Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Barrel Length

I have a few 30.06 rifles that have different length barrels. One is a 22" and one a 24". I am currently in the market for another gun in 7mm-08, 308, or 243.. (not sure yet) but am wondering why some mfg's make 24" and some offer only 22".

Any reason or preference?

Because variety is the spice of life.

I'm just kind of guessing but I think back in the day the long actions would have 24" barrels and the shorts a 22". Sounds good to me anyway.

I remember Askins writing that 24" was too long and 22" was too short. He wrote that his rifles had 23" barrels.

manufacturers make guns for one reason - to make a profit. shorter barrels cost less and have become "accepted" by the buying public (look at the 18 and 20's we see today). 22 for standard and 24 for mags is now common and acceptable to the majority. the 26's you find (if sales stats are correct) are slowly being phased back to 24. besides, 2" doesn't make enough difference for the majority to discern or even care. maybe it's progress!

doubletap,



Thids have certainly changedsince he wrote. Now 26" is too short and 35" is too long. Therefore my rifles have 28" barrels with a muzzle brake on the end of them. Just right.

You would!!!!

To get you to buy a new rifle--that's why.

When Remington was offering the M720's a few generations ago, most of their rifles were 24 in bbls. When the M700 was introduced, the standard cartridges came with 20 inch bbls for the first couple years, then 22 inch for the standard, 24 inch for the mags, plus 26 inches for a couple of the mag cartridges.

A few years ago Remmy started offering most of the M700's with a 24 inch bbl even in the standard cartridges--which ticks me off because I like 22 inch bbls for most chamberings in a hunting rifle........


Casey

I figure they make them long so you can make them shorter if you want them that way.

I like a 22in for most purposes. They don't hang up as much, go in and out of scabbards easier, don't catch as much brush when slung, etc. Includes magnums FWIW.

I really like a 20 in for brushy country but not in a magnum chambering. The blast gets to be more than I like or too close.

I have a 24 in SGD Model 70 and two .30cal magnums with 24's.

My .338's 26 in barrel was cut to 23". I wish I had went to a 22".

A barrel has to be the length it is. If it was shorter it wouldn't reach all the way from the breech to the muzzle. If it was longer it would go past the ends.

And I have all my barrels installed upside down so the bullet rises with distance instead of falling. Counteracts gravity so it shoots flat. Don't know why no one else ever turned a trajectory diagram upside down and discovered that.

Lots of answers on 24 Hr Campfire. Just ask and one of us experts will have the answer.



Bruce

Old people like long barrels,
Young people like short barrels.

I've hunted in the brush with 26 inchers and on the pairie with 18.5's and never noticed any handicap either way. I think most of the problems are from the ears up.

When brush goes to an extreme, shorter is better. Just thinking of my fishing rods as an extreme. I have hell just turning around and getting out of camp with my 16 foot fly rod. It's much much simpler with an 8 footer. Once I make it out to the middle of the river though, I'd rather have the 16.

Another extreme in gun handling. Quick draw experts favor handguns.

Well.... I'm not as old as Don, and a lot older than some of the younger folks here... Thus; I must be destined to like medium length barrels.

Dang!--yer' brilliant....why didn't I think of that?....



Casey

Ask Bubba and his cousin what barrel length is right in the deep woods. One will swear by 18" barrels, and the other just sticks with punkin' balls out of his shotgun with its 30" barrel.

A .284 or .280 with a 28" barrel will give the same performance as the throat eroding 7mm Mag with a 24" barrel. Same for a .338 vs. .340 Weatherby.

Of late I think Remington leaves 'em long cause the crowns are trash....not all but a disheartening number I have examined whilst looking for a donor...

Furthermore, the angle of the dangle is proportional to the torque of the dork but YMMV