Shotgun barrel length

[snipeshot]

Which is best, 28 inches or 34 inches?

[eljefe]

For what use? What chokes?

[snipeshot]

For what use? What chokes?

The motive is best grouping and range.

[Vineet]

But 34” will be too heavy, too long, difficult to carry and manage.

[timmy]

For what use? What chokes?

The motive is best grouping and range.

Here are a couple of articles for you to read, if you are interested in the subject of shotgun performance:

https://deltawaterfowl.org/barrel-length-ballistics/

https://www.theboxotruth.com/barrel-len ... -velocity/

If you do a google on ("shotgun barrel length" ballistics), add ballistics so the search will concentrate on what you're asking, rather than all sorts of gibberish, you'll find many articles on this subject and each one has a different conclusion.

If you are concerned about "grouping", you are concerned about choke. The barrel length will have little or nothing to do with how well the shotgun will pattern a load of shot.

If you are concerned about range, this is related to the velocity at which the shot leaves the barrel. Because round shot is a relatively inefficient projectile aerodynamically, compared to a bullet, it sheds velocity very quickly, and minor variations in velocity won't matter a hoot at 1000 meters. Nor will variations be significant at 100 meters. Depending on what you want the gun for, variations might matter at 10 meters, but my guess is that they won't.

Notice that there's some disagreement between the two articles I posted as to whether barrel length in a shotgun affects velocity of the shot. Look closely at the ammunition being used in the second article: it is all magnum ammunition. That ammunition probably uses a slower burning powder than lighter loads used, say, for upland bird hunting. The slower the powder, the more the longer barrel will show a velocity advantage.

So, the question then becomes, what ammunition do you intend to shoot? You might naturally respond with the question, "What powder is used in shotgun shells?" The answer to this is, the manufacturers won't tell you what powder they use and the only way you can know is if you load your own shotgun shells, or if you conduct testing on the ammunition you want to know about with a chronograph.

So, after all this blubbering on, my answer to you is:

The difference in shotgun pattern between a 28" barrel and a 34" barrel is nil -- nothing.

The difference in shotgun pellet velocity between a 28" and a 34" barrel is negligible -- nothing to worry about.

If you are worried about the shotgun's pattern, that has to do with choke. For barrels from 28" to 34", the choke will most likely be full for the 28" barrel, and almost certainly be full for a 34" barrel. You will need to check this out and compare it with what you want to use the gun for.

Why choose a 28" barrel or a 34" barrel?

Barrel length gives you a sight plane. A longer barrel may give you more consistent sighting at longer ranges than a 28" barrel.

Barrel length affects the "swing" or handling of the gun. This is an individual thing. Nobody can tell you what gun you will shoot better for a certain kind of shooting (which you don't specify) then they could tell you which size of shoe you should buy. You must try the fit of the gun to you, just as you must try the fit of the shoe for you.

If you want an increase in velocity, then you will want to look for magnum or high velocity ammunition. Generally, buckshot and slug loads will be hotter loads, or more oriented toward magnum or high velocity specifications, but I'm sure that you know that buckshot or slug loads don't work as well with tight, full choke barrels.

[rkittine]

I still prefer 28" for Skeet, 30" for Sporting Clays and 32" for trap.

Bob

[Ambi]

How about this?
https://images.app.goo.gl/Gvu4S5RaguRAHi6N8