.22lr max barrel length before bellet drag

Lebel

Lebel

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Hi;
Would any one know about the max barrel length you could have on a .22lr before bullet drag comes into play. I seen a Anschutz model 1800 target rifle with a 32" barrel length?
 
It would depend on the ammunition but 20 inches is lots of barrel. Longer is for more sight radius...
 
Standard word has always been that the powder in standard velocity .22LR cases is totally consumed in 16 inches, after that it is just slowing down. In the dim past when Olympic Rapidfire was contested using .22 shorts the "optimal" barrel length was considered to be 80 millimetres. As has been said longer barrels are just to increase sight radius.

J
 
accuracy n' barrel length is "cool science vs. practical experience" awesomeness!

Abject physics tell me my bullet is more accurate out of a shorter than what I achieve my best with...

Few factors come into play with this sort of game...

Sight radius is my favorite, as it loans itself to my personal experience. The longer a barrel is, the further separated open sights are the better.

Barrel length vs. velocity is the next step. Turns out, that 32" barrel will slow a bullet down. Is that a bad thing? Nope! Faster is not always better in rimfires ESP when you reach out to 100yds+. It is possible that only your last 6"-8" matter too...

Anschutz is a name that carries itself in rimfire accuracy all on it's own. I've not owned, or fired a bad one! I could see finding a "barn model" Anschutz with a bad bore, and it not being a gem...any examples I've handled were simply awesome!
 
the bullet on standard velocity ammo with start dragging at about 16" that's about where every last bit of powder stops burning this is also why the 24" barrel on some cooeys don't make much sound put a 30" or so barrel on one and you can get suppressor effect making what's called a long tom just like a subsonic .69 cal round ball out of a 36" 12ga barrel is pretty quiet
 
I have a winchester target 22 with a 24 inch bbl. Very accurate and cant hear it when you fire it.
 
Ganderite said:
A shorter barrel is better for shooting offhand, because the reduced barrel time.
Click to expand...

well that and when you have a 24" heavy 3/4" barrel on a 22 with a heavy wood stock. trying to shoot offhand is like trying to shoot a HS50 offhand for weight lol
 
There are far more variables to velocity and accuracy than just barrel length. It is not unusual to find a 22 with a barrel 24" long achieve higher velocity than a 16" barrel. Take a look at high end target rifles. Not a short barrel in the bunch. The most accurate 22 I own is a Remington 513T. It has a 28" barrel.
 
Aries- said:
well that and when you have a 24" heavy 3/4" barrel on a 22 with a heavy wood stock. trying to shoot offhand is like trying to shoot a HS50 offhand for weight lol
Click to expand...

You will also find some target rifles (and air rifles) with a short barrel and a bloop tube (larger diameter tube) that extends the sight radius.

Also, when comparing "accuracy" for offhand target rifles, the inherent benchrest accuracy is just a very small part of getting the best score. As noted before, a shorter barrel minimizes barrel time for a bullet, increasing accuracy substantially when shooting offhand because the gun is always moving slightly.

However bloop tubes aren't permitted in many classes of competition, and that's a big reason why most target rifles have long barrels. Where permitted, as in silhouette, bloop tubes are common.


BTW we have a 3/4" straight 24" barreled, wood stocked rifle (BSA Martini with custom, stock and barrel), and it's very heavy to shoot offhand, but it sure is stable with the right techniques. And an HS50 is much, much heavier, but it can be fired offhand. Haven't had the nerve or built up enough strength, to try it yet.....;)
 
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ricksplace said:
There are far more variables to velocity and accuracy than just barrel length. It is not unusual to find a 22 with a barrel 24" long achieve higher velocity than a 16" barrel. Take a look at high end target rifles. Not a short barrel in the bunch. The most accurate 22 I own is a Remington 513T. It has a 28" barrel.
Click to expand...

with a round like cci velocitors that's meant for a 24" barrel but with something like standard velocity bulk pack it starts slowing down after 16"
 
One of my favorite old .22s is a mossberg 146b. It believe it has a 26" barrel and it shoots shorts + longs, as well as long rifle shells.
If I remember right it holds 30 shorts , 23 longs , or 20 long rifle shells in a tube magazine.
It was always accurate no matter what you fed it , and it will put my 30 year old 10/22 to shame.
Bullet drag be damned. High velocity, target , standard velocity, shorts even ! It's just an old cheapy mossberg that was made right and shoots well. I guess it doesn't know it's barrel is too long ! LOL
 
Velocity and Accuracy are two different things. The OP was asking about velocity, and very soon responders hijacked the thread to talk about accuracy, mostly with unproven anecdotes. It is possible to get one hole accuracy but normally only out of a machine rest. The major failing in achieving accuracy is always going to be "the ground link".
 
Here is actual data. Max velocity is around 16" to 17"

Here are the results collected by Bob Forker. These are muzzle velocities
for barrels of different lengths (determined by cutting the barrel between
test batteries):

Barrel Length Remington High Velocity Winchester T22
4 in 1045 fps 1005 fps
8 1150 1105
12 1220 1155
16 1240 1165
20 1235 1160
24 1210 1140
28 1170 1075
Click to expand...
 
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