28" or 30" Shotgun Barrels ?

[saintjb]

I am heading out to purchase an Over/Under shotgun, something I have always wanted, but could not afford until now. My friends are all over the map with barrel lenth recommendations. I am torn between 28" and 30". Is one better than the other? Why? I will be using this gun for sporting clays, trap and skeet. There are people on this board with a lot of knowledge about this stuff. What's your opinion?

Regards,`
JB

 

[Left-Hander]

I would go with what feels best to you. With a longer barrel, you are getting a longer sight radious which makes you more accurate at greater distances.

 

[Nnobby45]

Go with the 28". The longer barrels, 30", are good for trap. The shorter ones, 26", for skeet. The 28" will be a good compromise, and may be the best for clays.

Since the 30" barrel in an OU is the equivilent of a 28" barrel in a repeater, the 30" barrel would be good---the 28", very good. You may, at some point, decide on two sets of barrels, then you'll have everything covered.

Today, many repeaters are 20 or 22" barrels with screw in chokes, and they are quick on rising birds. That' the same overall shotgun length as 22 and 24" barrels in an OU. I prefer 28" on my 20ga Beretta OU (very light at 6.5 lb) for bird hunting. Follow through becomes more of a problem with the 26" barrels, except on skeet, where the swing on fast moving targets takes care of itself. I haven't shot clays (shame on me).

 

[tokarevman]

Both 28 and 30 are good for about anything. Just what feels good to you is the best realy. I love a my 32inch ruger red lable for sporting clays and my 28inch A.H. fox's for skeet. but for just one scater gun i would go with a 28 or 30 and it would just break down to what fits me best in the particular brand of gun i was looking at.

 

[kudu]

Go with the 30", more and more shooters are preferring longer barrels for skeet sporting clays, and trap. More weight forward helps with follow through and helps with sighting. I shoot 30" O/U's and 30" autos. A friend just got a barrel for his Beretta 391 that's 32" long and it feels great when i pick it up.

 

[HunterTRW]

For the shotgunning games you listed I believe that you will find that a longer barrel will be a definite plus.

Consider these facts: The top shooters in Skeet typically use guns with 28-inch (minimum) barrels; Trap's top shooters typically use guns with 32-inch barrels in over/unders, and that length or longer in single-barrel guns. Why? Because as the late Gene Hill put it, "A gun that's too easy to start is also too easy to stop." In other words, guns with shorter barrels may feel "quicker" to get on the target, but their lightness can also encourage the bad habit of checking (stopping) your swing instead of following through, resulting in misses. The momentum generated by the longer, heavier barrel helps smooth out your swing, promoting proper follow-through and more hits.

Before you make your purchase, try shooting a few rounds of Skeet or Trap at your local gun club using a gun with a 28-inch barrel v. a gun with a 30-inch-or-longer barrel (making certain that the guns properly fit you) and see with which you perform best.

Good luck, and good shooting!