pa woods roamer
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Is there any benefits to having a long Barreled versus a short, 24 in. Barrel, on a smoothbore ? Birdshot or Roundball, any good or bad to it ??
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Barrel length question...
- Thread starter pa woods roamer
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Guys who do a lot of shooting with them tell me that with no chokes, long barrels toss tighter patterns further out. Evidently that's why you see lots in the serious muzzleloader trap game. By the same token, you don't see long barrel among any skeet shooters, showing the different demands for quick handling and swings.
I've dinked around with muzzleloading shotgun barrel length all my life, mostly doubles. Most of the long stuff were guns belonging to an elderly friend when I was young. For mounting, balance and swing while upland hunting I've settled on 26"-28" for my needs.
Don't have much experience with round balls in smoothies, but lots of folks here on the site have been using them for years and can fill you in.
I've dinked around with muzzleloading shotgun barrel length all my life, mostly doubles. Most of the long stuff were guns belonging to an elderly friend when I was young. For mounting, balance and swing while upland hunting I've settled on 26"-28" for my needs.
Don't have much experience with round balls in smoothies, but lots of folks here on the site have been using them for years and can fill you in.
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A longer barrel has a longer sight radius...which makes sighting and accuracy easier...but length adds weight and decreases handling.
So the challenge is finding a comfortable trade-off that fits you...
So the challenge is finding a comfortable trade-off that fits you...
I shoot mostly PRB in my larger caliber smooth bore guns.
I live on the Great Plains in the prairie, so I don’t have to think about navigating trees and brambles.
Some of my smooth bores don’t have any sights, long barreled guns point better.
Short barreled guns fit in my vehicles, transports better
The guns I shoot shot in are smaller bore and mostly 24 to 28” long
William Alexander
I live on the Great Plains in the prairie, so I don’t have to think about navigating trees and brambles.
Some of my smooth bores don’t have any sights, long barreled guns point better.
Short barreled guns fit in my vehicles, transports better
The guns I shoot shot in are smaller bore and mostly 24 to 28” long
William Alexander
Hisownself
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Period texts claimed the standard smooth bore was three feet eight inches long because longer barrels will produce more velocity for a given charge. One experiment around 1800 even used an eight foot barrel. But the trade off is weight and wieldabity. Then around 1820 texts claimed a decent gun length of 32" to 38"'. My 36" fowler feels and handles better than any of the longer guns I've tried.
Honestly it's probably a matter of personal taste, Get whatever you like after you've shouldered them and feel how they handle.
Honestly it's probably a matter of personal taste, Get whatever you like after you've shouldered them and feel how they handle.
Golfswithwolves
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If two different barrel lengths cost the same, I reckon it is apparent that you get more for your money with the longer barrel. It's just practical economics.
I would think that on black powder guns, a longer barrle will let the pressure down more so you wont have that sudden blast that can blow the shot collum open as bad as it leaves the barrle. But a longer barrel give the shot more chance to rub the barrel and deform more than a short one. Just a guess but i think heavy loads like you would use on water foul may work best in a long barrel and lighter upland game loads would work best in shorter barrels. All of this will make some difference in the powder loads and type of wads and shot cups and is why its important to experiment with your gun to find what works best for you and your gun/loads.I dont think it is as easy as just saying a long barrel is better than a short one.
nwtradegun
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Dixie gun works did a test they stated with a 42 inch barrel. yars ago. chronogrhing velocity as they shortened it one inch at a time. for every inch it post 10 fps. when they hit 24 inches and below it was 100 fps. shorter barrels are more ridage than long ones, so less affected by heat and stock warpage. mine is 72 cal 31 in. long.
There is one old idea that a longer barrel on waterfowl shooting gave the gun some inertia while moving the muzzle of the shouldered fowler through the air, tracking and firing on a goose. This is why on the old, fixed choke, modern shotguns, the "goose guns" had 32" barrels, and the idea is that on the older black powder guns, it not only helped the group, but also helped to prevent the shooter from "stopping" the gun (made "follow thru" inevitable)
No idea if this idea worked as well as believed.
LD
No idea if this idea worked as well as believed.
LD
Even if you don't have a rear sight the length of the barrel helps you align it with the target.
My 16 bore fowler has a 42" swamped barrel and it is a delight to shoot (7 lbs).
My 16 bore fowler has a 42" swamped barrel and it is a delight to shoot (7 lbs).
Wes, as he often is, is correct. To a point.
Too long and the weight isn't worth it and the balance is off (velocity eventually goes down too). Too short the opposite is true, and you lose sight radius, what we (trap) shooters might call "follow through," and you could be wasting unburnt powder. As with everyting, too long and too short are too something. I also agree much may be personal preference in between the ends of the spectrum.
Too long and the weight isn't worth it and the balance is off (velocity eventually goes down too). Too short the opposite is true, and you lose sight radius, what we (trap) shooters might call "follow through," and you could be wasting unburnt powder. As with everyting, too long and too short are too something. I also agree much may be personal preference in between the ends of the spectrum.
