30 or 32 (or 28)” barrels?

[Be Wery Wery Quiet]

Hi All and thanks for “letting me in”.

I’m new to shooting and looking to make my first purchase soon.

I see a lot of posts talking about gun fit when deciding which gun to purchase (makes sense) but having shot both a 30” and 32” gun the other day I didn’t noticeably feel any difference from the length of barrel. Is this because I’m too new?

Is there a general rule of thumb as to which to go for or is it trial and error. I was thinking best to learn with one rather than the other as I’d not know any better.

I’m looking at shooting clays only and am just under 6ft tall.

Thanks for any comments.

[Polchraine]

Overall fit is more important than barrel length and how it feels for you and how it sits when you mount it. Visit various gun shops - look at what they have, try mounting them. A good dealer will not normally mind you talking things through with gun in hand and advising on what fits and what does not and if nothing is quite right he should not mind you leaving empty handed.

I have shotguns with a variety of barrel lengths, 25, 26, 28 & 30, in my cabinet and the last one I purchased was - bespoke/custom. I went through the options with them, tried different barrels and more - professional advice was 30" even though a 32" was available and a 28" was also a possibility.

If I had to suggest one to look at first - 30" almost certsainly not 32"

And do not buy NEW - a decent used one until you understand how you shoot and then in a couple of years look to upgrade, potentially to new.

[Rockhopper]

If you want a bargain then look at used 28” guns. A lot of it is down to fashion which at the moment is for longer barrels. A dealer local to me told me that they no longer take short guns in PX as they can’t sell them.
Best I’ve ever shot was with a 28” gun, much lighter and moves more easily in my opinion.

[Lever357]

I would not go 32". I used to shoot 28 and then bought a Beretta Silver Pigeon 5 with 30" barrels - and have always wished 28 had been available!! I personally think I shot better with 28s as I was able to swing better. I laugh when people say "Oh I shoot 30", wouldn't go longer" and then they put extended chokes in!

[GeeRam]

I would not go 32". I used to shoot 28 and then bought a Beretta Silver Pigeon 5 with 30" barrels - and have always wished 28 had been available!! I personally think I shot better with 28s as I was able to swing better.

I agree with this.

One of the many guns I tried out from my country sports RFD was a 32" and I hated it. I did prefer the swing-a-bility of the couple of 28" Italian guns I tried, but did best with a 30" Browning, so I ended up buying a 30" Browning.......although, I do wish I'd ordered the Browning with a 28" barrel now, as later on I was able to try a same model as mine, with a 28" barrel, and preferred it to my 30" version.

[stuarta]

A 32 inch is not a gun for someone starting ou in my opinion. Most people start with a 28 or 30 inch and for a gun for sporting, DTL, ATB and skeet they are all you need.
As a first gun I would go to a shop that has a shooting ground attached so you can try the gun before you buy, you would not buy a car without driving it first unless you were very experienced. As you are only going to buy a gun if you can hit the clays with it so they will to see you have a suitable gun. Don’t be afraid to try a number of different guns and walk away if you are unsure.
If you have a friend who is an experienced clay shooter ask if you can try their guns, most are happy to help as we all like to try other guns.
A friend of mine shot my 30 inch Beretta 687 every week for 2 months and enjoyed it but then bought a Beretta with 28 inch barrels because it was a bargain but has never managed to match the scores he had with the 30 inch.

[Be Wery Wery Quiet]

Thanks everyone - all really useful comments. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Hopefully visiting another sporting ground at the weekend to continue the journey/adventure.

Cheers.