[skeet]

Well where to start?? First off let me say that a 26 inch bbl is fine..for a good bit of your shooting. I use 26 inch bbld shotguns all the time.. in pumps and semi autos. but when you get a 26 inch O/U it is approx 4 inch shorter. It is a proven fact that people on average shoot longer barreled shotguns better. The nicest shooting 20 ga O/U I have ever shot was a Caeser Guerini with 32 inch bbls. I was truly amazed..but the gun was much lighter than my K-80. It shot so well I had to buy it.and it was not cheap...almost 3200 bucks. If all you shot was close range quail it would be fine to shoot a 26 in gun. But for an all around shotgun..longer bbls will shoot better. I used a couple of 26 inch O/Us in the past..extensively. Literally shot an old er Charles Daly till the triggers needed to be replaced(The C Daly of old was made in the same factory as Winchester 101s same quality too) . It was a 12 ga..and I even shot it at pigeons when we were doing the pigeon shooting business. It really wore ya out but it was ok at in close birds around grain elevators..but was not much of a pass shooting gun. Since then the O/Us I have used all had 28 inch or more...except a Diamond grade 101 A Perazzi and a Rottweil which all had 27 1/2 inch lengths. I do use a K-80 at Skeet which has tubes and is 30 inches on the bbls. I have also used the same gun here in Wyoming for Pheasants..with the 20 or 28 ga tubes. I'm not a small guy but it is just as quick to get going as a 26 in gun..at least for me..I also used it to shoot a few ruffed grouse in the woods. At the same time as longer bbls shoot better..so do shorter stocks up to a point. LOL All those quail in Aridzona can't be close in shooting though..Don't those desert quail like running?? The Chukars sure do here.