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Best barrel length for a turkey gun? #2164074
07/13/17 03:42 AM
07/13/17 03:42 AM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 21,751
USA
R
Remington270 Offline OP
Freak of Nature
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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"?

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164092
07/13/17 03:55 AM
07/13/17 03:55 AM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 36,091
alabama
BhamFred Online mad
Freak of Nature
BhamFred  Online Mad
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alabama
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.


I've spent most of the money I've made in my lifetime on hunting and fishing. The rest I just wasted.....

proud Cracker-Americaan

muslims are like coyotes, only good one is a dead one
Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164095
07/13/17 03:56 AM
07/13/17 03:56 AM
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,561
Tuscaloosa Co.
N
N2TRKYS Offline
Booner
N2TRKYS  Offline
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Tuscaloosa Co.
Mine is 24". You may want to check the price of a replacement barrel versus the price of having it cut and threaded.


83% of all statistics are made up.

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164096
07/13/17 03:56 AM
07/13/17 03:56 AM
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 169
United States
Papagator Offline
3 point
Papagator  Offline
3 point
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 169
United States
24 on mine now. had a 28 and with the choke it felt like goose gun


"It is not the violence that sets a man apart. It's the distance he's prepared to go."
-Forrest Bondurant-
Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164159
07/13/17 04:39 AM
07/13/17 04:39 AM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,375
Helena
3
3toe Offline
Talking Turkey
3toe  Offline
Talking Turkey
3
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Helena
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.

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164250
07/13/17 05:48 AM
07/13/17 05:48 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,052
Sylacauga, AL
poorcountrypreacher Offline
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Sylacauga, AL
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.


All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: N2TRKYS] #2164275
07/13/17 06:21 AM
07/13/17 06:21 AM
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USA
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Remington270 Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: N2TRKYS
Mine is 24". You may want to check the price of a replacement barrel versus the price of having it cut and threaded.


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

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: poorcountrypreacher] #2164279
07/13/17 06:22 AM
07/13/17 06:22 AM
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USA
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Remington270 Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: poorcountrypreacher
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.


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..... confused

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164309
07/13/17 06:47 AM
07/13/17 06:47 AM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 12,837
Montgomery / Luverne
crenshawco Offline
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Montgomery / Luverne
Originally Posted By: Remington270

Maybe I should just get an 870 in 20 ga..... confused


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

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164322
07/13/17 07:05 AM
07/13/17 07:05 AM
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,561
Tuscaloosa Co.
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N2TRKYS Offline
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Originally Posted By: Remington270
Maybe I should just get an 870 in 20 ga..... confused


I actually prefer my 12.


83% of all statistics are made up.

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164334
07/13/17 07:17 AM
07/13/17 07:17 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 5,062
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blade Offline
12 point
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12 point
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Posts: 5,062
I like a barrel 21-22". I'm sure there may be a velocity loss, but so far the turkeys seem dead enough, haha.

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: crenshawco] #2164353
07/13/17 07:41 AM
07/13/17 07:41 AM
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Jackson County
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BrentM Offline
Mr. Turkey
BrentM  Offline
Mr. Turkey
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Jackson County

Originally Posted By: crenshawco
Originally Posted By: Remington270

Maybe I should just get an 870 in 20 ga..... confused


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


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

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2164366
07/13/17 08:02 AM
07/13/17 08:02 AM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,044
NC
hawglips Offline
6 point
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NC
Never had any trouble with a 28" barrel, and I prefer them 26-28" in all gauges.

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: BrentM] #2164393
07/13/17 08:44 AM
07/13/17 08:44 AM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 21,751
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Remington270 Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: BrentM

Originally Posted By: crenshawco
Originally Posted By: Remington270

Maybe I should just get an 870 in 20 ga..... confused


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


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


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

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: blade] #2164690
07/13/17 02:40 PM
07/13/17 02:40 PM
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Posts: 6,601
Hoover (poor section)
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Johnal3 Offline
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Hoover (poor section)
Originally Posted By: blade
I like a barrel 21-22". I'm sure there may be a velocity loss, but so far the turkeys seem dead enough, haha.

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...


Originally Posted by BPS
This is Aldeer! The place people come to vent their frustrations and completely change their stance a few minutes later... grin
Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Johnal3] #2165488
07/14/17 10:06 AM
07/14/17 10:06 AM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,375
Helena
3
3toe Offline
Talking Turkey
3toe  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,375
Helena
Originally Posted By: Johnal3
Originally Posted By: blade
I like a barrel 21-22". I'm sure there may be a velocity loss, but so far the turkeys seem dead enough, haha.

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.

Last edited by 3toe; 07/14/17 10:07 AM.
Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: hawglips] #2165677
07/14/17 01:35 PM
07/14/17 01:35 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,462
Amory,MS
T
Turkey Petter Offline
8 point
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8 point
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Amory,MS
Originally Posted By: hawglips
Never had any trouble with a 28" barrel, and I prefer them 26-28" in all gauges.


^^^^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.

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Remington270] #2166217
07/15/17 05:45 AM
07/15/17 05:45 AM
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Posts: 5,030
central alabama
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JA Offline
pic perv
JA  Offline
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central alabama
I use a 24 inch barrel.

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Turkey Petter] #2166235
07/15/17 06:16 AM
07/15/17 06:16 AM
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 7,816
North Alabama
Hevishot13 Offline
14 point
Hevishot13  Offline
14 point
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 7,816
North Alabama
Originally Posted By: Turkey Petter
Originally Posted By: hawglips
Never had any trouble with a 28" barrel, and I prefer them 26-28" in all gauges.


^^^^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.
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.

Re: Best barrel length for a turkey gun? [Re: Hevishot13] #2166292
07/15/17 07:54 AM
07/15/17 07:54 AM
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Posts: 1,462
Amory,MS
T
Turkey Petter Offline
8 point
Turkey Petter  Offline
8 point
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Amory,MS
Originally Posted By: Hevishot13
Originally Posted By: Turkey Petter
Originally Posted By: hawglips
Never had any trouble with a 28" barrel, and I prefer them 26-28" in all gauges.


^^^^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.
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.

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