Originally Posted by Just a Hunter
I was thinking of asking a question about feel and balance, but it was answered with this post. I do better with 24" barrels (and 26" for that matter) than 22". They seem to balance better and hang steadier than the shorter ones for me. Maybe it is because of my build at 6'4" and 240 lbs. I do have a 28" med. hvy. barrel on a #1 that is too much of a good thing but from the bench or bipods.

Originally Posted by CharlieSisk
Originally Posted by Mackay_Sagebrush
CharlieSisk,

Based on your observations, and experience what would be an optimal barrel length for both the .308 and 30-06 cartridges, if the person was building a precision-oriented hunting rifle with longer shots expected due to the terrain/environment?
What I do on my own rifles is this....I build leaving the barrel at the 28 inch blank length. Then finish the rifle, add scope, and dummy rounds in magazine. Then throw it up to my shoulder. Then cut off a bit. Throw it back up. Cut a little more until it feels the way I want. After that, I don't measure.
Charlie

I also prefer a 24" to 26" inch barrel simply due to a preference for a "weight forward" feel...