Over/Under 20 Gauge

[BOBGBA]

If it's your first shotgun, you can probably learn to shoot either 26" or 28".
Most people probably learn on a 28".

This photo shows a 26", the results and the guy who brought them back.

[ysr_racer]

A 26" barrel is too whipy for most people. As far as Beretta o/u vs Browning o/u. If one fits usually the other one won't.

I haven't met too many people that shoot both.

[XVIga_Rob]

Typically, the action on the O/U is shorter than pumps & semi's. So, O/U's with the same barrel length will be shorter. This is good for hunting in tight woods. Anything else, including shooting clays, the 28 & 30 barrels will swing better/smoother. Don't worry about sight plane, it aint a rifle.

[KSH]

I'm not sure where your located, but you can get fitted at a shotgun store, I went to Pacific sporting arms, they were great.

[Horrendo Revolver]

Do not, I repeat DO NOT buy a 26" barrel gun. Buy a 28" or even better a 30" gun. Trust me you'll be happier.

I agree and disagree. Barrel length in shotguns goes through trends just like everything else. At one time 26" was the length of choice for serious skeet shooters. Now it is 30" or longer.

The type of shotgun matters too. A 28" barreled break-action will be close to the same overall length as a 26" barreled pump/semi. A pump and a semi require a much longer receiver.

I know many serious quail hunters who prefer a 24" barrel semi or 26" barrel SxS.

Barrel length truly is personal preference. 28" is by far the most popular shotgun barrel length for hunting but there are a number of people that prefer shotguns with 26" barrels. My shotguns have 26" barrels.

[Bull Elk]

Agree 100%. The short barrel is tough to shoot compared to the 30" and 32".

The dimensions on the 26" barrel seem out of whack. It is stubby.

Stubby? No, not at all. I'm not sure what you mean by "dimensions" being out of whack.

I've been hunting upland game for over 45 years and I would definitely say that a 30" or 32" barrel is like a duck out of water hunting pheasants, quail, dove, etc. You might see one shotgun in the field with a 32" barrel out of 100 hunters. As for 26" or 28", 28" seems to be a happy medium, but I shoot both and honestly, for upland bird hunting there isn't that much of a difference. Upland bird hunting is about minimizing weight as you are carrying that shotgun all day long.

[Thefeeder]

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Some other 20ga Browning O/U's to look for....

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425, 525 or 625 in Lightning, Super Lightning, Super Light, Hunter, Lightning Feather

[JS41989]

I'm not sure where your located, but you can get fitted at a shotgun store, I went to Pacific sporting arms, they were great.

Thanks for this tip. I am located in Claremont, CA so these guys aren't more than 20 minutes from my house.

[BOBGBA]

If it was a 28" you would've had 4 more.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself

Guys have been getting grief over a couple inches since Eve.

The rest flew up and over a steep hill. In this case, it didn't matter. Maybe if I had a semi-auto or Chiappa triple crown, I would have had three.

[KSH]

That is the most amazing shotgun store, totally worth checking out. They are all pros. I walked in as a novice, they spent the time educating me on options etc.

[KSH]

They have a range of pricing, but yeah nothing low end.

[SoCalPI]

Thanks for this tip. I am located in Claremont, CA so these guys aren't more than 20 minutes from my house.

If you're local, call Triple B Clays and see if they have either for rent.

[Ducky's Dad]

As far as Beretta o/u vs Browning o/u. If one fits usually the other one won't.

I haven't met too many people that shoot both.

Just about any adult male within one standard deviation of the mean (around 5'-10" & 165 pounds or so) should be able to shoot either gun well with a bit of practice. If OP is sort of normal size, he should be OK with either gun as a starter. If not, it becomes more of an issue. Most of the guys I hunt with can shoot any gun they pick up fairly well, and we usually use a different gun every day during dove season, just for giggles. Everything from a .410 pump to a 28ga clays gun to an SBE to a 19th century Damascus hammer gun. They all work once you get used to them. Don't overthink the Beretta/Browning question. FWIW to the OP, my favorite 20 ga O/U is a Beretta Black Onyx with 28" barrels, even though I have a Citori in the same configuration, and a 687 SPII 20 with 30" barrels, and a Ruger 20 Sporting with 30" barrels, and ... My strong preference is the Beretta.

[olhunter]

Wellllll....here's my .02-cents.

I have a Beretta Silver Pigeon II and a CZ Redhead Deluxe in 20ga. Both very nice looking guns.

The amount I shoot hunting and practice with the CZ, it will last 3 lifetimes. Maybe 10. And it cost $1500 less. And it don't have to worry so much about scratching or banging it around.

Both fit me nicely and I can shoot them similarly. But the Beretta is just too pretty (and expensive!) for pushing through bushes or slipping and falling on frozen mud or crossing a creek. So it's my range gun that gets treated like a fragile princess. So sue me.

The CZ is my upland hunting gun.

Nothing wrong with a 1100 20ga either. 3 shots!

28" barrels on both, but 26 is fine for hunting. A little less weight too.

[ysr_racer]

Just about any adult male within one standard deviation of the mean (around 5'-10" & 165 pounds or so) should be able to shoot either gun well with a bit of practice. If OP is sort of normal size, he should be OK with either gun as a starter. If not, it becomes more of an issue. Most of the guys I hunt with can shoot any gun they pick up fairly well, and we usually use a different gun every day during dove season, just for giggles. Everything from a .410 pump to a 28ga clays gun to an SBE to a 19th century Damascus hammer gun. They all work once you get used to them. Don't overthink the Beretta/Browning question. FWIW to the OP, my favorite 20 ga O/U is a Beretta Black Onyx with 28" barrels, even though I have a Citori in the same configuration, and a 687 SPII 20 with 30" barrels, and a Ruger 20 Sporting with 30" barrels, and ... My strong preference is the Beretta.

I've only shot 25,000 registered targets with the NSCA, and probably another 50,000 in practice, but there's no way I can shoot a Beretta. They just don't fit me, and when I shoot them, they beat the hell out of me.

Maybe your friends are more versatile than I am.