I'm re-barreling a VZ24 7x57 Mauser (98)sporter with a new 7x57 barrel. What length barrel do you guys reccommend? Short is handy, but not at all necesary. Will 24' give the best accuracy? Thanks. I'll hunt deer and caribou. Shots range 40 to 300 yds.

Whatever balances best with the rest of the rifle.

I'm thinking you'll end up at 21 to 23 inches.

Accuracy is not a function of barrel length. My preference for standard calibers is 24".

Mine is a short chambered 24" 1/10 Pac-Nor on a VZ. It is balanced out in looks by a 14.25 LOP. Velocity runs just shy of 3K with 140's.

What is the 'sporter' like? Is a special stock that will fit only one barrel shape or larger or is it a cut down military gun?

Why do you want to replace the current barrel and how does it shoot now?

I see little sense in selecting the 7-57 for a large ring full length action.

In general I like the Winchester Featherweight barrel contour and a 22" length.

Mine has a 22" barrel. I wouldn't change a thing.

I've had 7x57's with barrels from 21" to 26". They all killed stuff, but balanced differently. If you can figure out what barrel length balances best for YOU, then that's probably the best one.

The 7X57 from Mauser in Sporter configuration came with a 600 mm barrel (23.6") from Jon Speed's book...jim

I built mind with a 24 inch barrel which is my favorite barrel length on a bolt action rifle regardless of cal

I like the shooting, the feel and the handling of an old well worn ZB 21h I use. It has the double square bridge action with factory mounts and a Dakota M70 type safety.

The rifle is narrow! It carries well in my hand. Just an old rifle with some style.

It has the original 20.5" barrel with irons on it.

To answer questions....

Why replace barrel? corroded inside, frosted and dark.
What stock? I have a new Remington 798 stock (same as Make X).

I sure wish that someone could tell me the dimensions and contour of the Zastava barrel that they made for the Remington 798. Thefactory does not wish to tell. I'd sure like a drop in if anyone knows 100% for sure.

Mine is 23".
Butch

Go back a hundred years ago. In most Armies the Infantry had 25-30 inch barreled rifles. Artillery, Engineers, Cavalry, etc... had 18-22 inch barreled rifles.

This is where this issued got started

24" in about a #3 contour for "hang" and a smidgen of extra velocity--that's on the long end. Short end, I'd go no less than 22" unless you are building something for specialty use.

Why don't you have it installed at 24" and see how it feels all up? You can always have it cut later.

Barrel contour is often ignored in this process. I like a short chamber area, a fairly rapid reduction in diameter through the forend section and gentle taper to a bit thicker muzzle: Too many bolt action rifles are center-heavy. Ruger 77's are notable examples. When you lose "hang", you lose steadiness and a sense of where the muzzle (the aiming part)is.

The Winchester Featherweight contour can be modified to taper less and have a thicker muzzle area--giving more of this type of weight distribution.

I left the Lothar Walther barrel on mine at 25" and it has caused no issues. The extra length puts the already mild muzzle blast that much furthur away.

I went with 25 in for mine as well. The style you choose will have a great deal to do with what you decide to go with as far as the length goes.
I went with the 1920's English stalking rifle style and the longer bbl, short forearm has many advantages in handling, and accuracy (sight plane length), with the aperture sights.

Von Gruff.

right powder..anything from 18" to 26" works.....

If you have 1 of the laminated Remington 798 stocks, like those that Stockys sells for $100, remember that they are pretty heavy, so you might want a little longer barrel to balance the weight of the stock for handling purposes.

I have 7x57s with barrels from 18.5", on a Ruger 77 RSI, to 24", an A&B Savage drop-in barrel on a Marlin XL-7. They all work and I would cut my barrel to a length that best suited the balance of the rifle and than I would consider the type of terrain that I was hunting. Open country, longer barrel, woods and thick brush, shorter barrel. Although I haven't hunted with it, I have held/carried the 24" Marlin parts gun enough to know that I wouldn't want to hunt with it in thick cover.

JEff