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

Oh, he was being a d!ck then. Not out of character for a guy with 900 posts about neck sizing and little else...

I don't think I would want to go shorter than 22". I have a .243AI with a 22" barrel, and its a nice compromise between long and short.
I know it doesn't fit in the application necessarily, but I would still consider the balance of the rifle. A well balanced rig, shoots well from any position.

R.

For reference.....at peak accuracy, not necessarily peak velocity:

My last 6 Dasher was cut to 22" and I ran 105 VLD's at 2930.

Two previous 10 twist 22" 6 Dashers both ran 95 VLD's at 3060.

My latest 6x47 Lapua runs the 105 VLD's at 3030 in the same 22" length.

If you are not goung to carry the rifle around much, I'd leave it 26" as is.

I have a few 243s. My LR 243 has a 26" tube. It doesn't get lugged around very far. My hunting/calling 243 has been cut to 21.5". It does get carried around a lot.........

22-23" be happy

30 thou Rembo? You're getting sloppy in your old age.

Aalf, I know you have built a lot of 23" rifles, did you decide to cut some down another inch for accuracy and/or handling? Just curious. Never lost accuracy and may have improved it when going shorter and stiffer.

One only needs to see how phenomenally accurate the XP100 guns and similar short stiff bolt handguns are, to see a correlation with accuracy.

None were cut down, they were built as 22 inchers, although I had a couple of 22 Dashers built with #5's at 25", and I had them trimmed to 22".

Anymore, I'm a huge 22 inch fan, but if I put together something for a little more performance, I stretch it to 23", as it only adds an ounce or so in a #3. Static prairie dog or dedicated LR plinkers not included.

I've got a 20" 223 that's not too bad to shoot, but the same in 17 1/2" is an annoying little bastard shooting PD's......

Late last week I shared the range with a fellow shooting one of those compact Ruger 77 rifles with a 16.5" barrel in 243. That one had a pretty loud bark.

I just had Longrifles make me a 26" Remington Varmint contour in .243 with a 1/8 Brux barrel

I've long been done with 26" 243Win's.

One has to only ask the question, in it for performance, or for handiness.

That will give you the answer you need.

Run a hot rod in a short tube and you loose all the advantages to it IMHO.

A Hot Rod in a reduced spout,still trumps a Turd in a short spout.

Balance/handling is key and curiously enough...I hear good things about 22" 243AI's of all things.

Just sayin'.

considering your lack of height.. that is a reasonable conclusion...

but since I over 5 ft by exactly 12 more inches... I have no problem with a 26 inch barreled 243... In fact one of my favorite rifles is a Model 70 Varmint in 243 with a 26 inch barrel and then a Model 70 Varmint with a 29 inch barrel in 22.250....

one day I'd like to see a pic of you ( since you take so many ) of you and a 1898 Krag service rifle...with its 31 inch barrel and you with you 4 ft 10 inch height.... remember to stand on a stump again, so you don't look so short there Yosemite Sam....

Seafire
Having met Stick exactly once, and that by pure randomness, I have to point out he has worked everybody like a cheap whore.

He gave everyone the impression he was short. Now everyone gives him grief about something which means less than nothing to him. He is not 6' but he is not that far from it.

So everyone that has been hammering him about being a midget has to realize it meant less than nothing... they have been worked, big time.

I don't see the connection. One of my favorite rifles sports a 22" barrel and I'm 6'3". I got rid of every rifle I've ever owned with a 26" barrel, I just don't like 'em.

And as far as "been worked big time," in more ways than one.