barrel length

[Harold Pickens]

Back when I bought my first sxs, I was 29, short barrels seemed to be more desirable than long barrels--now I'm 59, and it seems longer barrels are the current rage. It really never mattered to me how long the barrels were, as long as the gun felt "good' when I threw it to my shoulder. I do see the usefulness of long barrels in clays shooting and waterfowl, but not so much for the kind of shooting I do--hunting over pointing dogs. That said, I'd love to have a 30" 16, just cause I don't have one. I have 2 Parkers with 26" barrels, both choked cyl/m and confirmed with factory letter: a VH 20 and a DHE O frame 16. These were obviously ordered by upland hunters, the 16 came from Georgia and the 20 from Virginia, so both probably were quail hunters. Of course, the happy medium is 28" which most of my other doubles sport.
What do you prefer?

[Mills]

26" - 28" for quail and doves. 30" - 32" for ducks and turkeys. 30" for clays most of the time.

[AmarilloMike]

I am primarily a bobwhite hunter - over pointing dogs. I have three O frame sixteens, all less than six pounds, two with 26" and one with 28". One of them, a BHE, was ordered with cylinder choke in the right barrel. All three panels have dogs in them. No elk, deer, or ducks on it. So obviously ordered as a bird gun.

I have an AHE 20 sub six pounds with 26" barrels. Bob Beach at Griffin and Howe traced it to a Yankee stockbroker that owned a plantation in Georgia. Ordered with open chokes so obviously a bird gun.

Bird guns with short barrels don't get hung up in the brush as much as a 30" barrel set.

But the 8 lb VH12s with 32" barrels are lots of fun on dove and feral pigeons.

[Bruce Day]

DHE 20ga with factory 24" barrels, 5lbs 12oz. Works for me.

[Brush Buster]

Hello Harold ,Interesting question ,I shot a 26" Barreled 20 Ga. BSS Browning for years before shooting Parker's ,I loved the Gun and the 26" Barrels for Grouse and Woodcock then I bought a OO Framed ,VHE 28 Ga. ,Straight grip that was so light I couldn't stay with the bird ,then I decided on a 30" 28 Ga. DHE that seemed too long for the coverts I normally hunt ,as of this moment ,I kind of prefer a 28" ,20 Ga. DH Grade ,who knows what's next ,I seem to like them all except for the 30" Barrels ,just seemed to always be in the way !Ask again next week .........

[Dean Romig]

Well Russ, I see that you didn't include a certain twenty-gauge CHE with 26" barrels so may I presume it has fallen from favor and is relegated to the 'discard' bin?....Just askin' is all...

[Brush Buster]

Oh Mr. Romig , If it were that simple ,Just the opposite actually ,I have taken such a shine to the aforementioned CHE that it has turned into that " Special day " gun , I have made a decision to only take her afield where the chances of falling over round wet objects and steep declines are minimal such as Preserve Type Hunts ,Open Field Pheasants etc.etc. ! I always like to say ,I use everything I own but with each slip ,I can see that beautiful stock or unique engraving being ruined with each slip of the foot , Gee I must be getting old or something !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just Sayin!

[Bill Murphy]

If I ever thought to carry it, I might take a liking to my "compromise" barrel length gun, my 27" 7 1/2 pound DH ten. For close in small birds, my GHE 24" GHE, both original hard butt Damascus guns, both very handy.

[Brush Buster]

I had the 25" Barreled DH ,28 Ga. O Frame ,I shot that little gun like it was a permanent extension of my anatomy ,but I had to have the 410 and traded her off ,would like to have that one back !

[wayne goerres]

32" full and full. I like to see things disinergrate when I hit them.