" barrels are the overall best choices.

Everyone has their own opion....I shoot mostly 26in bbls..22-250
308, ect. I have a 338Savage..has a 20 1/2 in bbl with a muzzle
break...Don't believe the crap about length doesn't affect vel.
I chro. all of them...It's 250 to 300 FPS slower with the same
loads than my son's Ruger with 26in bbl.
My 22-250 chro 3810 with Barnes X 55gr prt no 22444 about 1/2 grp
book shws 3600...this is unusal...as Texas is lower altitude &
higher humity than where the books are done...Don...

Here is an 18 inch barrel hitting targets over and over again at 1000 yards. (.308)

I shot 1075 yards w/ my 20 inch .308 I don't know how far you're wanting to shoot, but w/ .308 it's fine to use a shorter barrel. W/ my 6.5 I have a 25 inch barrel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15qj032UJ1I

I like an 18" barrel on my 870. makes it a LOT handier in the house.




It all comes down to what you're doing with it was the point of that.

did you read the original topic? he's talking about shotguns

I had a factory demo SKB pump with and 18in full choke. It was
nice w/trigger shoe ect..rib...used by factory trick shooters.
I used it shooting Skeet when I started..just pull the trigger
when you pass the target...the shorten sight plain took care of
the lead...I ended up shooting a 32in Browning Trap O/U w/Briley
tubes when I got serious...Birds don't fly fast enought to out'
run the shot...smother follow thru also...great on dbls..DD

I agree. A 28" barrel's just too much for indoor skeet.