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Shot Pattern 20" vs. 18.5" barrel - any difference??

Without a choke system... probably not too much of a repeatable difference. Each barrel is going to shoot different. So my 18.5" and 20" could shoot completely different groups then your 18.5" and 20"... NOW if you put a choke system in, you will still yield difference results but be able to control it a heck of a lot better then without it! :D If you want tight groups and a short barrel, I can get you the information for a guy that threads barrels for chokes. $65 + shipping and I had my 18.5" barrel threaded for chokes... Great work too!

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=5221&p=67025&hilit=barrel+threaded+for+chokes#p67025
 
+1 on what Itsricmo said. The gun will go from being a one trick pony to a very versatile shooter!! 1, 2 or 3 chokes (not everyone needs the whole kit) can be a real game changer.
 
I'd vote for just getting the barrel of choice threaded and then buying the chokes yourself. I got a steal deal on Ebay for a rem-choke Improved Cylinder $4.99.... It was practically brand new. Amazon will periodically have some great sales too on their chokes from various sellers. 18.5" Barrel is like $80 + $65 for the choke tube and you have yourself a VERY versatile weapons platform. Cylinder or Improved Cyl. for HD and across the board up to Turkey XX Full for hunting turkeys, will kill'em just as well as that 28" that Grandpa used ;)
 
I guess the other half of this question is what you'll be using the gun for and whether the shot pattern really matters. Distance shooting you will need to pay attention to the pattern. Home defense you are less likely to need to worry.

Jeff
 
weaselfire said:
Home defense you are less likely to need to worry
Click to expand...

Ugh... how do I tackle this without being too rough... You absolutely DO need to worry about your pattern in HD. I have patterned every barrel I intended to use for HD. Where your pattern may not be as large at "Hallway" distance... you still need to be aware of what you may potentially hit and how wide of a circle you will encompass at what range...

You are held 100% absolutely, undeniably, accountable for each projectile. Some people say you should use 7-1/2 bird shot (please don't ever...).. what is that, like 1200 pellets?? That's a lot of accountability lol... 00 Buck is .30 caliber... the potential for "penetration" is greater with it then 7-1/2 so you must be aware of your spread so you don't shoot over a shoulder, through a wall and possible harm innocents.

There are 1 million and 1/2 reasons to know your pattern no matter the situation.
 
luckybaer said:
http://www.mossbergowners.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=8432

I posted the above in the 590 forum, but wanted to widen the audience to get more responses.

Thanks for your patience.
Click to expand...
Technically it does make a difference, the wad from an 18” will open up 10” sooner than one from a 28" all else being equal

The thing people always miss when mulling over this question is the swing. Barrel length has more to do with the swing of the gun while acquiring targets in wing shooting and clays.

Forcing cone and choke type affect your patterns in a much more noticeable way…….ammo selection is next.


The forcing cone can be different from manufacturer to manufacturer, some are abrupt steps which crush the pellets resulting in a wider pattern, super deformed pellets are usually the cause of the flyers, or pellets that stray real far from the main group........other forcing cones are more of a gradual taper keeping the pellets rounder resulting in a tighter pattern.......and less felt recoil.

I know it’s a little more technical but this is the answer you seek from your original post

I would be willing to bet the Mossbergs have a “nicer” forcing cone than the KSG.
 
Absolutely what Ric said... I think it's infinitely more important to know your spread at 0-15 yards, and in all the loads you'll be firing. I mean even bird shot will make a nice 5" hole at 5 yards. While I don't want to get into a discussion on what loads to use for HD... since there's a whole seperate thread on this... I wouldn't suggest anything less than #4 Buck (<- I often have this loaded).

Common HD Shotgun misconseption:

1. Racking the slide will instantly pullverize your invader.
2. No Aiming required... you'll hit'm alright
3. 2 shots from double barrled shotgun out your window will scare away ANYTHING! :lol:

To answer the OP's question... I've shot many different typs of ammo through both the 20" and 18.5" barrels and can't say there's a noticable difference in spread between the two at HD ranges. I think the extra two shells you can carry in the tube outweigh the marginal difference in shot spread.
 
Itsricmo said:
weaselfire said:
Home defense you are less likely to need to worry
Click to expand...

Ugh... how do I tackle this without being too rough... You absolutely DO need to worry about your pattern in HD.
Click to expand...
First, it's hard to be too rough on me (I'm married, I can take it) and second, that's not how I was referring to this. At HD ranges, under 10 yards, the difference in spread, for the same shot load, between an 18.5" and a 20" barrel isn't going to be significant enough to worry about. The actual spread is a different matter.

Yes, you do need to know how your choice of load will spread. But knowing 9 .32 caliber pellets will spread 14 inches at 10 yards out of a 18.5" barrel and 13.9 inches out of a 20" barrel isn't going to be very useful. The fact that you are moist likely using a bore choke will make more of a difference than the 1.5" of barrel tube.

And I definitely agree with you that a load selected for home defense should be tested, patterned and practiced with. And you need to know that, in a real-life versus range situation, you're going to need to likely double that pattern as a real-life probability of your pattern. In a real-life situation, it's possible to entirely miss a person 10 feet away with 00 buck. Know where the kids are.

Jeff
 
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