I have a 18" barrel on my rem 870. I bought a couple different chokes for it for birdhunting but I got to thinking, am I going to loose too much velocity out of a 18" barrel vs somthing like a 24 or 26" barrel? I hunt pheasant, grouse, rabbit and other small game. I want to be able to use my barrel for bird hunting and hd but I dont know if it will get the job done for hunting. What are your thoughts?
18" barrel for bird hunting... bad idea?
- Thread starter Cerick
- Start date
I'll bow to someone with more expertice than mine, but I don't think you lose much velocity after about 16".
I do a lot of quail hunting in the junipers, where ya have to be verrrry quick to get on them before they go behind a tree, and a short barrel is great. My latest is an 870 Express, 20ga., with a 21" including chamber. The gun is short, like a youth model, but doesn't seem to be a problem. Points where I look, real quick.
Longer shots with more time, ya might want a longer barrel. There are experts here or on the shotgun forum who can tell ya why. jd
I do a lot of quail hunting in the junipers, where ya have to be verrrry quick to get on them before they go behind a tree, and a short barrel is great. My latest is an 870 Express, 20ga., with a 21" including chamber. The gun is short, like a youth model, but doesn't seem to be a problem. Points where I look, real quick.
Longer shots with more time, ya might want a longer barrel. There are experts here or on the shotgun forum who can tell ya why. jd
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rem870hunter
New member
try shooting some clays first before using it in the woods/fields. i have a 28" vent rib on my 870. found a 21" vent rib that uses choke tubes too. will probably buy it in feb. my 28" does fine for clays, so i'm sure its fine for birds and waterfowl. i just think its a little long for rabbit. the longer barrel may be harder to swing in brush, but it gives you a longer sight plane.
Modern wisdom (both through new reasoning and new gun writers) states the 18” barrel gives up nothing in ballistics to the longer 28”-30” barrel. Velocity and pattern density should be the same; however I have yet to see a pattern test of a 18” choked barrel against that of a 28” barrel is similar state and condition. As shotguns can be hard to chronograph, real world velocity data is hard to come by but turkey hunters have been using shorter barrels with no complains about lower velocities.
As noted above, it will make for a handier, more lively gun that will be easier to stop when compared to the longer shotguns. jdscholer stated it right because it has it’s pros and cons: Will you be point shooting or swinging the shotgun? Dove and duck hunting vs quail hunting is the classic example. If you do your part and make sure the motion is fluid and the lead is right, I suspect you’ll do fine. If possible, take it to a skeet field and see how you do.
I’m interested in how you found an 18” barrel with chokes. Did you have it choked, add a Cutts Comp, or did a manufacturer make a line of short barrels with chokes?
As noted above, it will make for a handier, more lively gun that will be easier to stop when compared to the longer shotguns. jdscholer stated it right because it has it’s pros and cons: Will you be point shooting or swinging the shotgun? Dove and duck hunting vs quail hunting is the classic example. If you do your part and make sure the motion is fluid and the lead is right, I suspect you’ll do fine. If possible, take it to a skeet field and see how you do.
I’m interested in how you found an 18” barrel with chokes. Did you have it choked, add a Cutts Comp, or did a manufacturer make a line of short barrels with chokes?
A short barreled 12 guage is dandy for upland birds and small game. Not so good for ducks and geese, but it'd do for close range shots. Velocity isn't the issue. The shot pattern at longer ranges is the issue.
Mind you, the model you have will decide if you can just put on another choke. If it doesn't have changeable chokes now, you'll have to have them installed. Threading the barrel to accept them.
Mind you, the model you have will decide if you can just put on another choke. If it doesn't have changeable chokes now, you'll have to have them installed. Threading the barrel to accept them.
rantingredneck
New member
I suspect its one of the new 870 "tacticals" with the screw in door breacher thingy. Unscrew the door breacher thingy and put in choke tube.
I'm not real big on those breacher guns but I have to say I'm happy Remington is offering an 18" choke ready barrel.
jdBill DeShivs
New member
If you learn to shoot a short gun, the "swing" doesn't matter. The guys that are used to hunting with long barrels just can't (or won't) re-learn to shoot with the short barrels.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Barrel length mostly affects the balance and smoothness of swing. Your needs vary with the speed of flight of the targeted birds. Upland birds tend to be found at shorter ranges and flush suddenly, requiring a bit faster swing to get on target. Geese and ducks are usually seen earlier at longer ranges, so the rate of swing is commonly a bit slower.