Bull barrel vs Standard

powdergun

powdergun

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A common upgrade in many models of 22's seems to be the addition of a heavier/thicker barrel. My experience with years of centerfire shootng is that a heavier barrel does indeed make a difference in accuracy,especially when firing numerous rounds in short amounts of time. ( Of course there are other factors at play as well)

Do they really make a difference with 22's ? My experience with rimfire is that I have seen zero difference. I don't typically run off 25 round magazines one after another I just plink and shoot for groups out to 100 yrds or so.

Just wondering what observations others have made.
 
Heat dissipation may not be an issue with RF but the heavier barrel may contribute to stability and be less twitchy than a sporter weight. It may also contribute to stiffness and be less prone to the adverse effects of vibration.
 
Compared to the thickness of bull barrels in CF rifles, the wall thickness in standard .22 rifle barrels makes them basically bull barrels already. By way of illustration, the barrel walls in my Sako .308 are thinner than those of my Ruger 10/22 (and the Sako shoots well under 1 M.O.A at 100 yds.).

That, coupled with the much lower pressures, lower bullet velocities, etc., makes me think that bull barrels in .22's are largely for show. Maybe they would make a measurable difference at extreme distances, but I expect that other shot-to-shot differences in wind strength, direction, ambient/barrel temperatures, etc. would make a much greater difference than a bull barrel. IMHO...
 
Like mentionned up there, i'm not 100% sure they make that much of a difference. However, I gotta say when bench shooting I enjoy the weight a heavy barrel since it takes more energy to move the rifle and makes me more accurate in that fashion.
 
Ruger Pistols

I have compared bull barrel vs regular profile vs long fluted stainless steel and found all equally accurate. The regular tapered profile Ruger weighs less and is handier when away from the bench.
 
In regards to a 22 rimfire, I found the extra weight of a heavier barrel makes a big difference in holding the rifle still when you're aiming. Mostly for hunting situations in the field.
 
Rifle vs shooter?

Would it be fair to say, then, that the heavy barrel doesn't make the rifle more accurate, but helps the shooter be more accurate?
 
manitoba said:
Would it be fair to say, then, that the heavy barrel doesn't make the rifle more accurate, but helps the shooter be more accurate?
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That's the way I think of it, unless any of your shots are offhand. I like heavy barrels the most, but my most accurate .22lr is a standard-weight. Then again, it's an Anschutz. :) My Marlin 795 is surprisingly accurate, but it seems to be 1/2 way between heavy and standard.
 
I believe the Marlin 6000 ''squirel rifle''[heavy barrel]was discontinued for this very reason-it didn't offer any appreciable improvement in accuracy over the Model 60 or 795.

I'm considering the same question on a Savage mk 2....is the heavy barrel really worth the extra weight-especially for a walking rifle?
 
I believe a heavy barrel is most advantageous on a bench/target 22 rimfire rifle, not a carrying rifle.
Sporter weight barrels can be surprisingly accurate, and are much nicer to tote around.
I have only 4 HB rimfires, but about 16 sporter weight ones.
I never take my HB 22's hunting.
For that I have things like a 69a Winchester, a 541S and 541T Remington, a 44M Mossberg, a 146b Mossberg, a 52C Sporter Winchester, etc, etc.
However, when I head for the range to compete, then the heavies come out to play!
Regards, Eagleye
 
You will be very hard pressed to find a light barrel 22 at any serious br 22 competition, where only accuracy matters. If hb didnt have an advantage they would not be used.
 
From what has been posted-is it fair than to conclude that there is little point in a HB .22 if your main shooting ranges are under 50 yard and knocking the heads off a grouse as opposed to steady firing at 100 yards which could heat the barrel up potentially influencing the accuracy?I'd like to see a comprehensive review of the basic savage mk 2 vs the heavy barrel with the laminated stock[which I like the look of-but wonder if the increased weight is actually worth it ]
 
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ratherbefishin said:
From what has been posted-is it fair than to conclude that there is little point in a HB .22 if your main shooting ranges are under 50 yard and knocking the heads off a grouse as opposed to steady firing at 100 yards which could heat the barrel up potentially influencing the accuracy?I'd like to see a comprehensive review of the basic savage mk 2 vs the heavy barrel with the laminated stock[which I like the look of-but wonder if the increased weight is actually worth it ]
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Yes, little or no point. My CZ 452 Style gives virtually the same groups are my Varmint at any distance I've shot them (never more than 100 meters).

My Savage MKIIF actually shoots very well. See link.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=367574
 
I think it also depends on which heavy barrel, factory or aftermarket. A lot of the aftermarket barrels have tighter chambers than the factory ones do and as such tend to shoot better. I have had a couple of factory barrels shortened and rechambered by someone on here and they really shoot way better though extraction of live rounds can sometimes be a little problematic:)
Kim
 
I agree with Elimsprint. When you switch from a factory 10-22 barrel to an aftermarket bull barrel, you get an improvement in accuracy. But what improved the accuracy? Was it the heavier weight barrel, or the tighter tolerances of the more expensive barrel? I know my CZ452 american with lightweight will outshoot my heavy barrelled 10-22, so I suspect barrel quality plays more a role in 22 rimfire,than barrel weight. From reading on rimfire central, the thinner barrel CZ's shoot equally well as the varmint barrelled versions. Next barrel I buy for my 10-22 will be a quality thinner profile barrel. The heavy long barrel detracts from the versatility of the gun in my opinion.
 
I dont think it makes any difference on a 22, really. I dare anyone to prove me wrong....

After shooting 100 rounds in a row, the barrel isnt even hot....

I think its just tacticool
 
I like the HB on my 10/22 VLEH but it's more a matter of me being twitchy than the gun not living up to my requirements of accuracy. Muzzle sway is slower, resulting in my shooting being a bit more accurate. I have no doubt that a more competent shooter could best me with almost any gun, and I would not want to sling this thing and carry it through the bush with me for long.
 
I have been thinking of getting one of these for my next 10-22 , its the Tactical Contour from Mystic Precision and it starts off as a heavy barrel .920 and tapers down to .750.I have read some good reveiws of it.

http://www.mysticprecision.com/wp/1236/mcgowen-1022-shortie-match-barrels/
 
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