Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Over / Under Ported or not?


nipplehead

Recommended Posts

Ok I am a total wet behind the ears noob when it comes to quality shotguns. I have been shooting some trap with my pistol gripped remmy 100 set up for limited 3 gun.

I dig shooting clays and want to get a dedicated shotgun...looking mostly @ Browning citori or cynergy. I know a O/U will have more recoil than an autoloader...how much differance will it make to get ported vs non ported barrels? I noticed that most of the berreta O/U that are affordable are not ported is it reasonable to assume a ported browning will shoot softer of the two? Also any model suggestions would be great I will be doing trap and clays . Barrel length ??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw a slight difference in ported vs non ported shotguns on the pattern board but my sporting and skeet scores stayed the same when I switched from a Citori with adjustable comb to a special sporting factory ported gun with adjustable comb. The porting did flatten the gun out a very small amount, but it was a tremendous amount less than the transition time between targets. Follow up shots with a shotgun mean you just lost, so second shot performance is not an issue, use what works best for you and that is that.

In competition ports don't really matter, if the gun you like has them then go for it, otherwise it is just a feature that doesn't matter. In the blind is a different story, keep the ported guns at home if you want to sit in my blind twice......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have both and I can't see/feel any difference between ported and non-ported...recoil or muzzle flip using standard target loads...when I'm shooting targets and that's all that matters. Other people feel differently.

However, Browning chooses for you in regards to porting so I wouldn't worry about it. If the model you like has it...great...if not...great too. You can't lose. ;)

Browning has so many models, it would be hard to recommend. But, for "all around" shooting I'd buy a sporting model in 30" or 32" barrels. I have no opinion on the Cynergy and all the others are based on the very reliable, durable citori action. So, I'd pick which one feels best to you. Notice I wrote "all around" shooting. If you decide to shoot mostly trap, or really "get into it", you will buy a dedicated trap gun at some point anyway.

Easy to say, but it would great if you could shoot some first, at least 30"-32" barrel feel, etc.

There are significant differences in stock dimensions between some of the models. The 525 is much different than the XS...for example. So, check both out.

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<_< I like the Brownings, but not becuse of the porting. If you want to dampen the recoil having the Forcing cones lenthend and polished by Siminole Gun works. That will do 4x more than the ports.

They used to charg $120 per barrel if I rember rite.

A cheep job is no good.

If you go with the IO you can shoot the ultra light loads and or hand load 7/8 loads that will work on any target thrown.

I did not care for the first Cenergys, but I hear they have changed a bit.

I have a murcury suppresor / a light one in my butt stock. That was just to make the over 150 rounds of training practice be more productive. <_< or if you shoot a 100 main event and thing 100 bird Five stand rite after that and stay to shoot games untill dark :blink::blink:

We shoot team "Flush Games" with 50 birds thorwn in 60 seconds . The IO loads fast and holds up 2x better than a Auto

But I may not know nothing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For trap, skeet, and sporting clays the shells are so light that porting doesn't matter. Porting while blind hunting is a sin, but upland game hunting it can help a bit with the heavier recoiling loads. Porting has only made a difference in a turkey load for me.

You should look at other over/unders. Ruger and Remington both make O/U's and they are both fairly nice. I actually prefer the Remington 332 over the Berettas. It fits, and I shoot it very well so I stuck with it.

28" barrel will do anything you want to do. 30"+ is nicer for trap, but would suckith greatly for skeet. I prefer a 26 to 28" barrel for skeet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The current trend today is for longer barrels in O/U. Skeet has gone 28-30". Trap single barrels 34-35", doubles 30-32". Sporting clays 30-32" barrels. Anything is the 26" range today does not sell. As to porting, it does not help recoil only muzzle rise. Long forcing cones will do more to reduce recoil as will backboring the barrel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My advice is to never port any clays gun, for several reasons which take too long to explain.

Be sure to look real hard at Browning's catalog. The last time I checked they always offered at least one model of their Sporting version without porting (it may have been the 525). Unless their is some reason you want the Cynergy over the other models, you should be able to find one without porting.

Also, while we are being robbed with shell and gas prices you should find plenty of used shotguns on the market. The old 325 and 425 Citoris are sweet shooting guns if you can find an unported one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate ported shotguns. That's why I bought a Beretta. Finding an unported Browning is a real chore. I'm sure it can be done, but the Beretta was about the same price and I didn't have to play Where's Waldo to get it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought an unported 28" Browning Citori for skeet and found I had trouble recovering for doubles versus the 26" ported Remington but after having the barrels ported by Magna Port they seem to be close to the same. The recoil reduction is more in the form of muzzle rise reduction allowing for faster second shots.

In looking at shotguns of the major players Tod Bender, Wayne Mays, Larry Woo, etc very few are ported and they shoot 10's of thousands of registered birds each year plus who knows how much practice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow! I never expected to see so many negative opinions of porting. I have a 425 Browning with ported barrels and lengthened forcing cones and it is a pleasure to shoot with reasonable loads. Stick a 1 1/8 oz in it and it still kicks the snot out of me. OTOH, two friends have Cynergys in 12ga and there is a noticable difference in the recoil, much less feel to the "kick" with them. One is ported, one is not. The ported one seems to demonstrate felt recoil slightly less IMO. I have 20 and 28 Cynergy models and, of course, they are light recoiling and very fast to the next target in skeet, 5Stand or SC. Neither are ported.

My old trap gun, a Browning Citori ( very early model) is ported, forcing cones lengthened and has a Soft Touch recoil system. It recoils like my 28. Even with Handicap loads it is like a 20.

Most everyone "seems" to have a ported gun in trap, especially for doubles. Nitro 27s in Handicap will really set you back on your heels and I think the porting will help.

All that being said, IMO, the most important thing to do to your gun to reduce felt recoil is to make sure it fits. I have shot BT-99s with heavy loads and no porting, no nothing, yet they shot "soft" when the fit was right (not to mention breaking more targets). I used a friend's Perazzi for practice doubles and it fit so well, I did not even notice the recoil. Can't recall if it was ported or not, but I think it was.

I have two 1100s, one ported and one not. I can tell the difference in shooting them, the ported one producing less felt recoil. They both fit me the same. Of course the 1100 is known as a soft shooting gun.

I plan to look carefully at the State trap shoot this week and see how many of the AA and better shooters don't have porting.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a 32" Cynergy that is ported and when I shoot skeet it is a little slow on station 8, but great on station 4. I wish I had a 28" barrel model for skeet. The main game I like to shoot is sporting clays so the 32" barrels (with extended chokes so really 33") are great. If your main game it sporting clays get the longer barrels. I like the porting on the cynergy I can say that I have not ever shot an o/u that had less felt recoil than my 32" cynergy. It is soft and with the low profile of the receiver it recoils well. Some people HATE the look of the cynergy. I like it and I'm glad my gun doesn't look like everyone else's. But like it has been said before, the MOST IMPORTANT thing is gun fit. If the gun does not fit, every thing else is irrelevant.

Scott

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The trend I see around the GA Sporting Clays scene is to NOT port the barrels. If it comes ported from the factory OK, but most of my shooting buddies are not porting SC shotguns. I did not port my new Beretta 391 SC. I shoot a Browning 325 that came ported.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it would be safe to say porting does "scientifically" reduce muzzle flip. I don't know how it could reduce "real" recoil unless the velocity is reduced. "Felt" recoil is too subjective to measure.

But, since there is little consensus even among experienced shooters, that tells you the perceptible difference is probably small. That could be due to the target loads and long barrels not allowing enough "gas" to really be effective. And/or, due to the nature of shooting multiple, moving targets you often have to stop and switch directions or substantially move your gun to intercept another target. Meaning, a slight reduction in muzzle flip isn't going to be noticeable when you making large movements in the "imprecise" world of scatterguns...IMHO. In addition the length, weight of the barrels along with the "balance" also affect how the gun reacts when firing.

Gun manufacturers often decide for you anyway, and many now offer models without it. There are some, but I doubt many, that would spend $7500-$10,000 on a Perazzi/Kreighoff and have someone drill holes in the barrels. :surprise: But, some shotgunners are not immune to "tinkering" either.

Just some thoughts.

Edited by Irishlad
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My take on ports:

1. They tend to make the shot considerably louder to those standing off to the side (i.e. your buddies)

2. They can be a PITA to clean

Advantages:

None.

Seems like the hot trend in the 90's and early 2000's was ports. Now, thankfully, we are drifting away from that.

Edited to add: Barrel length comments:

I grew up shooting a 26" on the skeet fields, and now I shoot a 30". The extra length is hardly noticeable to me. If anything, it helps me keep things swinging smoothly.

Now, I'd go 30" for an all-around Skeet/Sporting Clays/Trap gun. Maybe go for a 32" in a dedicated trap setup, or 28" for a dedicated skeet gun.

Porting and barrel length, in my opinion and limited experience, have very little to do with recoil when compared with the barrel design (back-boring). On any O/U, have a nice pad fitted (Limbsaver, Decelerator, etc) and even toss in a recoil reducer if you've got bony shoulders like mine that don't like 100+ rounds in a day :D

Edited by Krautwagen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry for another me too message, well not to sorry.... In my limited experience I can detect no difference in ported or non ported recoil. I do not notice an appreciable difference in shooting true pairs - muzzle rise. I do notice ported being louder especially when I am shooting along side someone using a ported gun. I am told that there is just not enough pressure in shot shells to work like pistol rounds in a ported gun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 years later...

For my second O/U i was convinced I needed a ported gun.  So i bought a ported Beretta.  Since then I have 3 additional shotguns.  At the end of the day, it did not help me shoot better.  What helped the most was finding the right stock for me. When you have the right gun, breaking clays is easy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎11‎/‎4‎/‎2007 at 10:46 PM, nipplehead said:

Ok I am a total wet behind the ears noob when it comes to quality shotguns. I have been shooting some trap with my pistol gripped remmy 100 set up for limited 3 gun.

I dig shooting clays and want to get a dedicated shotgun...looking mostly @ Browning citori or cynergy. I know a O/U will have more recoil than an autoloader...how much differance will it make to get ported vs non ported barrels? I noticed that most of the berreta O/U that are affordable are not ported is it reasonable to assume a ported browning will shoot softer of the two? Also any model suggestions would be great I will be doing trap and clays . Barrel length ??

something else to remember is factory port vs aftermarket port. in international competition, aftermarket ports are prohibited while factory is acceptable.

 

I personally use an over and under with factory port because that's what my last sponsor gave me...I like the ports because it looks cool...I do NOT notice a difference when shooting.

 

the bench

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • 1 month later...

I've shot both, porting has sort of fallen by the wayside in my opinion. Resale value seems to be lower for a barrel that's had aftermarket porting done. Making sure your stock fits is by for more important when it comes to improving scores in any shotgun game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with what others have said mostly.

Porting doesn't reduce recoil, but rather helps to mitigate muzzle rise to some degree. My Cynergy has it.

I like the mechanical triggers over the inertia triggers of some other models.

Also like the lower- profile receiver.

I am pleased with my 32" tubes everywhere except on station 8 on the skeet field.

YM-Will-V.

 

What others have mentioned about having a gun that fits well is the best advice in this thread.

No porting or backboring, or longer barrel, or shorter barrel or any other feature is going to improve your clay scores as much as having a gun that fits you well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a 32" barrel Cynergy that will never leave my possession. Love it or hate it for the looks, but for SC""s it is my favorite gun. I can shoot several 100 Rd courses over the weekend and still be in good shape Monday morning.

 

Before USPSA took over my time, I would shoot a lot. About 400 Rds a week for awhile in practice and then a course on the weekend.

 

I love Clay's but believe it was more expensive than my USPSA habit.

 

 

X2 on the fit. If it fits, you will get the hits.

Edited by Broncman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

IMO porting of a shotgun is pretty useless. Gun makes more noise, fellow competitors hate the extra noise. You have to clean the plastic and carbon out of the port holes. It was a fad at one time but I think most figured it to be of little value.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

IMO porting isn't needed.  It doesn't reduce recoil, it may reduce muzzle jump but not enough to notice.  They are a PIA to clean.  For some reason reale is harder for ported guns, especially after market porting.   Same thing with ported choke tubes.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...