It's silly, because real world experience has shown it so. I sincerely hope your not someone circumstance has limited to hunting in his head, and have often checked myself with that possibility in mind before responding to some of your stuff. Just wasn't in a benevolent space when reading this latest. Should try to do better.
Help! I can’t decide between a 26” and a 28” barrel.
Hi there, new to the forum and am looking for some advice. I recently purchased a Franchi Affinity that came with a 30 inch barrel and extended chokes. I thought I’d like the length, but after putting about 250 rounds through it, I’ve decided it’s too long. I’ll probably sell it so I can get a shorter field barrel. However I’m super torn between the two normal waterfowl lengths, a 26” and 28”. I know pretty well the pros and cons of each. I’m a smaller framed 5’7” shooter, so maybe a 26” with extended chokes won’t be “whippy” for me, but that’s quite different from what I’be been using. Also, for tight quarters is a 28” really that cumbersome? Thanks for any of your thoughts, I know this is an incredibly common question.
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Who's real world experience? Yours??It's silly, because real world experience has shown it so.
I know it's hard for you to believe, but you are not the only duck hunter on this forum.
I imagine I've been hunting ducks AT LEAST as long as you have, possibly have as many days devoted to that sport....maybe more.
I'd not be at all surprised to learn you've a decade or more of duck hunting on me. Especially if you're one who counts riding to the blind on P-paw's shoulders. I didn't do more than that sort of thing and get serious about it until after the service and a couple years' hiatus from shooting anything. Did get to go for many, if not most, open mornings from the mid '70s until '84 when I started guiding full time and quite literally haven't missed an open duck day since - though many of them were spent with geese being our primary target in those early years. If you've time in grade on me, good on ya. Again, I hope you're still getting out and not just hunting for things to expound upon on these boards. .Who's real world experience? Yours??
I know it's hard for you to believe, but you are not the only duck hunter on this forum.
I imagine I've been hunting ducks AT LEAST as long as you have, possibly have as many days devoted to that sport....maybe more.
All of which, however, is "neither here or there". I can imagine someone lacking the physical senses to notice the balance difference two inches of barrel makes, but "Where it does make a difference is when hanging up on brush, limbs, cattails, bulrush, tules, etc. begins to be a problem. In those cases, the loss of even two inches is noticeable (to me, anyway).Hunting out of a layout blind/boat is a prime example." smacks of purest conjecture and lack of meaningful experience. It's the same silly argument some upland hunters try to make with conjecture in their heads, rather than time in the thick and thorny, only it's even sillier when applied to waterfowling.
I was about 14 when I went on my first duck hunt, 13 when I went on my first goose hunt.
Don't care if you believe why I prefer a 26" barrel over a longer one. If you've never hunted in heavy cattails or out of a grassed-up layout blind, you may not understand what I'm describing. Those who have know what I'm talking about.
Don't care if you believe why I prefer a 26" barrel over a longer one. If you've never hunted in heavy cattails or out of a grassed-up layout blind, you may not understand what I'm describing. Those who have know what I'm talking about.
Have done way-the-hey more than enough of both to not worry about how long my barrel is. Though here we'll more more often choose to hunt out of cutgrass than cattails, because it's much thicker. But drive on...I was about 14 when I went on my first duck hunt, 13 when I went on my first goose hunt.
Don't care if you believe why I prefer a 26" barrel over a longer one. If you've never hunted in heavy cattails or out of a grassed-up layout blind, you may not understand what I'm describing. Those who have know what I'm talking about.
But then what camo pattern is better in cutgrass...Mossy Oak or Realtree...Have done way-the-hey more than enough of both to not worry about how long my barrel is. Though here we'll more more often choose to hunt out of cutgrass than cattails, because it's much thicker. But drive on...
Just kidding.
I prefer 26" tubes and 2.75 shells. Whether I'm hunting ducks on the river or honkers in the corn, I like birds close in and really don't take many passing shots, but with a 26" barrel and lighter recoiling shells make follow up shots smoother and faster. Especially when the wind is blowing as the birds will catch the wind and evade much faster too.I was about 14 when I went on my first duck hunt, 13 when I went on my first goose hunt.
Don't care if you believe why I prefer a 26" barrel over a longer one. If you've never hunted in heavy cattails or out of a grassed-up layout blind, you may not understand what I'm describing. Those who have know what I'm talking about.
I hunt public timber. Late in the season, I hunt in the thickets when the Ducks get hole shy. I am always standing in ankle deep to knee deep water sometimes waist deep. I am 5’-7”. A 26” works best for me but I have killed Ducks in the same conditions with a 28” barrel. Like I said, I just don’t like having a 3/4” to 2” extended choke hanging off the end of a barrel. It affects my swing. Yes 1/2 of it is 90% mental but my performance in the woods, at the skeet range and hunting Quail and Pheasant is better with a box stock barrel be it 26” or 28”. One thing is for sure, when I shoot a box stock shotgun that is properly fitted to me, the shotgun shoots where I point. Any aftermarket, extended choke I have ever used shoots high or shoots low or to the left or too the right. Some may say compensate for it. No can do. I must have a shotgun that shoots where I point it.
Thanks, but I'm just one of 'em.You da' man.
Made me smile and think of a very old photo featuring the first of my five Chessies, Bud, and taken after we were, in fact, standing deep in a cutgrass patch to get the fellow in Real Tree on left and his buddy behind the camera mottleds to mount. I "rocked" the Mossy Oak:But then what camo pattern is better in cutgrass...Mossy Oak or Realtree...
Just kidding.
:
Not sure why the pasted photo above isn't showing up on my screen, but if a couple or three make the transition to yours, it's because I tried to edit it:
In the spirit of full disclosure, I went to our community gun range last Saturday and Sunday. (You know you’re a red neck if your HOA has its own gun range.). I did more shooting with the Kicks High Flyer Full for the Invector Plus barrel. The extra length does not impede my shooting and my patterns are better than with the flush factory Modified choke. I believe the Kicks HF full measures .722. If my facts are straight, .722 falls between a BIP Improved Cylinder and Light Modified thus with steel shot I am patterning Modified. I am an avid Gray’s Sporting Journal man. The general idea at Gray’s has always been Modfied is the best catch all pattern since it not only yields a decent pattern inside the 30” circle but an optimal shot string as well. While on the subject of Gray’s, I subscribe to their notion that instead of opting for 20 gauge or an exotic fodder, just go with 2-3/4” 12 Gauge if you want less gauge. Anyway, I am fully disclosing my new Duck gun direction.
Tree-topper.In the spirit of full disclosure, I went to our community gun range last Saturday and Sunday. (You know you’re a red neck if your HOA has its own gun range.). I did more shooting with the Kicks High Flyer Full for the Invector Plus barrel. The extra length does not impede my shooting and my patterns are better than with the flush factory Modified choke. I believe the Kicks HF full measures .722. If my facts are straight, .722 falls between a BIP Improved Cylinder and Light Modified thus with steel shot I am patterning Modified. I am an avid Gray’s Sporting Journal man. The general idea at Gray’s has always been Modfied is the best catch all pattern since it not only yields a decent pattern inside the 30” circle but an optimal shot string as well. While on the subject of Gray’s, I subscribe to their notion that instead of opting for 20 gauge or an exotic fodder, just go with 2-3/4” 12 Gauge if you want less gauge. Anyway, I am fully disclosing my new Duck gun direction.
JK,JK...
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