Full Answer
What is the best barrel length for a duck gun?
If you have long arms and a correspondingly long length of pull, then a 30-inch barrel will work best. The odds-on favorite for 12-gauge shooters is a 28-inch barrel. It balances well for a wide range of shooters and most production stocks, and that’s why it’s the most popular barrel length for semi-auto duck guns.
What is the best barrel length for hunting deer?
The best barrel length for hunting deer is 18″ for a rifle with a 308 or similar caliber or 28″ for a shotgun and no shorter than 6″ for a handgun or revolver using a caliber with adequate velocity. For distances above 500 yards, a 22″ or longer rifle barrel is best. A good place to start looking for barrels is Here at OpticsPlanet.
What is the best shotgun for duck hunting?
Shotguns with 24-inch barrels are the absolute minimum length you should consider for duck hunting. They are best used for hunting timber where shots are close range and the room to swing a shotgun is limited. 24-inch barrels point quickly so they usually end up being the first shot on decoying birds.
What is the best barrel length for a 12-gauge?
The odds-on favorite for 12-gauge shooters is a 28-inch barrel. It balances well for a wide range of shooters and most production stocks, and that’s why it’s the most popular barrel length for semi-auto duck guns. But, as my friend said many years ago, you have to find what works for you.
Why is a longer barrel better?
For long, precise shots (where you are actually doing a bit of aiming), a longer barrel is a bit of an advantage because it will let you aim more precisely.
What does it matter to make a longer barrel?
What does matter a whole lot is weight and balance . Generally (but not always), longer barrels are heavier and move weight forward. A couple of gun companies actually decrease the wall thickness, and thus weight, of the barrels when they make longer versions so as to keep the weights the same and the balances approximately the same. Blaser’s F3 does this. But few others do. For most of the makers, longer is heavier, often somewhere around one ounce per inch. That may not seem like a lot, but an ounce or two right at the muzzle is really noticeable and will alter the way the gun handles.
What is the maximum barrel length for a shotgun?
There is only the federal limit of 18.5" for barrel length. That said typically barrels for ducks and geese are longer (28" to 30") to get the last bit of velocity out of the load. Much under 26" and you start to lose velocity at a more rapid rate than from 26" to 30". The longer barrels also provide for a longer sight radius which is not a bad thing. If you get serious about goose hunting the SBE's are top of the heap for 3.5" shotguns and don't give up much to the 10 gauges when throwing a heavy load.
What barrels are better for handicap traps?
When shooting handicap trap (longer range), the majority of better competitors use a longer barrel. I believe that statistics (better results with 32” and 34” barrels when shooting handicap trap) confirm my statement.
What is the best barrel for a semi automatic?
A 26” barrel on your semiautomatic gun or pump gun might be a better choice when “jump shooting” (i.e., walking up to potholes and moving through the brush) since the shorter barrel is less likely to hang-up on brush.
What is the minimum length of a semiautomatic gun?
A 26” barre l is the minimum length you should use on a semiautomatic gun or pump gun when hunting ducks and geese. 28” is about the equivalent length on a two barrel gun (O/U or S/S).
Why do I like 26 barrels?
i like 26 barrel becuz its a little easier to move through limbs and other objects on the river bank
What size tube do I use for a Winchester?
For years I shot either an 1100 Rem or 1400 Winchester with 28" tubes. Over the last 10 years I've used either a X2 Winchester or I-12 Franchi both with 26" tubes. 24" seem a tad short to keep moving on crossing birds.
How many shots to bring a goose down?
Don't see alot of O/U in the duck blind. It takes at least 3 shots to bring a goose down
What size shotgun do you need for wild pheasants?
When it comes down to it, if you’re in the market for a break-open shotgun specifically for wild pheasants, I’d point you towards one with a 28 inch barrel. There are absolutely caveats to that, so if you want to dive a little deeper on the topic, read on.
What is the difference between a field shotgun and a target shotgun?
Distilled to their core, modern break-open shotguns can fairly easily be split into two main categories – ‘field’ and ‘target.’ It’s not a perfect line between the two, but field guns tend to be lighter and simpler where as target guns incorporate adjustability while adding features and weight to ease the burden of shooting hundreds of rounds in a day.
How fast can a pheasant fly?
Pheasants are a big bird and while they can launch themselves from hiding with surprising speed, their ability to accelerate is much different than that of a quail. Not a sprinter, once they get a head of steam they’re still blisteringly fast. Add in a roaring Kansas wind and they’ll embarrass the most experienced wingshooter – whereas a bobwhite can quickly get to 40 mph, a pheasant will clock a solid 60.
What is the difference between a quail and a pheasant?
While a quail is a master of diversion and might skim the top of cover, diving side to side and seemingly corkscrewing to avoid incoming shot, a pheasant is on a mission to put distance between it and you.
Why do pheasants swing longer?
Longer barrels swing more deliberately due to the added weight in general, but specifically the extra ounces out front. For wild pheasants that prefer prairies, snagging in brambles and getting blocked by trees isn’t nearly the issue it is in the grouse woods, so the longer barrels won’t be a detriment in that regard.
Do shotguns need to be short?
A predictable arc is to be expected, so the shotgun doesn’t need to be short and nimble so much as it needs to have a smooth and deliberate swing. It’s my experience that a shooter of average stature would be well-served by a field gun equipped with 28 inch barrels when chasing pheasants.
Is a shotgun muzzle heavy?
A shotgun with evenly-distributed weight can feel tremendously different than one that has centralized mass or one that is extremely muzzle-heavy. Given the same overall weight, a muzzle-heavy gun could feel cumbersome compared to one that’s more evenly balanced.
How long should a shotgun barrel be for ducks?
Shots at ducks and geese tend to be long. A 28- or even 30-inch barrel smooths your swing and encourages a positive follow-through. Twenty-six-inch barrels will do, but anything shorter is too light in the muzzle, and deafening to the guy sitting next to you. Steer a wide berth around 21- to 24-inch barrels and, if you value your hearing, the people who shoot them.
What is the best shotgun for duck hunting?
The real choice lies between the 3-1/2 and the 3-inch 12-gauges. The bigger 12 is more versatile: The 3-1/2-inch Roman candle loads offer near 10-gauge ballistics in a much more maneuverable shotgun, and you can load 3- and 2-3/4-inch shells in the big 12. However, the 3-inch 12 packs enough shot for 99.9 percent of duck hunting and all but the longest long-range goose shooting.
What chokes are used for waterfowl?
For most waterfowl hunting, a Modified choke performs best as an all-around choice with most nontoxic ammunition.
What is waterfowling torture?
Waterfowling tortures guns. They bounce on boat hulls, fall on rocks, sink in mud. Synthetic stocks may be ugly, but the abuse of waterfowling doesn’t make them any uglier, and they clean up with Armor All. You can’t say the same for wood.
What to use to hide a gun from birds?
A duck blind or goose pit is no place for shiny bluing. Go with a matte or camo finish to hide your gun from sharp-eyed birds. Sling swivels are a must for carrying the gun along with all your other gear to the blind; quick-detachable swivels let you remove the strap, which may otherwise hang up in the foliage when you rise to shoot.
How to get a good duck and goose shotgun?
1. Choose the Right Shotgun Action. Repeaters rule the marsh. For duck and goose hunting, a pump’s or autoloader’s three shots and one choke beat the double barrel’s two shots and two chokes almost every time .
What is the analogy of a waterfowl gun?
It follows, then, that waterfowl guns are the pickup trucks of shotguns, built to deliver heavy loads in the worst conditions. Synthetic stocks, matte finishes, screw-in chokes, and improved mechanisms make the current generation ...
