Dave, the best shooting I ever did was with a Fox/Sterlingworth 20 ga. SxS with 26" barrels. The stock had been reduced in length to fit my mother, and when I was 10 or so, it was a perfect fit for me. I don't remember what chokes the barrels were, but that gun swung sweetly for pass shooting at doves, and jumped right on target for quick-flushing quail. It wasn't too good for ducks, though. (If you're going to shoot ducks with a 20, it should at least be a 3", and this was a 2 3/4".) I
think it was choked IM & M.
In 1965, I attended The Citadel summer camp (which was run just like a military school, down to buzz cuts and uniforms, white-glove room inspections, formations, bugle calls, marching to and from meals and activities, etc.) As part of the regular ciriculum, I was taught riflery by an NRA instructor, but they also offered trap shooting as an extraciricular activity. I signed up.
First day of trap, they handed me a full-size Browning A-5 12 ga. and told me I was going to shoot 16 birds (why this odd number, I have no idea.) So, I threw this monstrously oversized beast to my shoulder 16 times, and broke 16 birds. When I got back to my room and peeled of my uniform T-shirt, my right side was a large bruise from shoulder to about mid-waist. Ever since, I have not been too fond of A5's.
Interesting take on stock fit. I think you're probably right about that. On a wingshooting shotgun, the
buttstock is the rear sight, and that's why it's so critical to get a perfect fit. Add in the fact that the longer barrel will slow down the swing, and you've got a nearly 100% gun. Most of my dove and quail shooting was done with either IM or M chokes, and I have a strong preference for 26 to 28 inch barrels.
In reference to the orginal post, I'm not sure there is a perfect barrel length for turkey, ducks, and upland birds. Turkey and ducks can be shoot with the same barrel, different choke tubes, but I think I'd want something a little quicker for upland shooting. Pass shooting requires a smooth swing through, whereas "jump" shooting requires a fast-on-target approach. A 26"
might be the ideal compromise, but given my druthers, I'd use different guns altogether. A sweet handling 20 ga. double gun would be my preference for upland game, and the 12 ga. 870 w/28" barrels would be prefered for pass shooting. (My $.05 worth.)
------------------
Shoot straight & make big holes, regards, Richard at
The Shottist's Center