20 or 16 inch barrel

[Grouser]

Thinking of getting a CZ 457 Royal .22 lr for all around use. should I get the 16" or 20" bl -- what's your experience?
Cheers.

 

[Redneck Hippy]

I love short barrel anything
But
I think you’d be happier with the 20” in this , looks more balanced with a longer barrel and would be a tiny bit quieter for the all around use you say.
Put a smaller scope on it, maybe glossy finish if you can find it. Chefs kiss
Never should have sold the 455 American I had set up like that(20” barrel)

 

[jparent]

I have a strong preference for shorter barrels. Especially on a 22 where you gain nothing from extra inches... however, if a longer barrel balances better for you, that is the answer.

 

[Grouser]

Thanks folks1

 

[Locked out]

Some evidence to suggest the .22 has burned all its powder by 17” and is slowing it down

 

[Mr Bill]

Ive got both 16” and 20” in the CZ457 platform. 20” noticeably quieter with CCI standard velocity but when shooting CCI CB Long 29g @ 710 ft/sec the 16” barrel gives very poor accuracy compared to the longer barrel.

 

[grauhanen]

Some evidence to suggest the .22 has burned all its powder by 17” and is slowing it down

Does it matter for accuracy if rounds are slower?

 

[Hitzy]

Royal has to be a 20", too much wood there, I think they look odd either barrel length but if it has nice wood, I'd probably fold and buy one lol

 

[Goo98]

if it’s a semi auto go 16”, manual action go 20”
just looks better

 

[Homesteader]

As Mr Bill mentioned the 20” will be substantially quieter. It will be steadier offhand, and will look more proportionate

The 16” would be more compact if that’s important

I vote heavily on the side of 20” as an all around length

 

[Locked out]

Does it matter for accuracy if rounds are slower?

I guess for accuracy the shortest fattest/ stiffest barrel that maintains fps past the sound barrier as far as possible is ideal .
We shoot .22 out to 300m and have found the above to be best platform , doesn’t stop any of us from flinging lead with whatever we have though.

 

[Hitzy]

I guess for accuracy the shortest fattest/ stiffest barrel that maintains fps past the sound barrier as far as possible is ideal .
We shoot .22 out to 300m and have found the above to be best platform , doesn’t stop any of us from flinging lead with whatever we have though.

I think you want it flying subsonic at the muzzle for target work.
Hunting and flinging lead yeah, where absolute accuracy is not critical, anything fast that shoots decent in the rifle is gold lol

 

[.22LRGUY]

Longer barrel for sure. I'm always drawn to the short barrel models, but never reached for them when I had them. Longer barrels are easier to shoot well in my experience. Short is only (now) considered if it's gonna be 99% carrying and 1% shooting.

 

[Hitzy]

I actually just bought 2 varmint barrels for my 457, one 20" off the EE, and a 16" from wolverine supplies so I'll have some real world results shortly.
Nice surprise with the Wolverine barrel is it came threaded 1/2x28 instead of the 1/2x20 we are usually stuck with lol.

 

[grauhanen]

I guess for accuracy the shortest fattest/ stiffest barrel that maintains fps past the sound barrier as far as possible is ideal .
We shoot .22 out to 300m and have found the above to be best platform , doesn’t stop any of us from flinging lead with whatever we have though.

The most accurate .22LR rifles usually have barrels longer than 20".
High velocity ammo such as Mini-Mag has an MV of 1234 fps and it's subsonic by the time it gets to 40 yards.
The most accurate ammo is never HV ammo and is typically not faster than the sound barrier (about 1125 fps).

 

[An Italian Classic]

20" if you don't plan on putting a Canadian can on it.

 

[bearhunter]

OP, what is your concern over barrel length about?

Are you worried about an extra couple of ounces? or handling?

One thing many folks don't consider about barrel length, is "sight radius with iron sights," where longer usually means better.

If you're using a scope, it doesn't matter.

Unlike other calibers, 22LR can be a bit different when it comes to velocity, if it's a concern.

After a certain point, extra barrel length can "slow" down your bullet, because the expanding gases are no longer expanding, and the bore surfaces act like a brake. It's minor, but some folks worry about it, and in the cases of some types of competition, they actually create the issue on purpose.

Some folks will come on about the shorter barrel being "stiffer" as in fewer harmonics, but it's almost irrelavent unless the rifle has an extremely thin barrel, which the 457 doesn't suffer from.

Some folks like the extra weight of a longer barrel as it make off hand, steadiness easier to attain.

IMHO, you should opt for the longer barrel. You can have it shortened later if you desire. Quick job for any competent smith or machinist.