To each his own. I want all the barrel I can get to maximize velocity, making the stubby little bugger all it can be. Thinking about a 24-26" for a Contender. Speer lists their 120gr GD at over 2600 with one powder. Pretty good performance from such a mild cartridge, IF true; not far short of a 6.5x54.
I'm looking at about 2450 out of the 16" barrel which is plenty of MV for the 123 SST and 129 ABLR to perform well at 300 yds. In my area I would have to set up on a power line or field (something I almost never do) to shoot past that, and I have other rifles for that purpose.
I'm working on a scabbard for my Yamaha TW200 dual sport and the compact profile of this set-up lends itself well to that application.
