Shorter barrel length and "whippy" swing?

[bigbearbear]

I've read about how a shorter barrel length in a shotgun can make it "whippy", but didn't quite understand it until this morning.

Normally, I shot a Benelli SuperSport 12g with a 28 inch barrel, not exactly a very long one but it swings ok for me.

I bought a Benelli M2 Compact 12g for my wife recently, it came with a 26 inch barrel and we took it out to Coyote Valley this morning, mostly just to check and make sure the gun is safe to shoot.

I can't hit squat with it! The shorter LOP combined with the shorter barrel makes the swing really strange, it seems that rather than a smooth "swing, shoot" cycle, I'm getting more of a "swing, barrel whips side-to-side for a little, shoot" cycle.

Is this what people refers to when they talk about shorter barrel being too "whippy"? That the barrel goes side-to-side about it before becoming steady to let you shoot?

[stevec223]

Yes shorter and lighter barrels seem "whippy" when your not used to the lighter weight up front... I usually swing past the bird to quickly then try to compensate,,, and miss!!! Your fighting muscle memory and your timing i suppose... Might be good for your wife if she starts with it though... No memory of heavier guns ingrained yet ... A round of clays before hunting usually shows me to slow down and lighten up my touch and swingspeed... Ymmv... Cheers...