question 20" or 24" barrel
- Thread starter Brocolt
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Barrel length has little effect on accuracy, although a shorter barrel of any given contour can be more accurate than a similar but longer barrel due to its greater stiffness. Given the small powder charge in a .223, I doubt if there is going to be a great difference in muzzle velocity between a 20" and a 24" barrel. Buy or build your rifle with the end use in mind. You don't want a 20 pound rifle that you intend to use as a walking varmint rifle, and neither do you want a 6 pound sporter in a benchrest competition.
The only major benefit you will get from a longer barrel is velocity. For each added inch of barrel you could gain about ~50fps but I don't get too excited about big velocity, If I can't get really good accuracy and all other things have been addressed, the barrel is a dud. Velocity does you no good when you can't hit your intended target.
Why I buy longer barrells
1- More weight (target shooting, heavy barrell light trigger (2 oz))
2- More mass, takes longer to heat up
3- a little more speed if I want to push it
4- the option to shoten the barrell by cutting a new chamber instead of re barrelling.
(never done it yet)
btw stiffer my butt, My barrell looks like a trailer axle
M.
1- More weight (target shooting, heavy barrell light trigger (2 oz))
2- More mass, takes longer to heat up
3- a little more speed if I want to push it
4- the option to shoten the barrell by cutting a new chamber instead of re barrelling.
(never done it yet)
btw stiffer my butt, My barrell looks like a trailer axle
M.
Why you are mostly wrong.
1. You can stay with the same weight but go with a heavier profile which in a shorter barrel will be stiffer and thus more accurate. A 46" long pencil barrel is going to weigh a ton and be wippy as hell. Weight is not what you should be looking for in a barrel.
2. Not really an issue for the .223 the OP is asking about. But referencing my reply to #1, you can have the mass in a shorter barrel and still have better accuracy.
4. Barrel OAL has zip to do with the ability to shorten and rechamber a barrel. The length of the shank is the important factor here.
BTW Doesn't matter how thick your barrel is. The longer it is, the more it will vibrate. You'd be better off with something shorter. Take a look at the benchrest rifles. Do you see any hugely long barrels? No because those boys are interested in accuracy only and long barrels don't help with that.
- Location
- Virden, MB
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The honest women may disagree.
Does anybody have the link to the advertising video done by a tactical school crew in the states where in one class the group took hacksaws to their barrels and shortened them to 18" or so and shot amazingly well with them that way?
- Location
- Virden, MB
The honest women may disagree.
Does anybody have the link to the advertising video done by a tactical school crew in the states where in one class the group took hacksaws to their barrels and shortened them to 18" or so and shot amazingly well with them that way?
I doubt they would shoot well at all without crowning.
I did that to an enfield once and it was not so happy after. barely shot to 100 yards after that. Only took about 4 inches off it.
Benchrest rules have very strict weight limits for rifle and scope. eg - 10 1/2# light varmint, 13 1/2# heavy varmint. Thicker barrels do tend to be stiffer than slimmer ones, and this can contribute to accuracy. If you are going to have a stiff barrel that makes weight, its going to be short. BR shooters usually shoot at 100, occasionally at 200, rarely at 300. Basically short range shooting.
The F Class shooters who compete at long range with .223 tend to use long barrels. With the 80 and 90 gr VLD bullets, useful velocity gains can be made with these barrels and bullets.
Ya, totally counterintuitive, but that's what this video segment was all about.
Barrel length surely DOES have "zip" to do with rechambering. I can cut my 28" 1.25" OD Straight Blank Barrel back twice and still be longer than 20". I don't think I would try and shoot it out to 1000yds in competition though (although lots do), even cutting my 28" barrel back to 24.5" I lost quite a bit of velocity and my accuracy node was at a much lower velocity than I would have liked.
Accuracy node at 28" was 2920fps
Accuracy node at 24.5" was 2760fps
The barrel one chooses will be dependent on the shooters use for it.
If one is shooting short range benchrest (100-300yds), then a short fat barrel is what is needed. If one is shooting long range benchrest (600-1000 yds) then generally a long fat barrel will be employed depending on the class they are shooting in.
If one is shooting F-Class (as I do) one will choose a barrel that will help keep the rifle into the weight restriction for his/her given class. I prefer a straight blank 1.25" OD barrel. I have had very good luck with both of the straight barrels I have shot.
If one decides that he just looooooves the look of a certain contour, and he isn't going to be competing and just wants his rifle to look damn cool (or even Tacticool) then he will choose the contour that makes the wood in his pants rise.
It's all relative to the shooters needs.
As a matter of fact, I just ordered a 17 Contour 7mm barrel that will finish at 30" so I can take advantage of the extra velocity to launch 180gr Berger VLD's (hopefully with 1/2min accuracy or better) out to 900m. Even after I ruin the throat and rechamber the barrel, I will be sitting around the 27.5" mark.
- Location
- Virden, MB
30" eh...
we shouldn't go there, someone's kids might read this
we shouldn't go there, someone's kids might read this
To help with this post, I asked this question as I'm tosted between to models. this would be for varminting be it off a bypod or shooting table.
might also tackle some yotes down the road.. Not sure if I would do any matches with the gun later but at this point I would say no to that.
The 2 models are both Savage models from there Law Enforcement Series -- Model 10 Precision Carbine .223 or Model 10FCP-K .223
might also tackle some yotes down the road.. Not sure if I would do any matches with the gun later but at this point I would say no to that.
The 2 models are both Savage models from there Law Enforcement Series -- Model 10 Precision Carbine .223 or Model 10FCP-K .223
The length of the barrel will have no effect on accuracy with these two factory rifles. The reality is that factory barrels do not render the type of accuracy that would manifest the effects of harmonics to the degree they would be discernible. Too many other factors at play. Just get the gun that fits you and your budget.
- Location
- Virden, MB
If you plan to do any coyote hunting or gopher shooting, you don't want a long barrel.
24 isn't too long but in my experience lugging long barrels through the trees and fields is a pain in the butt even with a sling.
As far as accuracy is concerned just look at the AR platform. The military regularly takes their M16's out to 800-1000 with factory ammo with barrels under 20".
24 isn't too long but in my experience lugging long barrels through the trees and fields is a pain in the butt even with a sling.
As far as accuracy is concerned just look at the AR platform. The military regularly takes their M16's out to 800-1000 with factory ammo with barrels under 20".
I have an Custom AR with a 16" barrel right now. it's a shame I couldn't use that for gophers but Allan Rock changed that for us.
I just picked up a Precision Carbine(20" .308 ) yesterday and it feels way better than my 12Fvss(26" .223 ) Its a way better balance with the shorter barrel and I am looking forward to very accurate stock rifle when I figure out bases and rings.
