Let's talk barrel length

[firstcoueswas80]

I love long barrels, heavy bullets and slow powder.

 

To each their own

 

+1

[trphyhntr]

someone say short barrel?

 

https://instagram.com/p/BYwPDjUniLd/

[Tac]

now thats a packable gun looks light weight and ready for a suppressor

[pwrguy]

I love long barrels, heavy bullets and slow powder.

 

To each their own

Me too

[300RUM]

I,m currently shooting a 20 inch barrel,6.5 creedmoor that groups 1/2 moa at 850 yards and four of the 6 are 1/4 Moa 6 shots total 2-shooters one 10 year old and one 44 years old. I really question how short I could go before a substantial loss of accuracy on my next rifle. It seems there is a average 25 FPS loss per inch but if you hit the target accurately a few FPS loss to me would be ok.

Shortening a barrel will not result in a loss of accuracy from a mechanical standpoint within the firearm. A shorter barrel will often result in degraded ballistic performance in relation to a longer barrel. But how much? As long as you can accurately calculate the drop, windage and other ballistic components and dial your scope correctly you have the potential to be accurate. What if the wind velocity is shifting? What if your range is a little off? With higher velocity resulting in a flatter trajectory and less wind drift the errors will not have as much effect. I like light, handy rifles and I also like the upper end of ballistic performance. Two of my rifles are a 7mm-08 ackley AI with a 20" barrel that weighs 7.5 lbs ready to hunt another is a .300 RUM with a 27" barrel that weighs 12.4 lbs. They are both very accurate but serve two different purposes. How I intend to hunt dictates which rifle I carry. Optimum ballistic performance and extreme light weight and compactness rest on a fulcrum. You just have to decide which side is the best for you to lean to.

[lancetkenyon]

Good topic. My AR in .223 has a 24" barrel. That is the shortest one I own. Everything else is 26-28.25". And even at 26", I saw the flash in my scope when I shot my bull at dusk with my 7RM. And every rifle except my .223 has a brake, so add that to the overall length.

.223=24"

6.5 SLR=27.75"

6.5 SS= 26"

.280AI=26"

7RM=26"

.300RUM=28.25"

 

I will take the extra 40-80fps with no extra powder charge weight all day long.

 

I do own a couple shorter factory rifles.....but they are loaners/safe squatters.

[PRDATR]

So if Load A is 100fps faster than Load B at the muzzle what would the difference be at say 200, 500 or 1000yds?

[cjl2010]

Elevation is easily corrected with a few more click, windage is where the 100fps really plays a role.

[firstcoueswas80]

In my 28 Nosler, it takes 5.75 MOA to reach 500 yards. If I drop the the muzzle velocity 100 feet per second it takes 6.17. At 1000, it is 18.64, and then 20.01 with the reduced muzzle velocity.

[trphyhntr]

How come everyone doesn't shoot weatherby?

[Coach]

Because they are "hit and miss". Get a good one, it shoots great. Get a bad one, and with a lot of work and patience and trial-and-error, you'll eventually get it to shoot great. Same could be said of 26 Nosler, or any wildcat/overbored rifle.

[ThomC]

It is all about personal preference. I recently bought a ruger ranch. I love the little gun. The last shotgun that I bought has 26" barrel. Short is better for me. Me and the animal dont care if the load is the maximum possible. My 11 yr old grandson shot a trophy cow Elk with a little Thompson contender in 7mm 08. The Elk died the and boy was happy. Years ago a great gun writer named Jack O'Conner said about velocity claims, "You have to take a little salt with the figures".