Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting What's the ideal barrel length for a bull barrel 243?

Varmints and shooting out to 750 or so.

Can I pull it of with a 20" barrel 1/9 twist?

If not, what's optimal? It's 26" right now.

Mines a 26" light Palma brux 8 twist with the interrupted fluting. I wish it was 24" but it shoots good enough that I don't dare mess with it. Seemed a little slow speed wise for a 26" but it speed up a lot after about 200 rounds. I've pushed 105's up to 3200 now that its broke in but accuracy is still at about 3080.

I've had other 243's that ran fine at 22" but I haven't taken one down to 20". I'm having a 308 built with an 18" brux #4 threaded for a can. I think the 308 will be fine at 18". I don't really like longer barrels anymore. Most of my rifles the last few years have been in the 20-24" range.

I say go 22" with your 243.

Bb

What is your profile? My last .243 was a heavy palma 26" and it was a bit to much out front. I handled a 22" heavy palma and it was much nicer handling when shooting from the field and tac matches. If I had to do it all again I would start with a 22" and still have room for at least one setback to save the throat.

I was not a speed demon with my .243, I ran the DTAC 115 at about 2950fps. The extra barrel length might get an additional 100fps but I cannot honestly say that extra speed would have ever saved me on a wind read. If I make or miss a read 100fps will not matter.

It's a Savage 26" Varmint contour now.

I prefer longer barrels on my rifles.. But a friend cut his BDL Varminter down to 20".. Vel. loss was significant, but he loves the way it handles.. So do I, but I could never cut a barrel back that far.. Just me..

Even a light Palma is a tad heavier than a Sendero, weight wise. I'm torn between a Sendero weight 24 or 26in.

A 20" 243 should be able to easily push a 105 AMax or similar to 2800 fps.

That will make 750 yards with 1700 fps or so. Can't see where that wouldn't work.

Lighter, faster, lower BC, will probably end up with similar 750 yard velocities.

Thanks Shane. I was hoping you'd weigh in.

Does making it an Ackley warrant more barrel?

I'd go 24-26" for your purposes. For a rifle that will be fired mostly from supported positions, a little muzzle heavy isn't a huge problem, and the extra velocity is nice. IMO 24" is an excellent compromise in a varmint-weight barrel.

An Ackley will have more potential velocity regardless of bbl length, how much bbl is optimum is always going to be a compromise between speed, balance, length, weight, and so on.

I don't think there is really a wrong answer between 20-26", it's just a matter of what you want. Ballistically you're talking about 150 fps or so difference in MV. I just don't see where that much difference in performance will make or lose anything significant in practical use.

23.625"...+/- .030...:-)

I have a remington 700 .243 with a 27 1/4 inch hart barrel. it is accurate and deady. i love shooting against the 20" barrels in F-class.

which model is it? the Savage varmint guns are usually bulky and heavy enough in all dimensions that I can't really see a shorter barrel helping appreciably in terms of portability.

Model 12. In a boyd's laminated stock.

It is not "handy"

I also have an 243 AI barrel on a model 10 in a McMillan stock with CDI bottom metal. That's a bit more portable with a 24" tube.

I would go 22 for optimal handling and good performance w/o the blast as close, but a 20 will do more than many think. Guy on another forum used an 8 twist, which is what I would ALWAYS run in any 6 or 6.5, and doing just fine with a 20" bbl. Think heavy bullets, 8 twist, and SLOW powders. I would prefer 22-23 if going more than 4-500 yds, just because, as it sounds like you are hunting in open country. Nothing over 23-24 max on the outside for me.

If you want to shorten that factory bbl, a 9 can stabilize 105 amax, you have to try them, slower speeds will not help, but my M7 XCR did fine. The 95 Berger will, but look hard also at the 87 vmax and BTHP if you can't shoot 105s well after you chop. FWIW, long ago had a 26" 223 VLS that SUCKED in handling, hated it, chopped to 22.5 and loved it - wish I had done it from day one. That would be a good compromise...

that's what I thought ... I've been going thru somewhat the same issue with a Savage 10 predator in .243 with the 24" barrel. The barrel length and balance is not to my liking, so I thought about cutting it back. I don't think 22" would help that much, but I'd lose some ballistics with a 20", and it starts to bark. and its still heavy.

i guess at the end of the day, a 20" heavy barrel .243 doesn't make much sense to me. I'd keep long/heavy varmint gun long and heavy. for a carry gun, I'd get something smaller and lighter in the 1st place.

I have a Forbes in 243 with a 1/8 20" barrel on order for the "lighter shorter" department..

I got all excited to reply to this thread until I realized it was D_W...................................dumber than a box of schitt but just wants to waste good people's time and wont listen ....guess you just post to see yourself type ?????

Somebody want to tell me what boat anus said so I don't have to take her off ignore?