Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 20" 223 barrel a disadvantage?

Looking at a Rem 700 SPS Tactical with a 20" 223 barrel and like the rifle and price. What am I giving up with the short barrel in speed as I'm also considering a SPS Stainless in 24"? Does a little 223 case need a longer than 20" barrel? It will be used for woodchucks to 300 yds.

If your only shooting out to 300 yards 20" is more than you would need. I dare say that even a 16" barrel would give you enough velocity for shooting out to 300 yards (noise is another story). The difference in velocity between a 20" and 24" 223 barrel is prettly slim.

That's good to know as I like the feel of the little Tactical and the fact that it has a 1-9 twist.

Nope...not giving up anything in that Bbl...buy it and rock on!

I'd take the 20" 1/9 over the 24" 1/12 without hesitation.

Here too...

I have one of those rifles, nice little rig, you won't lose anything with the 20" barrel. TAC and 70 grain VLD's are a nice combo, and gophers hate thr 50 gr. BT's out of it.


Stock is kinda cheezy, I bedded it and laid in some reinforced epoxy into the forend to stiffen it. An A2 is on the list to replace it..

I have an older Savage 110 "4x4" model in .223 with a 20-inch barrel, and found myself shooting over prairie dogs at a lasered 287 yards, sighted in one and a half inches high at 100 yards, holding over their heads. This was with a 40 gr Ballistic Tip and a max load of H-335. It shot a lot flatter than I expected.

Never knew there was a reason to go much longer.

Rancho-your rig will perk with the 70's?

Dober

Dusty-many many moons ago I was cutting 223's to 21", IMO it's the way to go. If I were you I'd be all over that rig! It'll be a rock star for you.

Dober

Over 25 gr. of TAC, very nicely..

Ugly Tikka shoots the same load lights out, too..

which bullet and what twists?

Dober

VLD..

The Rem is a 9 twist, ugly Tikka is an 8.

My Bushmaster AR-15 has a 16" barrel and it has done PD's in just fine at 400+ yards.

I've got a 17 1/2" Rock 8 twist that runs 75's at 2900 even. I've killed out to 850.

I wouldn't worry about a 20.....

The M16A1s and A2s are 20", which would seem to suggest that the .223 is just about right with that length.

That's how I look at it, anyway............

My new toy-in-progress is a 20" .223ai, to me it seems the perfect fit.

Alot of talk about the 223 AI lately. What kind of speeds are we talking about over the 223? I understand the advantage of the straighter case for less trimming as well as the ease of fire forming. thanx.

Dusty246: I shoot a number of 223's including a Remington 700 VTR with 20" of rifled barrel.
It performs VERY well - in the field and at the range.
Yes - you will give up some velocity compared to a 24 or 26 inch barreled 223 but not a lot that would make it hard for 300 yard hits.
I checked out the Rifle you are interested in via the new 2,011 Remington catalog and that model has a 1 in 9" twist barrel.
I have killt Prairie Dogs out past 300 yards with my 20" barreled 223 many times.
You should do well on Woodchucks.
Best of luck with whichever model you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Basically 10% increase in perfoprmance...about 300 fps...I love them...got two of them now...

Tom,

So you're getting 4100+ with a 40?

So far as you know......

Just askin'.

My latest .223 is a 22" Icon. With the max load of Benchmark (28.0 grains) listed by both Nosler and Hodgdon, it's getting right around 3800 with 40-grain Ballistic Tips on an Oehler chronograph. Which is just about both Nosler and Hodgdon suggest for that load.

Thats not that heavy varmint model is it???

You know I like Icons...but I like the sporter weight Mo' betta....


Twist???

Yeah, or what passes for the HV model. It's actually a medium-weight fluted barrel. It has a heavy scope and rings on it right now (3-15x Weaver Super Slam and Warne Maximas) and still only weighs around 10-1/2. With a typical 3-10x and Talley LW's it would go under 10.

You will need to smoke that barrel on PDs...

just sayin....

Yeah, I've got it all sighted-in and ready to go. Took it down to Broadus last weekend, along with two other rifles, but due to weather only got to shoot one afternoon, and my .221 took priority, due to a new 2-ounce trigger that needed testing.

But there are other places to shoot dogs!

Funny little world be live in....
I just bought a take off barrel in .223 AI from a member here in Broadus, MT.


I had Dave Van Horn here in Az. fit it last and am just waiting on my McMillan to wrap things up.

Me too-------with a 1-9 twist. I've also got a 22" with a 1-12 twist. So far the fire form loads register about the same velocity in both rifles, but I'm a LOT more excited about the shorter guns potential with the faster twist.

A 20" barrel won't be as fast as a 24" barrel, it just won't. Even with .223 capacity extra barrel length has an effect on velocity. The difference can be more or less depending on which two barrels. In practical terms there won't be a real big difference. The 223 truck gun has a 20" barrel..... load is a 403895. A 223 with heavy 26" barrel.....most accurate 40gr load in that one is doing 4010. Both are 14" twist. I haven't compared the two with heavier bullets......the truck gun only sees 40's and has never been chrono'd with anything heavier, the longer barrel is shot with 50's.

I'm not normal, I'd take the 24" barrel for chucks, Lapua brass, Rem 7 1/2's, 50g noslers, N-133, and would blister 3500+ fps.

N-135 with the 55g Sierra lead tip blitz just grenades a huge chuck or coyote at 3450+ fps, you will need tough brass and a thick cup primer...you will be very happy. This load is so distructive, you will not believe it. You can hit a coyote way back in the stomach, he will be laying right where he was hit.