Optimal barrel length for .22LR?

rdelliott

rdelliott

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I've been thinking a bit, and wondering how long a barrel needs to be to wring the most muzzle velocity out of a .22LR cartridge. Is there a point of diminishing returns? Does the bullet reach maximum velocity fairly quickly and longer barrels are therefore not that necessary?
 
Kimber and Anshultz both did a bunch of testing on this question.
And like Armament said, it's in the range of 14-to-16 inches.
You will get a bit more velocity from longer barels; but it's a diminishing returns thing, like you said. As well, the longer barrel keeps the bullet under your control for a longer time letting you mess-up the shot. A shorter barrel will give the same sort of advantage as a short lock-time.
 
I TR shoot with a fella, and his barrel length is 9 inches if I remember right. Now this is a custom job so the first 9 inches is rifled, and the remainder of the length, which is needed for proper sight radius as we are shooting with peep sights, is nothing but an open tube. And he is one of the top shooters.
 
p14shooter said:
I TR shoot with a fella, and his barrel length is 9 inches if I remember right. Now this is a custom job so the first 9 inches is rifled, and the remainder of the length, which is needed for proper sight radius as we are shooting with peep sights, is nothing but an open tube. And he is one of the top shooters.
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Interesting! What distance does he shoot at? What kind of targets - bulls or sillhouettes?
 
I have only been with him during the indoor 20yd matches, so I do not know if he shoots it outdoors at 50 and 100 or not. We use the SFC targets. 10 ring is no bigger than 1/2 the size of a pin head.
 
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