Why the long barrel

I'm with Zippy on this issue ....

But one point I'd like to make - is it isn't all about barrel length - at some point its about the gross weight of the gun as well - especially to a new shooter. I have O/U's in 20, 28ga and .410 that are around 7 1/2 lbs gross weight / with 30" barrels --- but they're too much for many young shooters. It isn't barrel length / its about their upper body strength and how the gun feels to them / so I picked up a Benelli 20ga semi-auto with a 28" barrel but its only a little over 6 lbs ....and new shooters like that lighter gun a lot more. Its weight isn't intimidating to them / and they just get more comfortable with it ...even though, as they get a little older or a little stronger they transition up to a 7 1/2 lb gun real quickly ....its better to start with a lighter gun if you can. But getting lighter / with a shorter barrel isn't very productive for follow-thru because the gun gets butt heavy and too "whippy" ...

Remember less weight in a gun means more recoil too - so when you go to a light gun, unless its a semi-auto you have to go to really light loads or it will defeat the purpose as well / and beat the new shooter up.

At 6'4" and 275 # myself - all of my field O/U's are 8 1/2 lb guns / with
30" barrels in 12, 20, 28ga ... and I use the same guns for Skeet and Sporting Clays. For Trap, I go even longer and heavier / because for Trap there is less Left to Right barrel movement -- so a heavier and longer gun helps smooth out my swing and follow-thru -- so I go to a 10 lb gun with 32" or 34" barrels ....but that gun feels like a big "sewer pipe" on a Skeet or Sporting Clays field ...

so all those things combined are how I approach this stuff ....but it just depends on what fits her --- and length of pull, drop at comb, drop at heel and gross weight for her will probably be different than what you want. Making sure she is comfortably fit is really important ....whether you buy used or new...
 
Zippy's and Jim's comments are spot on - one thing I would add to this chat that becomes a factor is also the BALANCE of the gun. Longer barrels allow the balance point to be a little more forward than on a short gun - after FIT, balance is, IMO, the second most important factor in using a shotgun for targets or wingshooting. Short barrels have a hard time making the balance acceptable for this. Changing the balance point (which for most wingshooting should be slightly forward of the hinge pin in an O/U), allows for smoother swings and easier swing dynamics - something a riot-length barrel doesn't allow much hope for. Short barrels have a tendency to be very "whippy" - resulting in a gun that s easy to start to swing, and even easier to stop as you shoot - resulting in many misses behind the target.

A good 28" or longer barrel will work wonderfully for dove
 
I just read the "shotgun 101" over on the highroad. A lot of very good information in there. One of the most interesting 101's was about balance in a gun, although the post made it seem like for a well balanced gun SxS was almost the only way to go.

I will be moving from MS soon as I end my military service and going to central texas for the next couple of years. I know for myself I can make a 28" wingmaster work just fine, my biggest concern is for the wife. Starting to look like a 20ga semi is the best route, and obviously better then the "budget" (don't want to offend anyone) o/u like the baikal and the stoeger.

Thank you for asking about exactly what we would be hunting, until I researched it further I had no idea that the majority of "upland" game could be had with a 20-28 ga shotgun. Also the best part of the 20 ga would be the reduced weight of the gun in itself. I have been stuck on 12 ga simply because of the "utility" and that from my understanding loads can be had from 28ga strength to magnum turkey loads. I will continue to look around my area for a good deal at a pawn shop, however this area is just terrible for gun prices.

Thanks again for all the help. I try and do as much research as possible on my own before asking question. However when you are new to something you don't always know what to research :D
 
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