O/U Bbl Lengths

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  • Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,884
    Why ?

    I get it that of late the masses of buyers are buying longer and longer . But why ? Other than reaching the critical mass of cyclical fad ?

    Back when I had hair , shorter was the thing , 26in was the overwhelming predominance of Skeet, and related forms of bird hunting . The laws of physics haven't changed .

    In that era , observations about Trap guns from back in the early 1900's with over 30in bbls were met with head shakes, and wonderment about what were they thinking, and that they must have believed old wives tales about long bbls shoot harder . The laws of physics haven't changed during any of these eras .
     

    bob finger

    Member
    Jul 24, 2016
    66
    They make different barrel lengths to satisfy the different people who shoot.

    A 26 inch barrel reacts much differently in the hands when swinging to a target than does a 30 inch barrel. Weight distribution is much different with the various lengths as well. You buy what works for you at the game you play.

    I shot tournament skeet for years, was on the All American team several years in a row and traveled the circuit as a AA/AAA shooter. I did much of my winning with a 29.5 inch lighter weight barrel. Things went down hill when I changed guns and went to a heavier 30 inch barrel. Biggest mistake I ever made changing guns. bob

    ps When I shot birds in thick woods/brush a 26 inch barrel was often too much. My Woodcock side by side had 24 inch barrels and worked very well in the Alder brush.

    Shooting trap there is very little gun movement thus 32 or 34 inch unsingles are preferred by many, or even 30+ inch barrels on a gas gun.
     

    rouchna

    Defund the ATF
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 25, 2009
    5,951
    Virginia
    Why ?

    I get it that of late the masses of buyers are buying longer and longer . But why ? Other than reaching the critical mass of cyclical fad ?

    Back when I had hair , shorter was the thing , 26in was the overwhelming predominance of Skeet, and related forms of bird hunting . The laws of physics haven't changed .

    In that era , observations about Trap guns from back in the early 1900's with over 30in bbls were met with head shakes, and wonderment about what were they thinking, and that they must have believed old wives tales about long bbls shoot harder . The laws of physics haven't changed during any of these eras .

    I'm no pro but I went with a 32" because I liked the way the gun balanced and the way it would swing from side to side. I don't think one length is better than the other. This is why one must hold, swing, mount a shotgun before buying. I know plenty of people who shoot lights out with a 28" because that's how they were trained. For me, it is a matter of personal preference. Having said that, I will say that for sporting clays, I prefer a 32" but for skeet, I would rather have a 30" or 28".
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,884
    In the mid '70s there was a mini resurgence of 20in SxS for skeet and birds , but I wasn't ( initially) going there .
     

    El_flasko

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Nov 16, 2008
    7,298
    Abingdon, MD
    I'm no pro but I went with a 32" because I liked the way the gun balanced and the way it would swing from side to side. I don't think one length is better than the other. This is why one must hold, swing, mount a shotgun before buying. I know plenty of people who shoot lights out with a 28" because that's how they were trained. For me, it is a matter of personal preference. Having said that, I will say that for sporting clays, I prefer a 32" but for skeet, I would rather have a 30" or 28".



    Pretty much sums up my thoughts exactly. I’m primarily a sporting clays guy and I prefer 32’s on the gun that I chose that fit me. I’ve shot several 30” guns that felt fine too, so it’s definitely individual preference. 32’s tend to have a better resale market for SC and trap from what I’ve seen, but most don’t buy a gun based on potential resale I’d imagine.
     

    dreadpirate

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 7, 2010
    5,521
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    I am probably the worst shot in the bunch on the SC and Skeet range; but for me a 32" feels too front heavy and I like a 30" much better. I thought Trap is where a longer barrel shines, not SC (?) Anyways, like I said; I'm not the expert; just my preference.
     

    teratos

    My hair is amazing
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 22, 2009
    59,775
    Bel Air
    I shoot a 30” Browning Lighting for trap, 26” Browning Lightning for skeet.
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    I shoot a 30" barreled Browning Special Sporting Clays for everything. If the game uses a clay target, I'll shoot it. I've handled 32" guns, but they always seemed nose heavy to me. I can't hit a bull in the @$$ with a snow shovel with my Dad's 34" Perazzi single.

    I definitely prefer the 30", but my Dad has a 28" Browning Special Sporting Clays and I shoot it pretty well.

    Of course, unlike most gun traders, oops I meant Trap shooters, I've shot the same gun since '93. I shot in a winter trap league for twelve weeks and I think a couple of those guys never shot the same gun twice.

    It truly is a what works for you situation.

    Sent from my LG-G710 using Tapatalk
     

    Aamdskeetshooter

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 19, 2013
    1,744
    Moco
    Why ?



    I get it that of late the masses of buyers are buying longer and longer . But why ? Other than reaching the critical mass of cyclical fad ?



    Back when I had hair , shorter was the thing , 26in was the overwhelming predominance of Skeet, and related forms of bird hunting . The laws of physics haven't changed .



    In that era , observations about Trap guns from back in the early 1900's with over 30in bbls were met with head shakes, and wonderment about what were they thinking, and that they must have believed old wives tales about long bbls shoot harder . The laws of physics haven't changed during any of these eras .

    The physics hasn’t changed but the style of shooting has. The top shots aren’t shooting swing through like they did back then. They’re shooting sustained lead. Using a sustained lead method the speed of the swing is a lot slower. The longer barrels lend themselves to this style of shooting. Show me someone that is winning a top shoot in any discipline (including the International varieties) with a pump gun or a side by side or a 26” barrel. Ken Barnes shot the first 400 straight in Skeet with 4 pump guns in 1968. Would anyone recommend a shooter try to win a top shoot with 4 pump guns nowadays? Of course not. Imagine a golfer trying to win a tournament with clubs from the 60’s and 70’s. He wouldn’t have a chance in hell. If you’re wanting to do get to the top of the podium in the shotgun sports you can either piggy back on what the top shots are using or you can disregard all of their vast knowledge and expertise and chart your own path to the top by shooting a 26” side by side. If you are just going to shoot some clays a couple times a year or month at your local club it doesn’t really matter what you shoot. Just be forewarned that when it comes time to sell the gun in the configuration that no one wants it’s going to be harder to find a buyer.
     

    rtse4me

    Active Member
    Apr 12, 2013
    298
    Howard County
    I wonder if shooting pre-mounted has more people going to 32". When I started everyone shot sporting clays with the gun down. I never liked 32" guns because were not as lively but I don't shoot with the gun pre-mounted. A K-80 with 32" barrels is like swinging a brick to me.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    The physics hasn’t changed but the style of shooting has. The top shots aren’t shooting swing through like they did back then. They’re shooting sustained lead. Using a sustained lead method the speed of the swing is a lot slower. The longer barrels lend themselves to this style of shooting. Show me someone that is winning a top shoot in any discipline (including the International varieties) with a pump gun or a side by side or a 26” barrel. Ken Barnes shot the first 400 straight in Skeet with 4 pump guns in 1968. Would anyone recommend a shooter try to win a top shoot with 4 pump guns nowadays? Of course not. Imagine a golfer trying to win a tournament with clubs from the 60’s and 70’s. He wouldn’t have a chance in hell. If you’re wanting to do get to the top of the podium in the shotgun sports you can either piggy back on what the top shots are using or you can disregard all of their vast knowledge and expertise and chart your own path to the top by shooting a 26” side by side. If you are just going to shoot some clays a couple times a year or month at your local club it doesn’t really matter what you shoot. Just be forewarned that when it comes time to sell the gun in the configuration that no one wants it’s going to be harder to find a buyer.

    I imagine the top shooters are also sponsored. You think the manufacturers have any say in what they are to shoot?

    Back in the 80's, some cyclists that were sponsored by certain manufacturers, like Greg Lemond being sponsored by Huffy, would just put the sponsor's stickers on better equipment. Lemond road a Look frame with Huffy stickers on it. Same goes for some wheels that the pros were using. Pretty comical.

    I watched a program several years ago about one of the top sporting clays shooters and he used several different techniques based upon how the target was presented. Sustained lead on the further targets, swing through on the closer ones.

    What are all the different techniques:

    Swing Through
    Sustained Lead
    Pull Away
    Spot Shoot

    I know I am missing some. What are they? Once upon a time, I knew them all even though I did not use them all. Cannot ever remember spot shooting unless I was so screwed up I was just pulling the trigger and praying the bird and the shot met up at some point.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Yes, you can premount in Sporting if you want to.

    In match/tournament shoots?

    Nope, I just checked the rule book. NSCA rules require the top of the butt to be 25 cm below the top of the shoulder until the target appears.

    3.1.1 Shooters must adopt the ready position, i.e. standing with
    both feet within the limits of the shooting stand, with the
    heel of the gun stock touching the body.
    For all kinds of stocks, including:
    • Standard stocks,
    • Monte Carlo stocks,
    • Stocks fitted with an adjustable comb or any other equipment allowing shortening of the shouldering distance,
    the rear point of the highest part of the stock must, in the
    ready position of the shooter, be under the horizontal line
    marked on the shooter's jacket. This line is 25 cm (9.85")
    below the axis of the shoulder and in parallel with this
    axis (see diagram below). Shooters must remain in this
    position until the target is released and is visible.

    3.1.2 Shooters must not shoulder their guns until the target
    appears. Shooters must fire with their guns shouldered
    on all targets, including rabbits.

    Club or sport, it doesn't matter.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    I only started in November but that's how I've been shooting it since I started. I was actually encouraged to do so by other shooters.

    Premounted it easier for a beginner.

    But I find the mount to be part of the timing for shooting. And for most pairs, dismount and remount the shogun between shots.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    As has been said, times and shooting styles change.

    Skeet used to use 26" barrels. Then they started adding weights to smooth the swing. And decided, instead of weights, just use longer barrels.

    As for balance, I balance our shotguns. I use shot in a shopping bag in the hole where the stock screw is. I balance them to balance at the hinge pin.

    I was taught this by a former top sporting clays shooter when I was starting out.
     

    Aamdskeetshooter

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 19, 2013
    1,744
    Moco
    In match/tournament shoots?



    Nope, I just checked the rule book. NSCA rules require the top of the butt to be 25 cm below the top of the shoulder until the target appears.







    Club or sport, it doesn't matter.



    Is that the current rule book?

    I just pulled this off of page 44 from the NSCA website.

    . Shotgun Mount & Position—The shooter may start with a low gun or a pre-mounted gun when calling for the target.


    http://nssa-nsca.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2019-Rule-Book-ONLINE-Version.pdf


    Your citation was for FITASC. The gun has to be unmounted for FITASC. Also max of 1 ounce loads.
     

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