I have always bought 28" and more than happy with it, especially my 28" Cynergy. I have tried 30 and 32" I never left the shop with anything but 28". I shoot clay and game and it works for both.
great insight here, I am 6' - 5" and 300+ lbs, and my personal barrels of choice are 34" with extended tubes, and that is for game or clay targets, For clay targets I do add a stock weight and barrel weight to bring the balance into consideration, but for pheasnant shooting behind my pointer it's not an issue.
I went with a 26" SxS game gun for hunting over my dog. I'm purely a instinct shooter, no style or method, works for me well even with Sporting clays as long as I don't think.
Great video Dave & I agree with your thoughts barrel length. Back in the day, I use to use a 28" Miroku ORE for both small local 50 bird Sunday morning shoots & pigeon shooting with my Dad, decoying, roosting & walking up hedgdelines. Now my son is clay shooting he bought a 30" Browning 525 Sporter which I found too high in the comb so I settled on a 30" Miroku MK 70 Sporter, lower in the comb, as you have said on several previous videos & it fits me perfectly. I found I swung the ORE too much at times while the MK 70 seems perfectly balanced & stable for clays. Thanks for advice Dave, keep the videos coming.
I love my SKB 90TSS sporting. Great feel and great balance point. I use it for skeet, trap, sporting clays, and hunting. Though it does tend to be a little on the heavy side for hunting all day. But shoots great and very balanced.
I like the 30"barrels in my MK 60 grade 5- i find a nice good all rounder for me -on driven pheasants, pigeon decoying & clays too! Lovely- alot of gun for the money!!
Hi David, I asked earlier about this very matter and you were kind enough to guide me here. I prefer 30” as an overall length for my range and field use. Thanks for this great informative video.
Never had a 32” but have had a 28” high rib 12 ga that I shot well for the 3 1/2 years I owned it. I’ve also had 20, 28, and 410 browning lightnings for a short time. Kind of trying them out.I’ve owned 2 30” 20 guages and loved them both. Still haven’t forgiven myself for selling the 425, 30” 20 ga that I had, it was the best ever. Can’t find them now hardly. Currently shooting a 20 guage CXS with 28” barrels and will probably shoot it for a long time to come. Shoulder issues now dictate what I’m comfortable with and this does the job nicely. I hold my own with most shooters in my skill level with the 20 and see no reason to go back to 12 guage. I also shoot for pleasure and don’t seriously compete. I enjoy your channel and the info that you give helping me shorten my learning curve.
David, that was some impressive shooting! Here in America I like 32 inch barrels for waterfowl, 28 inch barrels for most other shooting, but I love 26 inch barrels for quail and woodcock. I prefer 12 gauge side by side shotguns, although the smaller gauges are fine for small birds.
I'm 6'1" 200 lbs and I find my 32" Browning Cynergy cx very comfortable. I use it for exclusively for trap shooting though. David, you didn't tell us how big of a fella you are? Greeting from the other side of the pond, love your videos!
28 inch is my preference since I hit the fields a lot. Carrying a heavy gun all day gets old. If I’m in a duck blind I bring out my semi which has 30 inch barrels but is heavy. Much needed for bringing down snow and canadians. But upland hunting - smaller barrels for me.
I'm 6ft 4 and 17stone have used 28 and 30inch barrels because I rough shoot and shoot a 100 clays a month I found that a fairly heavy 30inch mk60 miruku was the perfect gun for me not to flickey for clays and just light enough to carry round on a rough shooting day
I agree with your summary, I live in the US so game shooting here is walk up hunting. For hunting I use 28”, 30” for sporting and 32” for trap. In skeet I tend to do better with 28”. Thanks for all the great information. I enjoy your channel.
Me...6'7". 15.75" LOP. 28" fixed Modified choke for EVERYTHING!.....Trap doubles, Skeet, Pheasants, Ducks, Geese. Full for Turkeys or 27 yard line Trap. Life on Planet Earth is not that complicated!
For sporting clays I would prefer 30 inch gun. As for skeet shooting I would go for 28" one. 28 inch also very good for game hunting, it is very mobile
My 32" Beretta 694 out of the box balanced right on the hinge pin. I have shot trap and skeet, and am looking forward to sporting clays when the snow melts. You do have to drive the gun, but the swing is smooth. I do like shooting clays with the 694, but prefer my 28" Ruger Red Label 12 gauge for game.
My GMK 694 31" with titanium ported chokes had to take out 60g of weights from it to get the balance perfect. Balance is key regardless of barrel length, my 30 inch SV10 needed 2oz in the stock to balance it out.
I actually prefer a barrel heavy gun for sporting clays. (I shoot a mk38 sporter 32") Having said that I love lightweight guns and get a lot more enjoyment out of them despite being less consistent compared to the steady *poorly balanced* 32" 8lb miroku
Hi David . A good review ,I am 5' 9" stocky I always shoot a 32" I think they are nice and steady its a MK38 g5 trap with Teague thin wall chokes in it and its well balanced ,then again I like 28" as they are fast .You can also use 24g 8s in them to reduce recoil and they are very good to. Thanks .Roger.
David thanks for the video. I'm lucky in that I've got examples of shotguns in each of the 3 barrel lengths as well as a few others. I have a few random thoughts in no particular order so take this all for what it's worth. Barrel weight as well as length can have a drastic effect on the handling of a shotgun. Some examples of heavy barrel sets that come to mind are Browning and Beretta multi choke models from the mid 90's through the 2010's. The brand didn't really matter as much as how the particular models were configured. Many of these were too much of a good thing in a 32 inch length. I had a Citori Lightning Sporting Clays model and a 425 from the same era in 30 inch. Of the 2 the barrels on the 425 were substantially lighter I believe due to Browning learning a bit from the likes of Andy Duffy as well as other Browning sponsored shooters. One of the sweetest handling guns I ever used was a European import 325 in 32 inch. This gun was a standard .729 bore not a back bore model. The owner had it bored out to .735 which took a good amount of weight out of the front of what was already a decent handling gun. 20 years on and this memory for what a good handling clays gun stick with me which is a good touch stone. Modern Browning, Beretta, Caesar Guerini, Rizzini, etc guns have all learned good lessons when it comes to barrel weight and balance. Beretta has the 694 and Browning has the 725. When I was looking for a new gun I was able to borrow friends guns. These were 686, 694, 425,525, Ultra XS, 725, MX-8, Summit Sporting, as well as a few others. FOR ME the gun that ticked the boxes was a 31 inch barrel 725. It fit well and had handling just a bit behind a good friends MX-8's. I shot 30, 31, and 32 inch in the 725 as one of the dealers a few hours from me is a large enough Browning dealer where he was able to spec the non standard barrel length. I found that none of the Berettas "spoke" to me. They're really fantastic guns but they just didn't work in fit and dynamics. The 2 Summits I shot were 32 inch guns. One was VERY barrel heavy and slow where the other handled very nicely. I didn't care for the grip shape and palm swell on either one. The XS was 30 inch and felt okay but not very lively. I hit well with it and could be somewhat lazy. The 425 was 30 inch and felt like a throwback to my earlier guns. I shot it okay but not as well as the XS. The 525 was a 32 inch gun and although it should've been heavy up front seemed to get things right with how the whole package came together. It's heavier than my 725 but has more felt recoil. I hit very well with it and if I didn't have the 725 I could see looking for a used 525 for clay target work. The MX-8's have 30 inch barrels and were/are the easiest 2 target guns I've EVER used on a course. The thing with both of these guns is that the person that owns them and I shoot very similar stock dimensions so it's not a fair comparison. My previous main clays gun is a 1964 Superposed Lightning Trap 30 inch barrel gun with the stock modified to fit and the chokes opened to be appropriate for across the course work. This is a gun that I have to work with in order to hit targets well. I haven't given up on it but this particular gun I struggle with. In closing there are 2 other guns that I use of the sxs variety for clay target work. I have 28 and 32 inch barrel Winchester model 21's. Both guns have nicely struck fixed choke barrels. The 32 inch gun balances at the front of the hinge pin and the 28 inch gun about 1/2 inch behind. The added barrel length as well as the overall balance of the 32 inch gun means that it just flows to the target. I'm as good with it as I am with my 725. The 28 inch gun for me is a learning curve and just too easy to to stop or be jerky with. Your advice to find a GOOD shooting school is very sound and if we on my side of the pond had those ready options I believe that it would help to set shooters off on a good path. Thanks again!
I really enjoyed reading your reply. The MX8, were they sporting of trap models ?? I’m is my TM1 and MX2000 and just ordered a 32” 725 sporting in 12 with adjustable comb supposed to be here in a few weeks so we’ll see
I always shoot sporters because I like the gun to be a bit heavy and with a wide ventilated rib. Sometimes I use 28 inch if I am going to do a lot of walking. Otherwise I use a 30 lnch
I have a Browning in 28, 30,and 32. sometimes I just don't feel like shooting the 32 because it is so much work and the 28 is so much lighter and faster. (30 and 32 have been rebalanced with added weight)
Depends on what you are using it for... some disciplines require 29.5 to 30.5" barrels depending on the rules of the governing body ... ISSF MAXIMUM LENGTH OF BARREL IS 30.5"
I am 5' 9 I weigh a 130 pounds I shoot a Caesar gurini ascent 30" I can add a little weight to the front barrel barrel or a little weight to the rear a slight weight change makes any adjustment needed on the 30 inch length and that is a good sight plane for me everybody's different pick what works for you
Not at all to do with this as I see what David is saying, you just have to shoot a gun that you are comfortable shooting with. When I was in the armed forces there was no 'gun fit' as such, just an adjustment maybe on the fore sight if anything. Get comfortable with your gun if it fits, great! If it doesn't learn to live with it. All can be done with repetitive actions. Remember your first car you hated? Eventually you got used to it as I did!!! I bought an old Spanish SxS 1967 thing you would use to hammer fence posts in. Does it fit me? NO. DO I love it? Bloody yes! Took a few shoots but I enjoy it and am glad I got it. It's a 30" slammer and it looks like a 1/4 & 1/2. Don't get too chewed up about shooting as I did at the start. Relax and enjoy! My experience was that I was a rifle person so the both disciplines did not match, so in saying this if you are not a target shooter is take the advice from David and enjoy! All the best peeps!!! Clive
I am 5’7”, i like the 32” for sporting clays. Started with 525 Browning CXT 32”. Have a F16 32”, to which i added barrel weights to arrest the “swinginess”, works for me. In short you need to practice to gain the muscle memory for how your gun swings and changes direction. I understand others prefer different setups, which works for them. As you say try it and decide what suites you!
Hello, how are you? I just started shooting trap and I'm having fun. I've been out 4 times so far. On my first day of 50 I used my new CZ SxS sharptail target. Then I used a friend's O/U Browning 725 sporting and shot much better. Another club member offered his browning trap model for a go and I hit 3 birds more than before. Had a lesson during the week with friend that went well. best day thus far with a 21/25 using an O/U by Winchester. The CZ was getting really warm during a round of 25 so I picked up a new browning 725 sporting w/ adj. comb 32 inch barrels and I love it. I've used it twice so far, looking forward to more trap days. No issues with weight of the gun or pushing it hard for a hard right flyer. I'm working on my technique of the follow through There you go, hope you've enjoyed my story. I started watching your channel on my first day of trap. Oxford has a nice facility. What's the status on the lead/steel shot? Let me know. Thanks and have fun out there
Good video. Can you do one on high Rib Monte Carlo vs standard. Is that a fad? I’ve settled on 32” extended chokes feels about right at 5’-11. Maybe add a bit of weight in the back if too barrel heavy but I tend to over muscle lighter guns. Plus the heavier one means less recoil and better recovery for the second shot.
I'm on the thinner side and prefer a 28" over/under. My wife shoots an even smaller gun, a 20-gauge youth model semi-auto with a 24" barrel. If I'm being honest I can break just as many clays with her gun as I can mine. Barrel length, gun fitment, I think 95% of it is just personal preference.
I have O/U's with 28, 30, and 32. Stand about 5'10'. Shoot an average of 6 rounds skeet a week. The day I committed to the 32", was the best decision ever made. It took about 20 rounds to get used too, but after that, just like shooting any other, but with a superior sight picture. I never see anyone getting anything longer than 30", because of fear! Do yourself a favor, shoot an auto with 28's, this would be about equal to an O/U with 32's. If you like the auto, then you should like the O/U.
I recently bought a DT11 28' .... fits perfectly (i am 6'1 245lbs) and for me it feels easier especially on long training sessions.... if that makes sense.
I have found that a 30 inch barrel suits me fine for an over under. But on semi automatic shotties i like a 26-28 inch barrel. The barrel on a semi sticks out farther than an over under due to longer receiver. Years ago i used to shoot 3 gun with a 24 inch shotty and when i messed up my knee I switched over to sporting clays. I used my 24 inch mossberg 940 and dang near had perfect sets in 5 stand. I would shoot 23-24 out of 25. When I switched to sporting clays everyone said 24 is too short although I usually smoked them on the course. I switched to a 28 inch 940 field and dont really notice much of a difference other than i can hit that 65 yard straight up clay i couldnt hit with a 24 inch barrel.
I have a 30" barrel sporting o/u right now but the thing that gets me is that 40 years ago when I was shooting skeet in the UK everyone including me was using a 26" o/u and 100 straight was not uncommon (English skeet). Now you can't even buy one here in Canada? 28" is the shortest I've seen in competition. Id like your thoughts on this?
I'm 6' 2" and well built. The best I ever shot out of the box is 30" or 32". The 28" I have now is too whippy despite being a lovely gun. I feel like I need to get back to the longer barrels. I know my technique is not ideal but I feel where my skill is out the longer barrels and weight forward dampen the problems (getting ahead of myself and snap shooting).
I use a Miroku MK70 with 26" barrels and extended chokes. It fits me and my style of shooting just fine. I belive balance is more important then barrrel length.
I went with a 30" and I think I def made the right choice, my wife went with a 30" as well but she now feels probably she should of gone with a 28"...it does depend upon your size and weight.. like everyone says, it's best to go to a shooting range/school with a gun shop attached and try them out before buying...
Nice video David Still need to get a gun. I would personally pick the 30 inch barrel. I still need to pop up and see the ground Need to use that voucher you sent to me as well!
I really don't see 28in barrels at all these days, the most popular length of barrel I see is 32in, everyone seems to use them especially the good competition shots !!
it depends on the gun, i have been shooting a weatherby orion sporting with a 30" barrel and bought a beretta silver pigeion 686 sporting with a 32" barrel and i find the beretta lighter and faster to swing
I’m waiting for my firearms license and watching your videos to help me decide what type of over under shotgun to buy. I’m thinking a 28” barrel. I’m not a tall guy and I also wanna shoot game and clay. So thinking a field gun or sporter but it’s hard to decide
My father shot 27 inch SXS and rarely missed any game including some really high birds - like Clint Eastwood. Be comfortable with and confident in your gun and it will work
The thing i was looking for what is the benefit to use longer barrel ? only balance no help for long shot or currency ? than a shorter barrel is much comfortable for sure isnt it ?
I am 180cm and about 100kg. And have a Sabatti Adler with 30"barrels and internal chokes. And I find that the gun balances well with my motion. Both on the trapfield and Highland ptarmigan hunting. So that fits your explanation quite well I would say. Enjoy the content, useful and enjoyable. 😄
If the shotgun I/you are looking at has internal chokes would you go for the longer 32 inch barrel? How would that compare weight/balance wise to a 30 inch with external chokes?
It all depends on barrel weights for me and how they swing beretta and browning are completely different Ceasar Guerini do an Mspec Invictus which is nice in a 32 also offered in a 34 it all depends on a persons strength in my opinion some guns are just too heavy for me I’m tall but I’m not the strongest of people some heavy 32inch guns are hard work to shoot and too sluggish.
So ya'll think your shotguns are balanced? Hold you hand under the pin? Well, when was the last time you shot at a clay target with no cartridges in the gun?
I've been lucky that at my local club we have several shooters that use 20 and 28 gauge guns in both 30 and 32 inch lengths. I've found that for me where the guns are balanced becomes more important with the smaller guns due to the generally lighter weight. a well setup sub gauge gun with either barrel length will be very fun but the setup really is very important. Unless hunting I don't know if I would go for a 28 inch barrel gun unless it was for a small person/child. I have a couple Rizzini o/u's with 28 inch barrels and they're just a bit too easy to stop or not be smooth with.
This is a subject that gets me mad Everytime, these new high dollar shotguns with 28" barrels and these screw in chokes aren't good for 50 yards of that,I'm a FFL dealer and gunsmith here in Florida, use shotguns for Deer and hogs,I have 9 old Mossberg pump guns and 5 Remington shotguns with barrels ranging from 30" to 36" all with fixed full chokes,My best one is a coast to coast master mag pump gun 12 ga 30" VR fixed full choke barrel with a 3" #4 buck load 41 pellets in it at 110 yards it will consistently put 35 to 38 pellets in a 12" circle with the remainder of the load just outside of the 12" all 15 from 000 9 from 00 and if I use BUBBA ROUNDTREE OUTDOORS load data for my reloads I can add another 40 yards to the factory distance the entire length of a Benelli, browning or Remington 28" Barrel is cylinder bore then the last 2" is screw in choke, the load doesn't have time to settle and balance out so you get poor patterns at even 40 yards you mic the inside of my 30" Barrel with fixed choke the barrel is full from chamber to end the load has Time to settle and balance out I had a pro shotgun shooter rent my range the day before Christmas I had my shotgun targets set at 100 he bet me a Taurus raging hunter 454 revolver that I didn't have a shotgun that could put 95% of a round in a 12" target at 100 yards I brought out my 1979 coast to coast master mag that my dad bought new for $89 and won a nice pistol, short barrel's are no bueno ask any woman 🤣🤫 longer is better but only with fixed chokes screw in chokes are the devil bobby
Gun Balance is a function of price- my Krieghoff 12 ga. / 20 ga. combo is perfectly balanced on the hinge no matter which 32" barrel is mounted,,,,, My Caesar Guerini Sporting Ascent with 30" barrel is forward of the hinge as is my Winchester 101 12 ga., 28" (2012 model) and Winchester 20 ga. 25" Ultra Lite (1975 model)... Shooting Sporting Clay's- 32" is the only way to go in my opinion- save up your coin for the Krieghoff and one day when it's in your hands on stand you will understand the price level - no comparison... Note: you killed all six birds with the 32"- slowed you down to meet the bird in the kill zone- just saying, point made...
What are you talking about? What ia an inch? My barrel is 71 centimeter. Is this program only for americans? The rest of the world uses metric, even you british, so WHY??
A walk around on a Pigeon field.......... sorry but your talking s#$t, at least talk some sense. As for barrel length, I'm 5'10" tall, swapped a 28" with extended chokes for a 32" internal chokes, if anything I'm too far upfront, clipping the leading edge off clays, not many wounded pigeons or pheasants though.
I have always bought 28" and more than happy with it, especially my 28" Cynergy. I have tried 30 and 32" I never left the shop with anything but 28". I shoot clay and game and it works for both.
😊😊😊
great insight here, I am 6' - 5" and 300+ lbs, and my personal barrels of choice are 34" with extended tubes, and that is for game or clay targets, For clay targets I do add a stock weight and barrel weight to bring the balance into consideration, but for pheasnant shooting behind my pointer it's not an issue.
I went with a 26" SxS game gun for hunting over my dog. I'm purely a instinct shooter, no style or method, works for me well even with Sporting clays as long as I don't think.
I have a 30” double full Superposed 3” magnum. Love it for upland, trap. Swings beautifully.
Great video Dave & I agree with your thoughts barrel length. Back in the day, I use to use a 28" Miroku ORE for both small local 50 bird Sunday morning shoots & pigeon shooting with my Dad, decoying, roosting & walking up hedgdelines. Now my son is clay shooting he bought a 30" Browning 525 Sporter which I found too high in the comb so I settled on a 30" Miroku MK 70 Sporter, lower in the comb, as you have said on several previous videos & it fits me perfectly. I found I swung the ORE too much at times while the MK 70 seems perfectly balanced & stable for clays. Thanks for advice Dave, keep the videos coming.
I love my SKB 90TSS sporting. Great feel and great balance point. I use it for skeet, trap, sporting clays, and hunting. Though it does tend to be a little on the heavy side for hunting all day. But shoots great and very balanced.
Thank you David for your thorough explanation !
I like the 30"barrels in my MK 60 grade 5- i find a nice good all rounder for me -on driven pheasants, pigeon decoying & clays too!
Lovely- alot of gun for the money!!
Hi David, I asked earlier about this very matter and you were kind enough to guide me here.
I prefer 30” as an overall length for my range and field use. Thanks for this great informative video.
Never had a 32” but have had a 28” high rib 12 ga that I shot well for the 3 1/2 years I owned it. I’ve also had 20, 28, and 410 browning lightnings for a short time. Kind of trying them out.I’ve owned 2 30” 20 guages and loved them both. Still haven’t forgiven myself for selling the 425, 30” 20 ga that I had, it was the best ever. Can’t find them now hardly. Currently shooting a 20 guage CXS with 28” barrels and will probably shoot it for a long time to come. Shoulder issues now dictate what I’m comfortable with and this does the job nicely. I hold my own with most shooters in my skill level with the 20 and see no reason to go back to 12 guage. I also shoot for pleasure and don’t seriously compete. I enjoy your channel and the info that you give helping me shorten my learning curve.
Thank you David.
David, that was some impressive shooting! Here in America I like 32 inch barrels for waterfowl, 28 inch barrels for most other shooting, but I love 26 inch barrels for quail and woodcock. I prefer 12 gauge side by side shotguns, although the smaller gauges are fine for small birds.
I'm 6'1" 200 lbs and I find my 32" Browning Cynergy cx very comfortable. I use it for exclusively for trap shooting though. David, you didn't tell us how big of a fella you are? Greeting from the other side of the pond, love your videos!
For hunting upland game and all the way to hunting Canadian honkers and I still use my trusty 26” barrels. ❤️❤️❤️ them!
I shot trap for a number of years, in competition, always a 34 inch barrel. I was rated as a AA class
28 inch is my preference since I hit the fields a lot. Carrying a heavy gun all day gets old. If I’m in a duck blind I bring out my semi which has 30 inch barrels but is heavy. Much needed for bringing down snow and canadians. But upland hunting - smaller barrels for me.
Iam 6 foot 220 and I like a 26 it just works for me I have a 30 but it stays in the cabinet since I got the 26
I'm 6ft 4 and 17stone have used 28 and 30inch barrels because I rough shoot and shoot a 100 clays a month I found that a fairly heavy 30inch mk60 miruku was the perfect gun for me not to flickey for clays and just light enough to carry round on a rough shooting day
I agree with your summary, I live in the US so game shooting here is walk up hunting. For hunting I use 28”, 30” for sporting and 32” for trap. In skeet I tend to do better with 28”. Thanks for all the great information. I enjoy your channel.
Me...6'7".
15.75" LOP.
28" fixed Modified choke for EVERYTHING!.....Trap doubles, Skeet, Pheasants, Ducks, Geese. Full for Turkeys or 27 yard line Trap.
Life on Planet Earth is not that complicated!
I use a 28" Winchester Select for both rough & clay shooting it works for me
For sporting clays I would prefer 30 inch gun. As for skeet shooting I would go for 28" one.
28 inch also very good for game hunting, it is very mobile
I have a cynergy 28 inch barrel and a 32 cx citori i like them both cynergy swings a little faster but both shoot well
My 32" Beretta 694 out of the box balanced right on the hinge pin. I have shot trap and skeet, and am looking forward to sporting clays when the snow melts. You do have to drive the gun, but the swing is smooth. I do like shooting clays with the 694, but prefer my 28" Ruger Red Label 12 gauge for game.
My GMK 694 31" with titanium ported chokes had to take out 60g of weights from it to get the balance perfect. Balance is key regardless of barrel length, my 30 inch SV10 needed 2oz in the stock to balance it out.
I actually prefer a barrel heavy gun for sporting clays. (I shoot a mk38 sporter 32")
Having said that I love lightweight guns and get a lot more enjoyment out of them despite being less consistent compared to the steady *poorly balanced* 32" 8lb miroku
Cheap Turkish guns generally have heavy barrels, so I find 28” barrels to be most suitable.
Hi David . A good review ,I am 5' 9" stocky I always shoot a 32" I think they are nice and steady its a MK38 g5 trap with Teague thin wall chokes in it and its well balanced ,then again I like 28" as they are fast .You can also use 24g 8s in them to reduce recoil and they are very good to. Thanks .Roger.
Been using 24g no 8 👍 with my mk 38 trap with teague chokes, fantastic results
David thanks for the video. I'm lucky in that I've got examples of shotguns in each of the 3 barrel lengths as well as a few others. I have a few random thoughts in no particular order so take this all for what it's worth.
Barrel weight as well as length can have a drastic effect on the handling of a shotgun. Some examples of heavy barrel sets that come to mind are Browning and Beretta multi choke models from the mid 90's through the 2010's. The brand didn't really matter as much as how the particular models were configured. Many of these were too much of a good thing in a 32 inch length. I had a Citori Lightning Sporting Clays model and a 425 from the same era in 30 inch. Of the 2 the barrels on the 425 were substantially lighter I believe due to Browning learning a bit from the likes of Andy Duffy as well as other Browning sponsored shooters. One of the sweetest handling guns I ever used was a European import 325 in 32 inch. This gun was a standard .729 bore not a back bore model. The owner had it bored out to .735 which took a good amount of weight out of the front of what was already a decent handling gun. 20 years on and this memory for what a good handling clays gun stick with me which is a good touch stone.
Modern Browning, Beretta, Caesar Guerini, Rizzini, etc guns have all learned good lessons when it comes to barrel weight and balance. Beretta has the 694 and Browning has the 725. When I was looking for a new gun I was able to borrow friends guns. These were 686, 694, 425,525, Ultra XS, 725, MX-8, Summit Sporting, as well as a few others. FOR ME the gun that ticked the boxes was a 31 inch barrel 725. It fit well and had handling just a bit behind a good friends MX-8's. I shot 30, 31, and 32 inch in the 725 as one of the dealers a few hours from me is a large enough Browning dealer where he was able to spec the non standard barrel length.
I found that none of the Berettas "spoke" to me. They're really fantastic guns but they just didn't work in fit and dynamics.
The 2 Summits I shot were 32 inch guns. One was VERY barrel heavy and slow where the other handled very nicely. I didn't care for the grip shape and palm swell on either one.
The XS was 30 inch and felt okay but not very lively. I hit well with it and could be somewhat lazy.
The 425 was 30 inch and felt like a throwback to my earlier guns. I shot it okay but not as well as the XS.
The 525 was a 32 inch gun and although it should've been heavy up front seemed to get things right with how the whole package came together. It's heavier than my 725 but has more felt recoil. I hit very well with it and if I didn't have the 725 I could see looking for a used 525 for clay target work.
The MX-8's have 30 inch barrels and were/are the easiest 2 target guns I've EVER used on a course. The thing with both of these guns is that the person that owns them and I shoot very similar stock dimensions so it's not a fair comparison.
My previous main clays gun is a 1964 Superposed Lightning Trap 30 inch barrel gun with the stock modified to fit and the chokes opened to be appropriate for across the course work. This is a gun that I have to work with in order to hit targets well. I haven't given up on it but this particular gun I struggle with.
In closing there are 2 other guns that I use of the sxs variety for clay target work. I have 28 and 32 inch barrel Winchester model 21's. Both guns have nicely struck fixed choke barrels. The 32 inch gun balances at the front of the hinge pin and the 28 inch gun about 1/2 inch behind. The added barrel length as well as the overall balance of the 32 inch gun means that it just flows to the target. I'm as good with it as I am with my 725. The 28 inch gun for me is a learning curve and just too easy to to stop or be jerky with.
Your advice to find a GOOD shooting school is very sound and if we on my side of the pond had those ready options I believe that it would help to set shooters off on a good path. Thanks again!
I really enjoyed reading your reply. The MX8, were they sporting of trap models ?? I’m is my TM1 and MX2000 and just ordered a 32” 725 sporting in 12 with adjustable comb supposed to be here in a few weeks so we’ll see
I'm at 200 lbs, with a lot of Gym time, I really enjoy the pointing prowess of a 32" sporting gun.
I always shoot sporters because I like the gun to be a bit heavy and with a wide ventilated rib. Sometimes I use 28 inch if I am going to do a lot of walking. Otherwise I use a 30 lnch
I have a Browning in 28, 30,and 32. sometimes I just don't feel like shooting the 32 because it is so much work and the 28 is so much lighter and faster. (30 and 32 have been rebalanced with added weight)
For 12 gauge I preferred 28” barrel and my 20 gauge 30” barrel both guns balance well. However my 28 gauge is 28” barrel it’s great little fun gun
Depends on what you are using it for... some disciplines require 29.5 to 30.5" barrels depending on the rules of the governing body ... ISSF MAXIMUM LENGTH OF BARREL IS 30.5"
I am 5' 9 I weigh a 130 pounds I shoot a Caesar gurini ascent 30" I can add a little weight to the front barrel barrel or a little weight to the rear a slight weight change makes any adjustment needed on the 30 inch length and that is a good sight plane for me everybody's different pick what works for you
Not at all to do with this as I see what David is saying, you just have to shoot a gun that you are comfortable shooting with. When I was in the armed forces there was no 'gun fit' as such, just an adjustment maybe on the fore sight if anything. Get comfortable with your gun if it fits, great! If it doesn't learn to live with it. All can be done with repetitive actions. Remember your first car you hated? Eventually you got used to it as I did!!! I bought an old Spanish SxS 1967 thing you would use to hammer fence posts in. Does it fit me? NO. DO I love it? Bloody yes! Took a few shoots but I enjoy it and am glad I got it. It's a 30" slammer and it looks like a 1/4 & 1/2. Don't get too chewed up about shooting as I did at the start. Relax and enjoy! My experience was that I was a rifle person so the both disciplines did not match, so in saying this if you are not a target shooter is take the advice from David and enjoy! All the best peeps!!! Clive
I am 5’7”, i like the 32” for sporting clays. Started with 525 Browning CXT 32”. Have a F16 32”, to which i added barrel weights to arrest the “swinginess”, works for me. In short you need to practice to gain the muscle memory for how your gun swings and changes direction. I understand others prefer different setups, which works for them. As you say try it and decide what suites you!
I'm 5f 7 and shoot a 28 beretta silver pigeon in game gun
Hello, how are you? I just started shooting trap and I'm having fun. I've been out 4 times so far. On my first day of 50 I used my new CZ SxS sharptail target. Then I used a friend's O/U Browning 725 sporting and shot much better. Another club member offered his browning trap model for a go and I hit 3 birds more than before. Had a lesson during the week with friend that went well. best day thus far with a 21/25 using an O/U by Winchester. The CZ was getting really warm during a round of 25 so I picked up a new browning 725 sporting w/ adj. comb 32 inch barrels and I love it. I've used it twice so far, looking forward to more trap days. No issues with weight of the gun or pushing it hard for a hard right flyer. I'm working on my technique of the follow through There you go, hope you've enjoyed my story.
I started watching your channel on my first day of trap. Oxford has a nice facility. What's the status on the lead/steel shot? Let me know.
Thanks and have fun out there
Good video. Can you do one on high Rib Monte Carlo vs standard. Is that a fad?
I’ve settled on 32” extended chokes feels about right at 5’-11. Maybe add a bit of weight in the back if too barrel heavy but I tend to over muscle lighter guns. Plus the heavier one means less recoil and better recovery for the second shot.
I have a balanced 32” , I’m 6’4” tall
I’m new to the sport I find the 30 inch barrels suit me tried a 32 inch found it heavy front end I bought a sporter
I'm on the thinner side and prefer a 28" over/under. My wife shoots an even smaller gun, a 20-gauge youth model semi-auto with a 24" barrel. If I'm being honest I can break just as many clays with her gun as I can mine. Barrel length, gun fitment, I think 95% of it is just personal preference.
I have O/U's with 28, 30, and 32. Stand about 5'10'. Shoot an average of 6 rounds skeet a week. The day I committed to the 32", was the best decision ever made. It took about 20 rounds to get used too, but after that, just like shooting any other, but with a superior sight picture. I never see anyone getting anything longer than 30", because of fear! Do yourself a favor, shoot an auto with 28's, this would be about equal to an O/U with 32's. If you like the auto, then you should like the O/U.
I recently bought a DT11 28' .... fits perfectly (i am 6'1 245lbs) and for me it feels easier especially on long training sessions.... if that makes sense.
I have found that a 30 inch barrel suits me fine for an over under. But on semi automatic shotties i like a 26-28 inch barrel. The barrel on a semi sticks out farther than an over under due to longer receiver.
Years ago i used to shoot 3 gun with a 24 inch shotty and when i messed up my knee I switched over to sporting clays. I used my 24 inch mossberg 940 and dang near had perfect sets in 5 stand. I would shoot 23-24 out of 25.
When I switched to sporting clays everyone said 24 is too short
although I usually smoked them on the course.
I switched to a 28 inch 940 field and dont really notice much of a difference other than i can hit that 65 yard straight up clay i couldnt hit with a 24 inch barrel.
26 .....lol, i like a light gun🤣🤣
Iam with you on the 26 it's not much lighter than my 30 but it's quick on clays ducks crows
Do what works for you shoot the gun you have confidence in a confident shooter breaks clays
i’m considering switching to a 26. i do a lot more hiking than shooting chasing chukar. and i’m 6’4” 240lbs. but the right gun for the right job.
I have a 30" barrel sporting o/u right now but the thing that gets me is that 40 years ago when I was shooting skeet in the UK everyone including me was using a 26" o/u and 100 straight was not uncommon (English skeet). Now you can't even buy one here in Canada? 28" is the shortest I've seen in competition. Id like your thoughts on this?
I shoot a 32" sporting, but a 26" 16g sxs for grouse and pheasant
Must of my guns are hunting guns so 28” is what I use the must. But have a 30” when shooting trap
I'm 6' 2" and well built. The best I ever shot out of the box is 30" or 32". The 28" I have now is too whippy despite being a lovely gun. I feel like I need to get back to the longer barrels. I know my technique is not ideal but I feel where my skill is out the longer barrels and weight forward dampen the problems (getting ahead of myself and snap shooting).
For me 30 inch more shoke is perfect for all distance
I am normally using a 26' or a 28' depending what and where I am shooting.
I use a Miroku MK70 with 26" barrels and extended chokes. It fits me and my style of shooting just fine. I belive balance is more important then barrrel length.
The only point of longer barrels is a longer sighting plane, different guns balance in different places so use weights to balance it to your likeing 👍
I went with a 30" and I think I def made the right choice, my wife went with a 30" as well but she now feels probably she should of gone with a 28"...it does depend upon your size and weight.. like everyone says, it's best to go to a shooting range/school with a gun shop attached and try them out before buying...
Nice video David Still need to get a gun. I would personally pick the 30 inch barrel. I still need to pop up and see the ground Need to use that voucher you sent to me as well!
Thanks for the nice comment pop and see The Oxford Gun Company they will be happy to help you out. Thanks TSC Team.
Just started shooting clay targets somewhat seriously. Opted for the Yildiz in 20 Guage in 28 inch barrels. Great video.
I really don't see 28in barrels at all these days, the most popular length of barrel I see is 32in, everyone seems to use them especially the good competition shots !!
Yet again david another good video I've learnt so much watching them
No shooting schools around me that cover any more than basic handgun safety. I am 5'8", 180lbs. I am thinking a 30"? Trap mostly. Do you concur?
it depends on the gun, i have been shooting a weatherby orion sporting with a 30" barrel and bought a beretta silver pigeion 686 sporting with a 32" barrel and i find the beretta lighter and faster to swing
30” seems to work well for me being a new shooter into sporting clays and 6 ft in height.
Definitely a 30 , as you can shoot everything in clay & game.
I’m waiting for my firearms license and watching your videos to help me decide what type of over under shotgun to buy. I’m thinking a 28” barrel. I’m not a tall guy and I also wanna shoot game and clay. So thinking a field gun or sporter but it’s hard to decide
Thanks for your nice comment and if you need a hand give 01844 238 308 a call we would be more then happy to help you out.
30 years ago, 28 ruled , perhaps it’s still the best all round gun, as anyone who has been out in the field all day would know. For clays 30 .
My father shot 27 inch SXS and rarely missed any game including some really high birds - like Clint Eastwood. Be comfortable with and confident in your gun and it will work
30" o/u 60/40 rib adj-comb skeet and sporting clays trap for warm up.......
The thing i was looking for what is the benefit to use longer barrel ? only balance no help for long shot or currency ? than a shorter barrel is much comfortable for sure isnt it ?
In few days I will pick up fair racing 30".
I am 180cm and about 100kg. And have a Sabatti Adler with 30"barrels and internal chokes. And I find that the gun balances well with my motion. Both on the trapfield and Highland ptarmigan hunting. So that fits your explanation quite well I would say. Enjoy the content, useful and enjoyable. 😄
I like how your name is literally ‘the animal animal”
What combination of chokes should I start with in my over and under. New to the sport and am shooting skeet with cyc/Icyc.??
32. Biggest number innit
No it ain't bra 34" is
30 inch trap, for dtl. & sporting,
If the shotgun I/you are looking at has internal chokes would you go for the longer 32 inch barrel? How would that compare weight/balance wise to a 30 inch with external chokes?
What do you think of CZ over and under shotguns
It all depends on barrel weights for me and how they swing beretta and browning are completely different Ceasar Guerini do an Mspec Invictus which is nice in a 32 also offered in a 34 it all depends on a persons strength in my opinion some guns are just too heavy for me I’m tall but I’m not the strongest of people some heavy 32inch guns are hard work to shoot and too sluggish.
So ya'll think your shotguns are balanced? Hold you hand under the pin? Well, when was the last time you shot at a clay target with no cartridges in the gun?
34" trap gun
Why always under and over
Side by side are lighter I shoot aya 28 and wild 30” are go to guns aya first pick game and pest shootings
I'm the Bigger type and like the 30 inch. Have never tried the 32 inch. I would like to know how to get one of The TSC hats.
30 inch
28 for al purpose
What about for 20 bore? Is it different or the same?
I've been lucky that at my local club we have several shooters that use 20 and 28 gauge guns in both 30 and 32 inch lengths. I've found that for me where the guns are balanced becomes more important with the smaller guns due to the generally lighter weight. a well setup sub gauge gun with either barrel length will be very fun but the setup really is very important.
Unless hunting I don't know if I would go for a 28 inch barrel gun unless it was for a small person/child. I have a couple Rizzini o/u's with 28 inch barrels and they're just a bit too easy to stop or not be smooth with.
This is a subject that gets me mad Everytime, these new high dollar shotguns with 28" barrels and these screw in chokes aren't good for 50 yards of that,I'm a FFL dealer and gunsmith here in Florida, use shotguns for Deer and hogs,I have 9 old Mossberg pump guns and 5 Remington shotguns with barrels ranging from 30" to 36" all with fixed full chokes,My best one is a coast to coast master mag pump gun 12 ga 30" VR fixed full choke barrel with a 3" #4 buck load 41 pellets in it at 110 yards it will consistently put 35 to 38 pellets in a 12" circle with the remainder of the load just outside of the 12" all 15 from 000 9 from 00 and if I use BUBBA ROUNDTREE OUTDOORS load data for my reloads I can add another 40 yards to the factory distance the entire length of a Benelli, browning or Remington 28" Barrel is cylinder bore then the last 2" is screw in choke, the load doesn't have time to settle and balance out so you get poor patterns at even 40 yards you mic the inside of my 30" Barrel with fixed choke the barrel is full from chamber to end the load has Time to settle and balance out I had a pro shotgun shooter rent my range the day before Christmas I had my shotgun targets set at 100 he bet me a Taurus raging hunter 454 revolver that I didn't have a shotgun that could put 95% of a round in a 12" target at 100 yards I brought out my 1979 coast to coast master mag that my dad bought new for $89 and won a nice pistol, short barrel's are no bueno ask any woman 🤣🤫 longer is better but only with fixed chokes screw in chokes are the devil bobby
31 inch Perazzi MT 6 perfect
28"... In 20 gauge, quail & duck
30 inch the best
Gun Balance is a function of price- my Krieghoff 12 ga. / 20 ga. combo is perfectly balanced on the hinge no matter which 32" barrel is mounted,,,,, My Caesar Guerini Sporting Ascent with 30" barrel is forward of the hinge as is my Winchester 101 12 ga., 28" (2012 model) and Winchester 20 ga. 25" Ultra Lite (1975 model)... Shooting Sporting Clay's- 32" is the only way to go in my opinion- save up your coin for the Krieghoff and one day when it's in your hands on stand you will understand the price level - no comparison... Note: you killed all six birds with the 32"- slowed you down to meet the bird in the kill zone- just saying, point made...
What are you talking about?
What ia an inch?
My barrel is 71 centimeter.
Is this program only for americans? The rest of the world uses metric, even you british, so WHY??
A walk around on a Pigeon field.......... sorry but your talking s#$t, at least talk some sense. As for barrel length, I'm 5'10" tall, swapped a 28" with extended chokes for a 32" internal chokes, if anything I'm too far upfront, clipping the leading edge off clays, not many wounded pigeons or pheasants though.
💩 he talks a lot of it that’s for sure 🤣
What about distance?Can I shoot at longer distance with longer barels?
Like 60 yards clays..is it the same with 28' and 32'.
Don't think there is any difference at all. a 32" might be more steady at range but that's about it.
Thank You.
No, both will shoot the same distance. However the 32" will be steadier on longer targets