for quail here in mississippi when we had plenty a 26 inch barrel was the excepted barrel with open chokes....my dad shot a lc smith for years....charlie

I have a thing for 20 ga guns too. My first Parker is a Repro with two triggers, pistol grip, 26" barrels and splinter forearm DHE. I since aquired two Trojans, 26" and 28". I just in the past month came across a VH 16 ga on an "O" frame. I also have a Sterlingworth with 26" pipes.
The sad part is there are no grouse in Ohio.
KJ

I guess you and I have a different perspective on 26" barrels for New England grouse. I have a PHE 26" Parker 20 bore with fluid steel barrels and open chokes. The perfect grouse gun? I don't think so. I would prefer another two inches on those barrels or even better, four inches. Longer barrels don't get caught in brush and they can be handled with one hand in brush if the gun is light enough. Twenty six inch barrels are what everybody thinks of when it comes to grouse. But I have taken most of my grouse with a 28" 20 bore improved cylinder and modified. I like the longer barrels. Grouse shooting in tight cover is instinctive shooting and to my way of thinking, longer barrels are better at this.

I agree that the 16 bore with open chokes is the ultimate grouse gun. Probably my best shooting percentage wise was with a 16 bore and one ounce #9 loads. The perfect grouse load in my opinion.

People like what they like. I have 26 inch and 28 inch barrel bird guns. I hit or miss equally well with both. As long as weight of gun is between your hands and maybe a tad forward I don't think barrel length makes much difference if gun points where your looking and you have footwork and gun mount dialed in. I think there was a stigma with older guns is that if you wanted open chokes it had to be a 26 inch barreled gun.

As far as gauge and round, its hard to beat a 16 and 20 gauge in grouse woods with a proper load. Really like 28 gauge going after plantation quail but just feel a bit under gunned with a 28 gauge going after grouse.

Wild quail back to 16 and 20 gauge.

The best barrel length, weight, and gauge? Just check the gun you shoot best and have the most confidence in and it will tell you the best configuration. But let's not forget that the never-ending search for an even better configuration is most likely why we are members of organizations like this.

True. Or better yet in weak attempt to stay hip and relative. Word.

I agree with that statement completely. Confidence is key. We all have our preferences based on which guns we have had the most success with. For me its longer barrels, for another it might be 24" barrels. We have different opinions based on individual experience. I find it fun to state my opinion and discuss it with others some of whom might disagree. But I am very careful to say "in my opinion" when I make a statement based purely on a perspective that doesn't lend itself to empirical evidence. It's all good.

t
I have never hunted desert quail but I always wanted to. I think thte Mearns is one of the most beautiful game birds. I've wanted to take one since I was a kid.

Very early in the season before the broods break up, one can have the same situation on grouse. I've run into a situation many times where one flushes followed by the others and there you are with an empty gun. One reason I always liked ejectors. Plus I love hearing the thunk. Hearing the thunk and smelling freshly fired paper cases are wonderful simple pleasures.

I too am starting to favor 28" barrels. I took my Trojan out for sporting clays last weekend and i do a little better with it.
I see Kenny Graft thanked me on my post. I stopped and talked to you at your shop when I first got the 16 VH.

KJ

If I'm using a 12g or 16g , 26" barrels are fine. When using a 20g I prefer 28" to 30" barrels. Six to 6 3/4 lbs. with a high comb seems to be what works best for me lately.