[ARSENO]

If you take a 12 gauge with a cylinder choke and a 28" barrel and then take a 12 gauge with a cylinder choke and a 21" barrel, will the pattern be the same at about 20 yards? If no can this be corrected by means of adding more constricted choke tubes to the shorter barrel? Ive been trying to find this answer online but it doesnt say anywheres? Let me know also if you know from experience or not.

 

[ArcheryAddiction]

The shorter barrel will not be able to hold the pattern as well as the longer barrel, If you are looking for a duck hunting gun 28 or 26 inch barrels will act the same to the naked eye anyways, 21 inch is way to short for a waterfowl gun unless sucks are inside 20 yards. And as a duck hunter who hunts ALOT its hard to get them at 20 yards all the time lol

 

[Twinfan]

If you take a 12 gauge with a cylinder choke and a 28" barrel and then take a 12 gauge with a cylinder choke and a 21" barrel, will the pattern be the same at about 20 yards? If no can this be corrected by means of adding more constricted choke tubes to the shorter barrel? Ive been trying to find this answer online but it doesnt say anywheres? Let me know also if you know from experience or not.

I can't claim to know from experience as I have not patterned loads in the described manner. I would suggest there is a theoretical answer and a slightly different practical answer.

In theory there should be no difference in patterns between the two barrel lengths as a result of choke constriction (or the lack thereof). This assumes identical shotguns and barrel manufacturers shooting identical shells. The only difference would be the described barrel lengths.

The problem is that there are many complicated factors that effect shotshell patterning. In your stated example there will probably be slight variations in the muzzle velocity, depending on the specific shotshells and powder charge that is used. A variation in muzzle velocity can produce changes in pattern density when fired through similarly constricted chokes. If your two shotguns are of different brands there will likely be variations in the internal barrel diameters, forcing cone design, and other physical differences which can also slightly effect pattern density.

All that being said, on a practical level it would probably not be a big difference unless you were shooting ammunition that is at the extreme end of performance specs (3.5 inch high velocity BB steel loads, etc). I would suggest that if you were shooting a standard 2 3/4 inch shell with #6 shot at a rabbit that was 10 yards away he would not be in a position to argue with you about pattern density!

Good shooting.

 

[SlickTrick]

My Model 37 has a 32" barrel, and I can helicopter ducks at 60 yards easily.

Me and a buddy had a pissing contest once. He had a BPS, and I had my Ithaca. Hand loads, so they were as close to the same as possible.

We stuck an old canoe paddle in the mud, and paced it back about 20 yards, drew a line in the mud, and he shot first.

He had a great pattern, holes all through it, no duck would survive it.

We picked up the paddle, and reset it.

I shot, and... well we did not need to pick up the paddle, it ceased to exist. Then I was shooting Modified, and he was shooting the same.

 

[ArcheryAddiction]

Bow-man I hate to say it but i must call bs. 60 yard shots on ducks is not easy I dont care who you are, I shoot with some of the best shots in Atlantic canada and I will gurantee you that none of them would say a 60 yard shot is easy. Im betting that if you actually ranged your shots they are more like 40-50 yards. I shoot competivally and am a decent shot im not saying im the best by all means but decent. And i shoot with guys who shoot consitantly 95 out of 100 at a regulation skeet field And alot of the time better then that. The last 2 years at the Atlantic sporting clays challenge withc has 160-180 shooters, some decent and some very amazing shooters. There has been a station with a very difficult shot that is about 35-45 yards and i no for a fact there are more missed then hit. And If you where to ask anyone in the top 50 of the shooters, Not one person would say a 50 yard shot is easy let alone a 60 yard shot.
Ill tell ya what email tim bradley, patrick flannigan or tom knapp and ask them if they can shoot a 60 yard target while moving easy and i bet your answer is NO WAY.Im not saying it cant be done but id be impressed to see it dont 3 out 10

I guess this is why we ALL see ducks flying 2 miles in the air after 10 minutes of the first morning of duck season

 

[Maritime Storm]

It can depend on a number of factors; are we talking about shortening(done properly, not sawing it off) or screw in chokes(ie. factory barrel). Different loads pattern differently through the same gun. A barrel isn't neccesarily perfectly round in it's mid-length, so shortening an existing barrel can cause pattern issues, I got lucky with both guns I had shortened and this wasn't an issue for me, but it can be. Then we have the issue of the difference in spread between the barrel lengths, the shorter it is the earlier the charge starts to spread, it wouldn't be a big difference, but their will be a difference.

 

[SlickTrick]

Bow-man I hate to say it but i must call bs. 60 yard shots on ducks is not easy I dont care who you are, I shoot with some of the best shots in Atlantic canada and I will gurantee you that none of them would say a 60 yard shot is easy. Im betting that if you actually ranged your shots they are more like 40-50 yards. I shoot competivally and am a decent shot im not saying im the best by all means but decent. And i shoot with guys who shoot consitantly 95 out of 100 at a regulation skeet field And alot of the time better then that. The last 2 years at the Atlantic sporting clays challenge withc has 160-180 shooters, some decent and some very amazing shooters. There has been a station with a very difficult shot that is about 35-45 yards and i no for a fact there are more missed then hit. And If you where to ask anyone in the top 50 of the shooters, Not one person would say a 50 yard shot is easy let alone a 60 yard shot.
Ill tell ya what email tim bradley, patrick flannigan or tom knapp and ask them if they can shoot a 60 yard target while moving easy and i bet your answer is NO WAY.Im not saying it cant be done but id be impressed to see it dont 3 out 10

I guess this is why we ALL see ducks flying 2 miles in the air after 10 minutes of the first morning of duck season

Sorry, I did not mean that it was an easy shot, it's certainly not. I meant the ones that I hit, don't need a second shot, hence helicoptered.

 

[ARSENO]

It can depend on a number of factors; are we talking about shortening(done properly, not sawing it off) or screw in chokes(ie. factory barrel). Different loads pattern differently through the same gun. A barrel isn't neccesarily perfectly round in it's mid-length, so shortening an existing barrel can pattern issues, I got lucky with both guns I had shortened and this wasn't an issue for me, but it can be. Then we have the issue of the difference in spread between the barrel lengths, the shorter it is the earlier the charge starts to spread, it wouldn't be a big difference, but their will be a difference.

I mean 2 completetly different shotguns, one with a 21" barrel (IC choke) and one with a 28" barrel (True cylinder). At abut 25 yards if there will be a noticable difference.

 

[ArcheryAddiction]

yes there is a difference shorter barrel wont hold the pattern as long out to 35 yards is where you will start to see a big difference

Bow man The ones you hit. May be dead, but i will garentee that the ones you MISS are also dead but they die out of site. Alot of people dont relize taking shots like that is not only called sky bustin but it is also very unresponsible. One or two pellets will not helicopter a bird but it will kill them, either by ganggreen or bleeding out a few minutes after the shot. Ask any true waterfowler or tell any true waterfowler that you are taking those shots and you will make there blood boil. Its very frustrating for people to watch other people sky bust and ruin the marsh for a week or two. But hey they dont care cuz there only out for one or two days anyways. Im not trying to burn you or anything im just trying to make a point,

 

[SlickTrick]

nbduckhunter - Believe me, I know full well what my shotgun can and will do, I have been using it for 26 years, and been an avid duck hunter for 23 of them.

I don't usually take a shot out that far because your right, it is a silly shot. When I do take a shot like that, it is going straight away from me, or near to it.

I do understand your point however

 

[Maritime Storm]

ARSENO; In reality short of pattern testing both guns, you won't have a definitive answer to that. Two different shotguns using the same load and choke will pattern differently, two different shotguns with different chokes and barrel will also pattern differently. What's marked on a choke means BFA in regards to what it actually does on a pattern board. My Marlin 55(barrel shortned to 25.75") actually patterns little better than I/C with my pet 1Oz reload, my H&R Pardner is marked Modified and patterns close enough to it with that load to agree with them on it, however with a Federal Field & Game in the chamber it throws closer to Imp. Mod.. Different loads, different guns, different patterns. Best thing to do is pattern test both guns to see what they are capable of with the load you intend to use in them, then make your decision.