I can't address the question of giving up versatility in return for improved pattern, that's a personal decision. I can tell you, though, that the performance of the barrel is excellent. I've been using one for the last 15 years, have taken near a dozen turkeys with it, a couple out to 40 yards, and it is completely reliable.
Here are patterns at 25-30-35 yards using 80 gr. FFFg, 2 cards of 1/8 inch, 1 1/2 oz. #6 shot.
I have only shot one thing other than a turkey with the barrel, a gray squirrel. I had been thinking I might try working up some lighter loads for the squirrels in some very tall trees on my place, so one day as I was walking out from a turkey hunt I shot a squirrel. It was in a fairly tall tree, the base just at 50 yards from where I was standing. The squirrel never had a chance, was shot up so I had to discard some of its front end. That was with a turkey load, of course.
My barrel is 20 gauge, 38" long, 1" at the breech, octagon-to-16-to-round with wedding band, tapered through both the flats and round sections and swamped. It is choked "extra full turkey", which amounts to a decrease to 24 gauge. The breech tapers from 1.0” to .91” at the wedding band. After the band the round tapers from .87” down to .77” and then flares back to .85”.
It's a heck of a barrel.
Spence
