Best barrel length for a turkey gun?

What is the ideal length for a 3.5" 12 ga? My gun is a 28" barrel and it's too dang long. Hits branches when I'm toting it and obviously adds a little weight. Thinking of cutting it down. 24"?

depends. For just handling the shorter the better. For aiming the longer the better.

I had a gunsmith test velocity loss in a 3" 870, from 30" down to 22". Slow loss to 25" then dropped off faster, so he made my barrel 25".

Overall I'd guess 24-25" is best.

Mine is 24". You may want to check the price of a replacement barrel versus the price of having it cut and threaded.

24 on mine now. had a 28 and with the choke it felt like goose gun

I like a 21"-24". Best of both worlds for a dedicated turkey gun IMO. I do have a 1300 with an 18" barrel that has killed some out to 50.

My SBE is 24", but the receiver is so long that the overall gun length is the same as sxs with 28" barrels. I shoot doves with it and wouldn't want the barrel any longer for wing shooting.

I thought about that. Can't seem to find anything after a quick search. Not for reasonable anyway.

Yeah that's the problem with mine. Long barrel and long receiver make for a gun that's borderline ridiculous long, and heavy.
Maybe I should just get an 870 in 20 ga.....

There's the best answer. Especially now that you can buy commercially loaded TSS shells.

I actually prefer my 12.

I like a barrel 21-22". I'm sure there may be a velocity loss, but so far the turkeys seem dead enough, haha.

Yep. I don't know anybody that's ever swapped over to an 870 compact and regretted it.

Never had any trouble with a 28" barrel, and I prefer them 26-28" in all gauges.

Yeah, the commercially available TSS is a game changer for me. May do it. I've got too many hobbies to load by myself.

This is me. My o/u w 24" barrels is just right. Any auto or pump with a barrel over 22 +choke just gets on my nerves. There's always that little gum tree or vine that is in the way if I had to swing and shoot. Let alone getting caught on everything walking through the woods. Don't know about y'all, but the places I walk here in Alabama are hardly ever open...

Hunterturf approves the 21" barrel. He said anything longer and it gets hung on the barb wire when he walks under the fence.

^^^^This. It's got to be at least 26 and prefer 28. A short barrel turkey gun is good for at least one miss every other year. Running a close second, would be a tight shooting 20 gauge full of TSS. There seemed to be a great deal of misses this year.

I use a 24 inch barrel.

there's always misses on here. Can't blame the guns. We have a site full of great turkey hunters. If you're hunting and shooting at plenty of birds, you're gonna miss birds. That's just the game. But for all the misses, there are also a pile of dead birds too.

Yes. If you can consistently kill the Eastern gobbler that lives in the hardwood swamps, you can kill em anywhere. There are some straight up killers on here. Yes. He who never misses, doesn't shoot at many. I'll take my chances with a 28 inch barrel over a short one. I'll take a gun with a great pattern over a super tight 20. As far as a miss, it's easier to deal with a swing and a miss at 40 - 45 than one at 25 because my gun is too tight.

I don't think you understand TSS

I shoot TSS in a 20ga. with an 18" barrel. So far, it's my favorite shotgun I've ever turkey hunted with.

I have a 21", 24" and a 28". I started with the 28". The 21" is a dream to carry, closely followed by the 24", the 28" now feels cumbersome especially in the woods compared to the others.