Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Why such long barrels on a 6.5-06?

I have noticed over the years that when guys build a 6.5-06 they always have long barrels. When you look at the factory normal for .25-06, .270, or 30-06 it is usually 22 inches, so why such long barrels on a 6.5-06? No I'm not building a new rifle just wondering why the longer barrels.

Speed, I would say..I always put at least a 26 " barrel on my custom barrels.. Speed and wt. for steady aiming at longer distances.. I believe my two 06's have factory 22" barrels.. I would be far happier with 24.. One of them I have never fired, my other 06 has a 24" Douglas..

It depends on the manufacturer as to factory barrel length, and model for that matter. I have both 22 and 24" barrels on my 30-06 and 24 on a .270 Win. As WyoCoyoteHunter says it is about getting the most velocity from a cartridge and still having a decent handling rifle. I have a 28" on a Ruger #1 in .264 Win. Mag. Even with it's overall shortened length compared to a bolt action it is still heavy and not for off-hand shooting.

To keep from having a flame-thrower?.....

And the disadvantage of a "flame-thrower" is....?

Not disgreeing, just asking.

I have a 30-06 with a 24-inch barrel, another 30-06 with a 23-inch barrel, a 25-06 with a 24-inch barrel, a 7 Mashburn with a 25-inch barrel.

Because the extra barrel length is good for velocity and I don’t notice it carrying.

I think part of barrel length disparity is regional. Out west a longer barrel doesn’t bother me. If you hunt in the briar patches a shorter barrel might be helpful.

I built mine with a 22" barrel. Can get 3000 fps with 127LRX with conservative load of H4831 could probably step on it a little harder but I see no need. I basically have wildcatted a .270

It makes you see spots in front of your eyes when spotlighting. Hard to get a second shot when the scope is fulla spots......

a lot less 'flash' with long barrels, but short barrels are handier in the truck cab....

I'd probably do 20" suppressed with a titanium suppressor on my next. If not suppressed, 23-24 is pretty handy.

24 inch would be my choice. I like a 24 inch better than a 22 inch on my 270's. I've always wished my 338 win mag had a 26 inch instead of the 24 inch.

HA!!

My 6.5-06 has a 26. I’m a stand hunter, I like the extra length

I've always considered 24" standard for non-magnums and 26 for mags giving the mags in particular more of an "expansion chamber" for gas to complete it's mission. Not as important for .308 diameter and up as you have the added diameter to increase chamber/barrel capacity but especially for rifles like my 257 Weatherby Mag which needs 26" in my humble opinion. Also, I'm tall with long arms and longer barrels typically more quickly for me and are often more "shootable"! To each is own I suppose but 24" is my minimum when building rifles. I'm sure you can make the argument that modern propellants do not need longer barrels but I prefer them.

Pretty sure mine is 24”; my .257 AI was the same.

As has been said, a lot is regional. IN GENERAL I think of 18-22” as great for eastern stand hunting and 24-26” for western.

Obviously, some chamberings work better with longer bbls but barrel length really depends on what type of rifle that desired in the end.

One could have a 20" 308 bush gun or have the same 308 with a 26" bbl for longer range shooting.

26" does not bother me, neither does the 130g Accubonds at 3150 shooting sub 1/2" groups.

My .45 has a 42" barrel. Works just dandy. Weighs 7#3oz.

Dunno why short barrels are so popular, 'cept maybe for pistols.

I went 24 on my 6.5-06. Not really any concrete reason other than 26 does seem a touch long at times the way I hunt and I feel 22 is robbing just a bit more speed than needed. Not to mention shorter tubes seem much louder to me.

I have built (3) 6.5-06 rifles:


top: Zeiss Conquest HD5 1965 Rem 700 rebarreled 6.5-06 Benchmark 28" [ killed nothing]
middle: Leupold VX-6HD, 1962 Rem 700 rebarreled to 6.5-06 Bartlein barrel 26" [ killed antelope buck 450 yards]
bottom: Sightron SIII, 2014 Dumoulin Mauser barrelled to 6.5-06 Shilen 24" [killed a white tailed doe at 629 yards]


Judging by my results, the shorter the barrel the better.... but the out of control variable is the superior scopes the short barrels got.