25 replies to this topic

[Cranky Farmer]

So I am looking into acquiring a new dedicated predator hunting shotgun and have three barrel lengths to choose from. It comes in 24, 26 and 28. What would you buy and why?

[ShooterJohn]

Are you getting a Benelli? I see they have 24" now they didn't when I got mine. I have the 26" but I would use it for turkey too. I think 24 would be fine you aren't pass shooting ducks but maybe some crows down the way when you get back home.

[woodog]

Twenty inches because it is easier to swing in heavy cover, lighter to carry and a longer barrel won't make any difference at 40-50 yards with the right choke and ammo if we are talking dedicated predator hunting shotguns. If you want a multi-purpose shotgun I would go with a 24-26 inch barrel unless you want to shoot clays and even then the longer barrel will only give you better sighting ability. The choke is the name of the game.Fire at will guys. Woodog

[Cranky Farmer]

Who makes the 24"? Are you getting a Benelli?

Yep, a left handed model. He has 28" models now but won't have the 26 inch models for another 30 days or so.

[ShooterJohn]

He's left handed so I don't know any left handed 20" barreled semi autos.

[ShooterJohn]

Oops. I edited my earlier post while you were writing yours. I like the 26 the 24 is almost impossible to find I searched.

[Frank]

If it's a pump or semi auto, 24" hands down... M A N Y years ago I took an 870 wingmaster, 28" barrel & had the barrel cut to approx 23 1/2"(?), had Briley choke tubes installed & is just plain awesome. Of course I never get to use it, as my youngest son claimed possession of it years ago. At least I get to look at it in my gun safe. LOLFrank

[ehd]

Heath , I got mine in 26" I really like it alot . Points and balances perfect. i did change the front bead ,went to a taller one .

[aquaelvis]

Well, you guys already know what I just got. (or... what I paid for and am WAITING to get...grrrr) I was split between the 26 and the 28. Since this was a spendy gun for me, I plan to use it in other ways as well. (duck, clay- for practice, etc) I went for the 28 and here is why: If a 26 will throw a tight pattern at a distance, the 28 will do the same but at a farther distance. Yes, you can choke a 26 and get good patterns, but you can choke a 28 as well. (any choke work you do to a 26 can be done to a 28) So in the end, a 28 will give a longer, tighter pattern than a 26. (least that is what I was told and it makes sense) Many will say, they both will shoot far and tight so the extra 2 inches does not do much. Fair enough, but it does do some, right? If it buys you an extra 5 yards of kill zone, it will be very important if you pepper one and miss the kill by a few yards! If the extra 2 inches in the field causes you to be unable to manuever, well you might be a bit of a Nancy. (sorry to anyone named nancy who reads this) Keep in mind I do not know what I am talking about, this is just the thought process I used in buying mine. But, in fairness, I want to be able to use this gun for other stuff. If I wanted a coyote only gun, I might look for something cheaper and smaller. But still, does 4 inches off the barrel make or break a shot in the tight stuff? The Benelli is so light, 4 inches can't be that big of a deal. I am sure I can swing that thing around just fine, if need be I will stand to take the shot. (semi-auto should be nice for that) Just my thoughts... wrong they may be. From the 4 or so that have escaped due to being too close and coming too fast, all of them would have been very dead if I had a 28 inch barrel. (be dead if I had a 26 inch too, but if I missed with the 26, I'd be happy to have that little extra to reach out with)

[Frank]

elvis, i hate to be the bearer of bad news, however, (I will anyway/lol)...You gain absolutely nothing with a 28" over a 26" barrel. It is a wives tale. The pattern & distance will be exactly the same. You have to get close to 20" or there abouts to have any difference. Your salesman does not know what he says & is a very common mistake by sales people.What you DO gain, is a "better sight picture/radias(?)", mostly for the longer distances past 25 yards etc.Frank

[clampdaddy]

Yep, Frank is right. The only difference between a 26 and a 28 is that the 28 gets your muzzle two inches closer to the target.

[aquaelvis]

Man, first I got talked into that heavy varmint barrel and now this...  Shitagain.jpg   6.33K   50 downloadsOh well... 2 inches extra can't hurt

[Frank]

LOL... Too funny, elvis... and yes, both of your firearms are going to serve you very well.Now, just go out and kill something for crying out loud and report back Frank

[DEERSLAM]

I've got the 24" on my Benelli and it works great with the Carlsons choke.

[nevjohn]

I'm with Woody, but that is just because I have the same shotty, except mine is a thumbhole stock, not a pistol grip

[Cranky Farmer]

Unfortunately there are only three barrel length choices I mentioned above for the shotgun that I am looking. Keep the comments rolling, though.

[woodog]

But Heath, you did say, " a dedicated predator shotgun". Check out the discussion on your own list, about six months ago, on barrel length in the shotgun section. You are really looking for an all purpose shotgun and you have picked a good one. I hope to own one someday, but it will be a 24 inch barrel if available.

[wannakillacoyote]

Twenty inches because it is easier to swing in heavy cover, lighter to carry and a longer barrel won't make any difference at 40-50 yards with the right choke and ammo if we are talking dedicated predator hunting shotguns. If you want a multi-purpose shotgun I would go with a 24-26 inch barrel unless you want to shoot clays and even then the longer barrel will only give you better sighting ability. The choke is the name of the game.Fire at will guys. Woodog

Hey, I know you prefer the 20" versions for a dedicated yote gun. I was talking to you earlier about what shotguns I already have (Beretta Al391 28" and Mossberg 590 20"). I know you like the shorter barreled ones, but my semi-auto Beretta is a dream to shoot. So, given that I prefer the Beretta over the Mossy, what choke and ammo would you recommend? As for chokes I would prefer to use my existing chokes that came with the rifle for now, so either one of these IC,IM,FULL,MOD,CL.Chris

[capitol]

What barrel length would you use?24"26"and are you kidding me 28"You forgot "none of the above"

[Machado]

Man, first I got talked into that heavy varmint barrel and now this...  Shitagain.jpg   6.33K   50 downloadsOh well... 2 inches extra can't hurt

It's got to help with them 1 oz slugs!

[woodog]

So, given that I prefer the Beretta over the Mossy, what choke and ammo would you recommend? As for chokes I would prefer to use my existing chokes that came with the rifle for now, so either one of these IC,IM,FULL,MOD,CL.

Get some Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote and #4 lead buckshot and try your FULL. Your might even try the IM for kicks just to see the difference. Remember that lead will not be allowed in a lot of the areas you will want to hunt, but will be OK in the area we will go to next Sunday. I bet you will end up getting a Carlson Dead Coyote or other similar choke after you pattern your Beretta. I'm going out this morning to pattern my Mossberg with DC, #4 lead and Rem Wingmaster BB. That's why I invited you to tag along today. I hear you on liking to shoot the Beretta over the Mossie, but remember that you won't be shooting 100 shells on a coyote hunt like you could hunting dove. You will be lucky to get off one or two good shots within the effective 40-yard range. Besides, it will be a shame to see that beautiful 28-inch Beretta barrel all gooped up from sap and other dog poop from dragging it through the heavy cover usually present when hunting coyotes with a shotgun. Shoot what is comfortable for you.SteveH

[woodog]

What barrel length would you use?24"26"and are you kidding me 28"You forgot "none of the above"

Ditto!

[Cranky Farmer]

You forgot "none of the above"

Again, the shotgun I am buying only comes in those three lengths.

[wannakillacoyote]

Get some Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote and #4 lead buckshot and try your FULL. Your might even try the IM for kicks just to see the difference. Remember that lead will not be allowed in a lot of the areas you will want to hunt, but will be OK in the area we will go to next Sunday. I bet you will end up getting a Carlson Dead Coyote or other similar choke after you pattern your Beretta. I'm going out this morning to pattern my Mossberg with DC, #4 lead and Rem Wingmaster BB. That's why I invited you to tag along today. I hear you on liking to shoot the Beretta over the Mossie, but remember that you won't be shooting 100 shells on a coyote hunt like you could hunting dove. You will be lucky to get off one or two good shots within the effective 40-yard range. Besides, it will be a shame to see that beautiful 28-inch Beretta barrel all gooped up from sap and other dog poop from dragging it through the heavy cover usually present when hunting coyotes with a shotgun. Shoot what is comfortable for you.SteveH

Everything you are saying makes perfect sense. The bulk of my shooting with my Beretta has been Dove hunting. And yes, with me behind the barrel, that's a lot of shooting. And, yes I would be worried about messing up my pretty Beretta, though I'm not as worried as I was a couple years ago when I first got it (and paid for it). I feel that if it's the best tool in the my current toolbox, then that's what I should use. After all even pretty guns are meant to be used. My 20" Mossberg 590 has the Cylinder bore barrel. Would that work for now? I know you said I could get the barrel threaded for chokes for like $80. I may do that, but my current fun budget is just about empty. I may look into the possibility of getting another barrel. I'm trying to build my AR and it is taking all my funds right now. So, trying to get by with what I have for now. Anyway, I will call you this week and see what you think I should bring Sunday. I'm willing to try anything. Haha, my toolbox is small and I currently have only 5 tools to choose from:10/22 - Duh not enough10/17 - Probably barely enough223 Howa Varmint Barrel - Sounds like it may be too much for the ranges you are talking about, but I can dial down the scopeBeretta 12ga 28" with Full ChokeMossberg 12ga 20" with fixed CylinderI'm currently building my AR which I would like to be my main short to mid-range Coyote getter. I may even have it finished by this weekend.

[Cranky Farmer]

Did you get your AR build completed?

[wannakillacoyote]

Did you get your AR build completed?

Nope, I meant by next weekend. My lower is still in DROS jail til Thursday. I have the LPK and the adjustable stock is on the way. I am still trying to decide on a upper. I'm sure I am going with the M4 16" config, I just need to decide if I should get the complete flat-top 3H or go with the flat-top with iron sights 2H. I will be putting either the cheapy red dot I have or a high powered full size scope on it. I worry that the front site in the 2H config will be in the sight picture of the optics. I called around to day, online it would take like 10 days to get one of the configs I'm thinking of. There's a shop in Taft (10percent) that may have what I want this week, they are waiting on a shipment. There's one more place in town I need to check out. If I can't get it locally for a decent price, I will just wait the 10 days for online.I picked up a Primo's Dead Dog choke today for my Beretta 28". Now I just need to find some Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote loads. Still not sure if I will be using the shotgun or howa .223 this weekend, but I want to be prepared. :)There I go rambling again......nope haven't finished the AR yet.