I've hunted just about any type of country you are likely to encounter here in Oregon and in Northern Alberta for moose. Even in the thickest stuff I have crawled through on the coastal rain forests and the dark pecker pole thickets of the Blue Mountains, I would doubt you would notice a difference between a 20" and a 24" barrel. I have a Pre 64 Win 70 barreled in a 22" 338 and I have a classic Win 70 Stainless with a 26" 338 and I only prefer the stainless one because I hunt in severe weather quite often. Before I had the Stainless Classic, the 22" 338 WM was my go-to elk rifle. Velocities from the two was 2650 with the 22" barrel with 225 grain Partitions and the 26" pushes 2900 with the same bullets. I've never noticed any difference in killing power or handling in deep dark timber, alder thickets, or long range pokes between the two. I could probably push a few more fps out of the short barrel, but it shoots so well at the load I have worked up for it I just leave it alone...
Do what makes you feel good and what handles best. Don't worry about the rest, IMO....
Bob
