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How much does a ported barrel reduce recoil?

18K views 25 replies 18 participants last post by  OldSkeeter 
#1 ·
I am interested in purchasing a Browning XS Skeet shotgun. It has ported barrels which reduces muzzle jump and recoil. How much recoil is attenuated? Is there a percentage number?
 
#3 ·
Recoil reduction, if any, due to ported barrels is negligible. The main thing that porting a shotgun barrel does is make it louder and harder to clean.
 
#4 ·
I think that actual recoil numbers aren't going to be affected much. If you have a situation where muzzle rise is biting your cheek, it will reduce the bite. How much? Up to the individual, because it is another part of felt recoil, but I have never noted any night and day difference.

I like barrel porting for 2 reasons. It does reduce muzzle rise and with any shotgun I have had ported, the porting reduces muzzle region pressure and subsequently tightens the pattern slightly. The most I have seen is 7% with my 16 Gauge Rem 1100. Most of the other shotguns I have had ported the percentage was around 3 to 5 %. Not a big deal, but you can measure it.

As with any modification, most of the time you don't get a huge benefit from any one mod, so you need to come-up with a plan of modifications and make it an entire system. If it is a recoil issue, than you need to think about all the items that influence recoil. Barrel porting as recoil reduction modification will be down the list. If you are looking to get on the second target quicker porting can be a help, especially with an autoloader or pump.

I only have experience with barrel porting. Ported choke tubes - no comment.
 
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#5 ·
As you may have gathered, the CLAIMED advantages of barrel porting are more marketing hype than anything else. There is so little recoil reduction induced by it to actually rule it as non-existant. Muzzle jump? Yes, a small amount of reduction, but not enough that I would pay to have it done.

Advertising and producing shotguns with porting has sold a lot of guns for the various manufacturers. This was to satisfy the craze that once existed that it was the best thing since sliced bread. Just ain't so, and many manufactyrers are starting to produce guns without porting again. Why?? Because many shooters simply hate porting and simply do not want it.

However, other than being noisy and the barrels harder to clean, porting really doesn't harm the performance at all, so it can be disregarded as having any effect on the total performance of the shotgun.

Incidently, the XS Skeet is a fine shotgun, and will serve you well. It would be my choice from the available line-up today from Browning.

DLM
 
#6 ·
I did some testing with identical SX-1 Winchesters and the ported barrel muzzle rise was reduced by about 50%. That was the only reason I had it done (by Mike Orlen) and I was pleased with the results. It is far from an minor amount. Recoil seems to be negligible. I can feel no difference in the two but there must a small amount.
 
#7 ·
Only one of my Skeet guns is ported ( International skeet gun) and it has nothing to do with recoil.

In I skeet, I push loads well past 1350FPS, and to keep the patterns from being blown out, I need to get the bore gas pressure to bled off before the wad exited the barrel so the gas blast past the wad after the muzzle would not disturb the pattern (start to blow it out).

So on this gun, I had Mag-na-port do single row 11 ports on both the top and bottom barrel for gas bled off.

Granted that I could have attached the problem with lengthening the forcing cones more, and even back boring the bores to around .740 (this will reduced recoil), but since the port work cost was only $100, over around $600 to rework the bores, and it resolve the problem for the 28gr loads, it was the better choice for me.

In loads around the 1200fps range, there is just not enough pressure generated for porting to work to reduce recoil, and at most, will only help to hold the barrel down somewhat (can be a train wreck if the gun does not fit to begin with if the porting is shoving the barrel downward, instead of just holding it steady).

Plus as stated, the noise that the porting generates back at the shooter can be disturbing as well.
 
#12 ·
I have an XS Skeet...great gun. If they had made them without ported barrels I would have purchased...but alas...they only come ported. I too think the porting is more hype than reality, but YMMV. They are one more nook and cranny on a shotgun to clean (OK more like 30 more). When I am shooting skeet I am shooting with sub-gauge tubes so the porting is bypassed anyways. FYI, I also use this gun for 5-stand as well and like it. (But I am newer to that sport and I am sure I will need to purchase a 'dedicated' 5-stand & sporting clays gun at some point... :mrgreen: )
 
#13 ·
I have shot a Browning XS skeet for about 5 years. If I had the option to buy one again I would get one without the porting. I don't have a problem with the muzzle jump and it's a pain to clean. That said I would not let the porting deter me from buying the XS if that is what you were looking at. It's not that big of an issue either way.

Tom
 
#14 ·
How much does porting reduce recoil? Not enough to detect. In my opinion, its a gimmick, pure and simple.
 
#15 ·
Porting is a bit gimmicky I suppose, but seems it's only one of a myriad of add-ons, or features designed to sell guns but of varying value to the shooter.

I will say that on my XS Skeet (which I love) I don't notice any muzzle jump. I also don't find ports a pain to clean either. I use a bore snake, can o cleaner and compressed air and am not bothered if my barrel ports aren't perfectly clean since the bores are clean.

I will say a few of the shooters at my club hate the added noise and complain by station 2. To be honest though I couldn't care less that it bugs them...as I'm there to break birds and have fun not save what's left of anyone's hearing!!
 
#19 ·
I'll throw another log on the fire.

One of the guys that I shoot with has two 391's that he uses for doubles events.

One is a Briley sporting model with porting, lengthened forcing cone, and over boring.

The other does not have the above, but both are weighted, balanced, stock fitted exactly the same.

The Briley gun does not muzzle rise after the first shot, while the non ported/bore worked gun does muzzle rise up/out on the first shot on the way to grabbing the second target at center line.

Now much of the difference is bore work verse porting is unknown, but can tell you that with it, he/I am a lot slower on grabbing the second target with the non Briley worked gun due to having to get the gun back on line (longer recovery time between shots on the pairs, and a real bear staking the breaks).
 
#20 ·
One other thing to consider: take a fine and expensive gun like a Perazzi, upper end Beretta, K gun and many others including collectable Winchesters and if you port the barresl, you have just ruined the gun in terms of its value.
 
#21 ·
As with any modification, you have to understand why you are porting a barrel in the first place.

The only 2 reasons are reducing muzzle rise and releasing excess powder gas. Neither will reduce recoil to any great extent, unless the muzzle rise is bothering your cheek. I also believe that a single barrel shotgun benefits more from porting as far as muzzle rise is concerned. If you port the under barrel on a O/U the ports are directed more to the side and not directly up.

As far as the noise goes, you fellas ever hear of earplugs or earmuffs. If you really have quality hearing protection the difference in noise between unported and ported barrels will be hardly noticeable.
 
#23 ·
Most helpful, thank you responders. The reason I posted the question is that I was being cajoled into buying a used 98% Browning XS Skeet shotgun that had just arrived at the Owatonna Cabela's store. It had porting, which the Gun Library spokesman said reduced recoil by 25%. The gun weighs the same as my Browning Citori White Lightning which I use for skeet and pheasant hunting. His claim of recoil attenuation sounded compelling, but I did not want to act impulsively. So I went to you, Shotgun World skeet shooters, instead of an immediate trade. I will now pass. I really like my round knob Lightning.

If you are interested in the XS Skeet (30" bbl), it is $2000 or so. They may not have listed it yet, so you may have to call the store. No dents, nearly as new in box. There was tiny abbrasion on the left to receiver.

Again, thank you for all your help.
 
#24 ·
I own ported and non-ported guns. I think most of the recoil is over by the time the ports start releasing gasses to begin with and why most of can't feel much recoil difference. However, I do believe that ports do effectively reduce muzzle jump, a good thing for the second shot in pairs. And all this talk about cleaning them is nonsense -- they simply do not get dirty enough to bother cleaning out; they get to a point of soot and stay there, the gas pressure from the next shot doing the cleaning for you.

At the end of the day, I'd rather have them on my 12 than not; not sure I'd care one way or the other for my 28 or 410. It's a tough call on my 20 -- because the gun is lighter and I do not notice any muzzle jump, I think I'm glad they're there but wouldn't sweat it if they weren't.

All that said, I would not sell a non-ported gun I shot well to get newer version of the same gun with ports. I might however send it off to angle-port for the muzzle jump reduction benefit...

YMMV,
 
#26 ·
In a lighter gun like the SX-1, there will probably be some reduction in muzzle rise as Customstox pointed out, but it is unlikely that there will be any reduction in felt recoil. In a heavier gun...like an O/U, I doubt you'd even notice a reduction in muzzle rise.

I have two Browning Citori XS Skeets...12-ga and 20-ga...with ported barrels, and a Citori Sporting Hunter along with a Kolar Standard Skeet O/U with non-ported barrels. I really don't detect any significant difference in muzzle rise among the four; virtually no rise in any of them on the first shot.

YMMV
 
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