Would a "heavy" shotgun be a more "accurate" shotgun in the field? The weight would be annoying as far as carrying, but if shotgun "sporting games" use heavier guns then wouldnt a light gun in the field hurt "accuracy"?

Light gun would hurt more in terms of recoil.... but accuracy.... only for follow-up shots really...

Field guns are plenty accurate. The shorter barrels point faster (although don't swing as well) than a sporting shotgun. If you are upland hunting, a nice 20 gauge that weighs around 6 pounds is perfect. There is no way I would want to lug around a 9-10 pound trap gun for four hours.

I think it will all depend on the shooter.

Field guns are plenty accurate. The shorter barrels point faster (although don't swing as well) than a sporting shotgun. If you are upland hunting, a nice 20 gauge that weighs around 6 pounds is perfect. There is no way I would want to lug around a 9-10 pound trap gun for four hours.

+1 a 6 pound gun in the morning feels like a 20 pound gun in the afternoon if you have been carrying it all day!

A heavy gun might be more accurate if you wanted that weight for steady holding for offhand shots with something like a slug gun.

But a 6 lb. shotgun swings and feels fine like a 6 lb. shotgun should. A 5 3/4 lb. is nicer if it's a 28 or 20 ga., so the magic number for a field gun is usually under 7 lbs. Closer to 6 is ideal for an upland gun. As Chris noted, some folks dislike light shotguns in the field because inexperienced folks stop their swing on winged game. But a lighter gun is quicker to get into action and up to your shoulder, especially when hunting woodcock, grouse, quail and to some extent; pheasant.    

On the skeet/trap range or in the goose blind, an 8.5 lb. to 9 lb. shotgun is preferable to soak up recoil and help promote a smooth swing and aids follow-through.

Slug-shooting shotguns between 7 and 8 lbs. seems a good mix for portability for hunting while still having enough weight to soak up recoil.

There are two schools of thought on turkey guns: To some, they recoil a lot because of the excessive payload they throw, so they are usually all 10 or 12 ga., heavy guns, so folks who hunt blinds in woodlots and open fields can handle the weight by carrying with a sling. Often, they don't travel too far for their quarry. For folks who hike and walks lots of mountain ridges in search of turkeys, lighter guns rule.

Thanks for all the input!

I use to carry an over under while rabbit hunting. Lets just say I don't do that anymore.

 

 

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