Have ben wondering this myself.

Sent from behind the hood of a long nose pete.

 

Many guys who turkey hunt prefer shorter barrels because they are easier to maneuver in tight spaces and in brush. Generally, for wingshooting, it's easier to hit longer ranged targets with longer barreled guns. The extra length helps maintain the swing and follow through. If you go to sporting clays matches, you'll notice that most serious shooters are using longer barreled guns, even those using semi autos .... because they do shoot better with them. But, for hunting purposes, since you may be hunting in timber, or out of a blind, most people compromise on barrel length and 26" to 28" seems to be the two most popular barrel lengths they choose. Personally, I prefer a longer barrel (28" or 30"), but in my 10 1/4 pound 10ga. I went with a 26" because it swung better.

 

Turkey barrels are generally shorter so they can be swung and moved in tight quarters or thick brush where turkey hunting usually takes place. Most people I know and hunt with have a 28" barrel, including myself, and its multi-use, I use it for everything. The length of the barrel adds weight and a longer or shorter sight plain, that's it. It doesn't affect the shot pattern in any way with todays loads. I used 26" barrels for years, when I started duck hunting I went with a longer barrel so it would reach the top of the blind to rest it. :thumbsup:

 

I use a 24". When layout hunting it's a bit lighter to lift with one hand.

 

Interesting topic.
I bought a Remington 870 Super Magnum Express in the 90's. It was the only way I could get a 'dipped" camo shotgun at the time so I got a Turkey Gun. Took the choke tube out and bought a modified one on the spot. People asked me why. "Because I don't hunt turkeys".

The first time I took that turkey gun out...I went pheasant hunting. Used HOT LOADS I made myself. 2.75" maxed out loads. Blue Dot powder etc.
That shotgun is super-loud with them spicy shells I use. The farmer came running out and evicted me from his land for shooting pheasants with a rifle???
There were deer all over the place bedding down in the tall grass I hunted that day. I think the farmer thought I was poaching deer or something but that stupid 24" barrel got me kicked off some VERY good pheasant ground. The SOB wouldn't even look at my gun when I tried to convince him he was wrong about me using a rifle.

 

With a turkey barrel you are generally not swinging the gun as you would wingshooting. The extra length is really not needed. I personally like shorter barrels for their manuverability in tight quarters...............

 

I grew up shooting a turkey shotgun for birds as well. My father won a Winchester pump at a National Turkey Federation banquet and gave it to me as my first 12 gauge to shoot. I shot that short barrel pump (I think it was around 24") for years until I started getting into waterfowl more. At that time I bought a Beretta semi-auto with around a 26" barrel. I also have a few over-and-unders that range from 28" to 32".

I totally agree with what others have said, it is more about maneuverability and how the gun swings. For dove, that turkey gun swung REALLY quick and and at a young age was perfect for me.

 

What kind of shotgun is your hand-me-down? Maybe you dont need to buy anything new

 

Barrel length is only really for what you like or range. Like a 30" barrel will reach out more than an 18.5" HD barrel. Also, some prefer the swing of a 30" over a 28" or some prefer a 24" barrel for the maneuverability. Longer or shorter, won't hurt anything really because IIRC, the shell reaches its maximum velocity at around 20". Personally, I like a 28" or 30" barrel the best. But use whatever feels right to YOU

 

The gun that I had passed down was a Remington 1100 and it shoots 2 3/4.

 

Why shoot anything but the most accurate? 30" for me, no problems in blinds, brush, etc.

 

I started with a 34" barrel, would love to shoot a modern auto with a 34".

 

Hey guys thanks for the info and the help, it was really appreciated. I bought The Benelli SBE II from a friend for $800. It has the 28 inch barrel, can't wait to get to the range!!!

 

Sweet deal! Youre set and ready to roll.

What is the barrel length on your 1100? Dont discount the usefulness of that gun. Sometimes its nice to break out the pump gun instead of the auto.

 

The 1100 has 28 inch and is automatic.

 

This is true, lol. My bad. I'm not really a remington guy. I have an 870 but thats it

 

I can't really see the purpose for switching barrels between turkey and waterfowl. The same with turkey loads. I think it's more a marketing ploy than anything else. Sure, some have a mount for a dot sight, but do you really need that? You're firing shot...what is the need for a dot sight. Turkey shot has nothing inherent to turkey...and you can kill a turkey just as easily with waterfowl loads.

If it were me, I'd get the 28" barrel and use it for turkey and waterfowl.

 

For starters there's really only negligable difference in hitting power between short & long barrells.
Generally 100fps loss in muzzle velocity per 2 in ches of barrel length, so forget the 'hitting power' issue.

So, short barrels = easer to manouver in tight cover & quicker to swing.
Long barrels = longer sighting plane, & therefore generally better sighting when wingshooting with the std shotgun pin sight. There's also a bit more weight in a long barrel so, whilst they are a bity slower to gbvet bswinging, they usually maintain swing better & smoother.

The effect on patterns is still a bit of a contentious point amongst 'gunners' these days with some saying the longer barrel allows greater stability of the shot in the barrel & therefore better pattern density. Personally I believe there are just too many factors to make such genralisations. Choke, forcing cones, back boring, load combination, etc. All effect pattern denisty so it's usually more a matter of trying different combinations until you find what works best for yourself.

 

Barrel length is only really for what you like or range. Like a 30" barrel will reach out more than an 18.5" HD barrel. Also, some prefer the swing of a 30" over a 28" or some prefer a 24" barrel for the maneuverability. Longer or shorter, won't hurt anything really because IIRC, the shell reaches its maximum velocity at around 20". Personally, I like a 28" or 30" barrel the best. But use whatever feels right to YOU

It is a proven fact that the 30" full choke barrel will reach out exactly 11.5 inches farther then a 18.5" barrel with a full choke. OK maybe 12".

 

Barrel length is only really for what you like or range. Like a 30" barrel will reach out more than an 18.5" HD barrel. Also, some prefer the swing of a 30" over a 28" or some prefer a 24" barrel for the maneuverability. Longer or shorter, won't hurt anything really because IIRC, the shell reaches its maximum velocity at around 20". Personally, I like a 28" or 30" barrel the best. But use whatever feels right to YOU

It is a proven fact that the 30" full choke barrel will reach out exactly 11.5 inches farther then a 18.5" barrel with a full choke. OK maybe 12".

very true...thats half a yard less you have to stalk!!! :thumbsup:
Ive seen guys shooting rabbits with a short barreled sxs that had tight chokes a coach gun varient...they werent limited by short barrels and were hitting just as many longer range targets...

 

something for thought, what about longer barrels not being as loud with another hunter next to you? I know ported barrels are louder and with longer barrel cont have to worry about ear ringing.

 

true..but it could be the blast is just further away???

 

Why shoot anything but the most accurate? 30" for me, no problems in blinds, brush, etc.

Accurate is a word you use when describing a rifle.

 

I thought longer barrels just gave you more room for cool barrel stickers.

 

The diference in "loudness" of the gun's report between a 24" and a 26" barrel is going to be negligable if at all perceptible. It likely wasn't the gun but the loads that got you kicked off the pheasant property Betty. What the shorter barrel DOES do is put the muzzel more in line with the guys' ears on either side of you in the blind of the goose set. It is just a little easier to ring your buddies' ears with a shorter barrel than with a longer one is all. I have a 24" pipe on my SBE II and run an extended choke so it's actually right about 25". The thing I ALWAYS do (which you should do anyways right?) is just stick to my shooting lanes when I have other hunters on either side of me so I DON'T ring their ears.