Hi,

I'm thinking of getting a BERRETTA TX STORM primarily for following up wounded leopard and perhaps other game.
Would this 18,5" barrel with multi choke work for the occasional bit of bird hunting?
Or is the a big difference in patterning between 18.5" and say 24" barrel all things being equal?
Many thanks
Leon

pattern is controlled by the relationship of bore diameter to the constriction with that particular load. barrel length has an effect on velocity and balance.

Unlike rifle powders, shotgun powders are much faster burning. Most of the velocity is generated in the first 16-18 inches. There will be some loss, but not as much as you might expect. Opinions vary.

A shorter barrel will open up the pattern a little bit, so it might be prudent to do a couple of test patterns.

I wouldn't recommend 18.5" for turkey hunting, but should be acceptable for close to moderate range bird hunting.

quote:

A shorter barrel will open up the pattern a little bit, so it might be prudent to do a couple of test patterns.

Do you have any source for this or is it just something you're guessing?

I use a 870 for coyotes, it came with 28" and 18.5" barrels with screw in chokes. With 4 buck and using the same full choke tube it patterns a little better with the short barrel.

Mark

I have hunted with short shotguns they don't swing as nice as longer barrel ones. I like 24 to 26 inch barrels.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
I have hunted with short shotguns they don't swing as nice as longer barrel ones. I like 24 to 26 inch barrels.

I agree. Depends entirely on your personal preference, but if it does not swing well for birds, it will not swing well for leopards.
Not considering thick brush or other requirements for a short-barrel, mind you.

The short barrel will kill a leopard, it will kill a bird, and it will kill just about anything in between. In the case of a leopard you're mostly worried about getting it pointed in the right direction quickly, which the short barrel helps with. The short barrel will exhibit two disadvantages for bird hunting in that it will swing abruptly and it will be LOUD. Though not ideal, it will certainly do the job but just not as pleasingly as would a gun with a longer barrel.

Thank you all for your comments.
Its a quandary. 18'5" barrel would be great for kicking around in really thick brush and long grass but however useless as a general shotgun.
What is available here is a 1301 comp (for three gun) 21" or 24" I'm not sure. I'll go with this in the meantime I will try order the 18.5" tactical barrel.
The advantage for me is a shotgun can be wielded one handed if necessary (crawling or hovering through thick brush), light recoil, lighter and easier to bring into battery than s/s 577!
Thanks again.

Hello. Churchill made not only his famous XXV, or 25" barrel shot gun, but he also made a few 22" barreled shot guns for use in brush. Now any pump of self-loading action adds 4" to the distance that the muzzle is from your left ear compared to the same length barrels in a conventional SBS or OU shot gun.

So, as I see it, the first question is what is the minimum barrel length that will be legal for a shot gun in the jurisdiction in which you are shooting. The second question is an issue of muzzle blast. If it isn't objectionable then that wouldn't be an issue.

HOWEVER YOU WILL GO DEAF QUICKER IN THE LONG TERM. THE GENERATION ON ENGLISH GAME SHOOTERS THAT SHOT 25" AND 26" BARREL GUNS WERE NOTORIOUSLY DEAF IN LATER YEARS. YOUR 18.50" BERETTA WILL BE THAT EQUIVALENT EFFECT OF HOW FAR THE MUZZLE IS FROM YOUR LEFT EAR. I'D GO 24" WHICH WILL BE EQUIVALENT TO A 28" SBS OR OU.

So I think that it would be unpleasant IMHO and that a 24" barrel would be better...and give better handling on birds. Churchill promoted his XXV as being quicker on the bird. But the critics also said that it was quicker off the bird.

As others say pattern isn't a matter or barrel length in that an 18.50" barrel will pattern the same as a 24" barrel.It's only when you get significantly under 18.50" that barrel length is significant in pattern diameter and pattern spread.

A significantly shorter barrel than 18.50" will, IMHO, give blown patterns if using a fibre wad. A plastic wad probably won't suffer that blown pattern as does a fibre wad.

If you need to go into the thick stuff after a leopard you wounded I certainly wouldn't try to shoot it with one hand as it will be very difficut to control that is you probably won't hit anything you aim at + the recoil from a magnum would put a real hurting on your wrist -- the other reason I don't like shotguns with very short barrels is it's much to easy to swing it through a large arc and wind up pointing at someone else in your party.

And I doubt any responsible PH allow a client to poke around the bushes in front of him.