Optimal Barrel Length for 22LR Subsonic

N0M4D

N0M4D

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
36   0   0
Location
Ottawa
So ive been doing my research, and I cant quite get a solid answer... I need those guys with the huge brains who know everything about 22lr to educate me on this one if you'd please!

What is the optimal barrel length for a 22LR running subsonic ammunition? Example CCI Subsonic 40gr, but i prefer Aguila SSS 60gr. I currently have a Savage Mark II FV-SR with a 16" Barrel, but im wondering if a 21" heavy barrel will be better. I just don't know at what point the powders velocity will max out and the extra barrel length will just cause drag reducing my velocity and possibly destabilizing the round. I know there is a million rifles out there that you can buy for perfect accuracy, or build one for it but im trying to stay within the savage mark 2 lines.

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated!


Wes
 
Longer than 16” on a 22lr only makes it quieter.
You will see a negligible increase in velocity (if any) from a longer barrel.

As for longer barrels reducing velocity, I don’t think that’s an issue unless you have a ridiculously long barrel.
 
N0M4D said:
So ive been doing my research, and I cant quite get a solid answer... I need those guys with the huge brains who know everything about 22lr to educate me on this one if you'd please!

What is the optimal barrel length for a 22LR running subsonic ammunition? Example CCI Subsonic 40gr, but i prefer Aguila SSS 60gr. I currently have a Savage Mark II FV-SR with a 16" Barrel, but im wondering if a 21" heavy barrel will be better. I just don't know at what point the powders velocity will max out and the extra barrel length will just cause drag reducing my velocity and possibly destabilizing the round. I know there is a million rifles out there that you can buy for perfect accuracy, or build one for it but im trying to stay within the savage mark 2 lines.

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

The American president has himself claimed more than once that he has "a very large brain". A swollen head won't help but it is necessary to clarify a couple of things.

First, if you are looking for accuracy, standard velocity (SV) ammo is the way to go. It is ammo that has an MV below the speed of sound.

Second, if you are looking for accuracy, there is no need to worry about, as you put it, "extra barrel length [that] will just cause drag reducing my velocity and possibly destabilizing the round." Simply put, a faster SV round is not necessarily more accurate than one that is a little slower. In other words, don't worry about whether a 16" barrel produces a higher MV with the same ammo than does a 20" barrel.

If you are torn between the two barrel lengths, let the deciding factor be which one shoulders nicely and feels good to hold. That will help more with accuracy than the MV differences between the two. It doesn't hurt that you also let the aesthetics of which looks best to your eye help determine which barrel length you choose.
 
grauhanen said:
The American president has himself claimed more than once that he has "a very large brain". A swollen head won't help but it is necessary to clarify a couple of things.

First, if you are looking for accuracy, standard velocity (SV) ammo is the way to go. It is ammo that has an MV below the speed of sound.

Second, if you are looking for accuracy, there is no need to worry about, as you put it, "extra barrel length [that] will just cause drag reducing my velocity and possibly destabilizing the round." Simply put, a faster SV round is not necessarily more accurate than one that is a little slower. In other words, don't worry about whether a 16" barrel produces a higher MV with the same ammo than does a 20" barrel.

If you are torn between the two barrel lengths, let the deciding factor be which one shoulders nicely and feels good to hold. That will help more with accuracy than the MV differences between the two. It doesn't hurt that you also let the aesthetics of which looks best to your eye help determine which barrel length you choose.
Click to expand...

What would be your recomendation them for ammo?
 
N0M4D said:
What would be your recomendation them for ammo?
Click to expand...

When it comes to ammo recommendations, it is always necessary to keep in mind budget and availability. Otherwise the advice may include lot testing and premium ammo such as Eley Tenex, RWS R50, or Lapua Midas +, all of which are in the $200 per brick price range. There are, however, some affordable SV (standard velocity) ammos to keep in mind that usually produce good accuracy in a wide variety of rifles.

If you are looking for a place to begin, a lot of shooters report good accuracy with the readily available and affordable CCI Standard Velocity ammo. Other standard velocity ammo to consider is SK Standard Plus, which if ordered in quantity from online dealers is about $68 plus shipping (the more you order the greater the savings in shipping). SK Magazine branded ammo is also worth looking at and is less expensive than SK Standard Plus.

There are many other brands of SV ammo, but these are among the more affordable ones. Generally speaking other varieties of SV ammo are a little more expensive. If you are considering buying from a local shop, it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with pricing from online dealers before buying a large quantity.
 
So so far I've had nothing but good results with CCI standard velocity, and subsonic however I've wanted to Branch out to SK and Lapua but not really interested in that sort of price range to be honest. I was lucky enough to get a 50 pack of Aguila sss and that was amazing. Is there any other recommendations you can point me towards that are sub $70 per brick?
 
Google "ballisticsbytheinch" and look at their table for .22lr - I found it to be helpful for seeing where the cartridge maxes out velocity wise.
 
I would not try to build a rifle around the 60 grain Aguila.
You may consider the variations in rim thickness with that round. Run of the mill production rimfire ammo will have greater variation lot to lot and may vary 0.003".
Measuring rim thickness of sub sonic target ammo . . . Eley, RWS and Lapua suggests very little can be done other than to separate into two groups of high and low which might show a total variation within on group of less that 0.0005".
The CCI QUIET will reduce noise but accuracy with these squib loads might make 1" groups at 25 yards although there may be someone who has had better results.
 
I've tried the 60 grain Aguila. I cannot recommend it. Indifferent accuracy and many many failure to feed/ fire in my PWS toggle action. The long bullet and short case combine to provide leverage. The things bend into bananas.
 
Never had a problem with sub sonics in my Savage Mkii bull barrel but accuracy definitely suffers. They are fun to show off to friends but when you want to punch the center out of a target Standard Velocity is where its at. Especially rhe Aguila SV for my mkii.
 
CCI SV is cheap ( 40$ for 500 ) and ive been blown away by how accurate it is, however, go get a bunch of different types of ammo, and shoot them. youll find which one works the best.
 
The most important question is not barrel length... it's what is the best twist rate for the low velocity ammo.

Nobody can make a blanket statement that you need X velocity to achieve accuracy.

Accuracy is a product of the correct balance between barrel twist rate, bullet length and muzzle velocity.

So, don't expect the versatility to jump all willie nillie between sub sonic 40 grainers and 60 grainers... Pick one and set up the rifle from the ground up for that.

Google gyroscopic stability calculators and enter your criteria.

Here's one on the Berger Bullets web site... use this... https://bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator/
 
Aguila recommends barrels longer than 20", they also mention a faster barrel twist, but their wording is off so maybe something is lost in translation. I think Maple57 hit the nail on the head, you should pick a load and build around that. The 60gr Aguila has a specific purpose, if all you want is noise reduction, go with the run of the mill subs. If you want to knock over some medium sized pests on the DL, go with the 60 grainers and get a faster twist barrel. I think it all comes down to what your intentions are.
 
Some CF caliber barrels come in a variety of twists. The .223 Remington, for example, is available with many different twist rates, among them 1:8, 1:9, 1:10, 1:12, 1:14. Pairing CF bullet weight and length to barrel twist is important for CF accuracy.

Readers and posters should be aware that when it comes to .22LR barrels, there is very little choice when it comes to twist rates. Barrels for .22LR typically don't come with optional twist rates, the standard being near 1:16. With the .22LR it's not possible to easily shop around for the twist rate of choice. To be sure there are some unusual twist rates that can be found, Lilja, for example has a 1:17. But the vast majority of .22LR barrels are all close to 1:16. In short, it's not easy to find alternative twist rates in .22LR barrels as it is with some CF calibers.

As far as .22LR accuracy, the best is achieved with 40 grain round nose standard velocity ammo. There are many varieties of such ammo, some of it with very good accuracy (and often more expensive) and some of it not so good (and often quite inexpensive). The unusual 60 grain Aguila round is not comparably accurate to good SV 40 grain ammo no matter what twist rate barrel it passes through.
 
Last edited:
I shoot CCI Quiets in my 452 lux.
Sounds like a pellet gun.

Only shoots 1.5-2” groups at 50yds.

Good for plinking rats out of the barn.
 
I think the hands down best value for .22 LR is the Federal Black Pack 1600 round case that comes out in November around Black Friday. It is more than likely repackaged CCI at about %20 less. I think it is about 5 cents a round and very consistent out of my Savage MkII
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom