First hunt with 20 DHE with 30 inch barrels
 

Had shot skeet with the gun at the gun club but had not killed a bird with it.Doing a walk up hunt for Pheasants and huns shooting left over birds from a 1000 bird tower shoot a few days earlier at Prairie Wildlife. Have been thinking about the hunt since last Thursday. I think maybe there is something to this longer site plan. I am aware that with longer barrels it is harder stop your swing. I was 7 for 9 on Pheasants and 4 for 5 on huns. 11 birds for 15 shells, I am not that good. Most to my recent bird shooting has been with 16's with 28 inch barrels and I am not a bad shoot. The 20 DHE fits me but so do both of my 16's.Learned a while ago that if the gun does not fit there is no need to waste my money. At 74 I am not as quick as I once was I did notice that the birds fell 3 to 5 ft. further than normal. Maybe I was slower because of age or longer barrels or both. It was a great afternoon and most likely was nothing but pure luck. Will do a quail hunt and try the DHE 20. Wondering that in my sunset years if I have found the great bird gun. More hunts will tell the tell.

I think your shooting would qualify as excellent based on your report. Whatever the reason, I'd stick with the gun you used.

Any photos???

If those chokes on your 30" 20ga are original, they are probably M/F or F/F and with that you have discovered the beauty of tight chokes. Nice shooting Daniel.

In my quest to get better at shooting left-handed, I've found that I shoot my 30" guns far better than my 26" guns, regardless of gauge. I can shoot 75-80% on clays with my 30" tight-choked damascus DH12, which I have only ever hunted with once and haven't really shot that much compared to others in the pile. I do think that gun fit has a bit to do with it, and if I have a slow or sloppy mount the tight chokes will still break them way out there.

Nice shooting Daniel. The only thing lacking in this equation in order for you to properly determine the best barrel length would be to try a 32" DHE 20 on an 0 frame possibly. Gives you a good excuse to go shopping, just sayin :corn:

I am left handed, the chokes on the 20 DHE are 04 and 12. I have a 16 DHE with 32 inch barrels full and full that has worked well on tower shoots but I would hate to try to kill flushing birds with it.Need to learn to pictures.

Contrary to what some would say I find that choke combination to be near ideal. That .004 choke will hit hard further out than you might think. Of course the ammo is a large part of the equation as well. As for long barrels, to each his own.

Amen!