Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles who shoots a 26" barrel anyway ? - What's your desired barrel length

I have 25in barrels mine from the 20VT through 7x57 to the 404 and find it a comfortable length to hunt with.

Von Gruff.

my cz has a 25" barrel for now. i held a redone brno zkk 602 with a 26" tube and it was quite lively, too.

FWIW, I like my barrels to be 22-26 inches depending on cartridge and balance. I prefer 24 inch for standard calibers,i.e., 270. 30-06, 6.5x55, 22-250, and 7mm and 300 win mags. However, I won't buy a rifle chambered for the Weatherby cartridges or 264 WM that doesn't have a 26" bbl. Lou

Wow for real??
You got some pics? I'd like to see that!

Nothing wrong with 26" barrels, most of these have them and they shoot just fine.

I prefer shorter, but, that didn't stop me from buying a Sendero and a M700P .223 that have 26' tubes... it's fine on those big heavy rifles anyway.

The 26" barrel on my .338 XCR pisses me off, though. It really should be 24" or even less... but the damn thing SHOOTS so I'm skeered to cut it shorter. Maybe all the mojo is in those last couple inches!

My .358 is 20", my 30-06 and 7-08 are 22"... I like that...

savage 99

Very nice rifle. I love the butter-knife bolt handle Do you have any pictures of it with the new safety?

I've got the same one. Going to try it for a bit, but may have it cut to 23", with a recessed crown similar to factory...

28.5" 300RUM
26" 257Wby
24" .270win
22" 7mm-08

Lengths of new tubes recently attached to a few actions.

26" 300RUM & 338RUM, 25" on a custom 300Winnie which to me is perfect.....24" on a 300WSM and 7WSM, 24" on a 257ROY (that sucks, would have prefered a 26).

24" on a 22/250, 24" on a 7STW

Tony

Everything in my safe these days is a standard caliber (no magnums for me)

They're all between 22-23" Except for a couple AR15 carbines, at 16"...

....... that sounds about right.

Long barrels seem to have been very desireable many years ago.
Two of the Rem 722's made 50+ years ago have 26" barrels. And, they are a pain to store in the safe. But, I have no problem with them hunting, and I've been carrying them Coyote hunting here. I really don't know what the thinking was back then regarding barrel length. But, today's barrels are shorter from the factory, which adds to better carrying in thick cover, with enough velocity to get the job done.
If I go out hunting to a spot to watch for Deer, as an example, I kind of like long barrels. The 257 Roberts I had built a few years ago has a 26" Douglas barrel on it.

My drool factor is way up!!! Those rifles are magnificent!!! WOW!

I have a couple of rifles with 26" tubes. One is a 264 Win mag and the other is a 7mm STW. I think these cartridges need the extra barrel length even if they are a bit unhandy. That being said I prefer a 24" barreled rifle.

If I am remembering correctly I have had rifles with barrels of 26", 25", 24", 22", 20", & 19 1/2".

I currently have only 6 rifles, and they are all 24" and feel that is the best overall length considering muzzle blast, balance, handling.

I have a 26" 223 and 25-06. They are fine for groundhogs, but not for deer hunting. I even tried the 25-06 from a tower overlooking fields. The only shot I got that day was a running doe at 20 yards. I screwed it up and think I shot her in the hoof. (I have game cam pics of a doe with goofy hoof from the last two fall's.)

My last build was a 20" 458 Win Mag. I think its a perfect woods deer rifle. I can swing it well, and it's heavy enough to be steady. Its loud and kicks hard with 458 loads, but its a bunch of fun.

I think I'll try another shorter barrel.