Favorite Western Hunting Rifle Barrel Length

[TheLongRanger83702]

28" MTU 5R SS Kreiger

 

[littlebighorn]

I live in the West and pretty exclusively hunt here. I'm mostly a hunter, not a target shooter and I'm all about light rifles. Four of my six hunting rifles are in the 22"-23" category. I will say for me caliber has a lot to do with it. I have one 26" rifle, but it's longer because it's a 28 Nosler and going shorter makes it less than what it should be.

 

[65WSM]

24 inch AR semi auto
26 inch bolt action
28 inch High Wall and Borchardt

 

[Gstew1930]

20" with a can for me

 

[softtail103]

24-26 with a Terminator brake or my TB Ultra 7

 

[TXTrained]

Curious what everyone likes! Let's call this BEFORE any attachments such as a suppressor or brake.

I like a 22 inch.Im good to 1000'yds with it.I probably wouldn't take a shot past 1000 yards anyway
My 6.5 PRC Light weight mountain rifle has a 24 inch

 

[Howard Van Horn]

Deer - 308 Win, 150 gr bullet - 18" Barrel - (up to 300 yards)
Antelope - 7-08 Act Imp, 140 gr bullet - 20" Barrel - (up to 300 yards)
Elk - 8mm Mag, 220 gr bullet - 26" Barrel - (up to 600 yards)
Coyote - 220 Swift Ack Imp, 50 gr bullet - 26" Barrel - (up to 500 yards)
Jackrabbit - 22 LR, 40 gr bullet - 26" barrel - (up to 200 yards)

 

[Mike Matteson]

I use to use whatever the rifle came with, but now I have barrels changed out, even if it's a new rifle that never been used. I want a little heavier barrel and 26" long. Still waiting for my 6mm-280AI that will have a 30" barrel @ 7 twist rate. This is the first time I had a custom reamer built to chamber the barrel. I had the neck O.D. reduced at the same time. I also get a second barrel for that 6mm-280AI, but left it unchambered. One of the reason for a longer barrel is to be able to rework the barrel over as needed. I can shorten at both ends and retain the barrel. Just how long that barrel will last in the 6mm-280AI I don't know. All these barrels are without a muzzle brake on.

 

[Flintlock shooter]

42 inch....no brake, no can!!!

 

[lancetkenyon]

For Western hunting (which is where I hunt), I think of open flats, across canyons, to/from hills, and longer shots. That is typical "western" hunting to me. Glass them up, get into a shootable position, and then break out the packs with meat shelves.

26" with fast, flat, heavy for caliber bullets.

While I have 20", 22", & 24" barreled rifles, those mule deer/pronghorn/elk rifles mainly wear 26", even a 28" on my .300RUM built specifically for long range elk.

And yes, almost all the animals in these photos are now deceased.

 

[del2les]

Only one option? Depending on the game, varmint, hunting conditions/terrain, etc, I have several favorite Western rifles with barrels from 24" to 28".

 

[284ackley]

Curious what everyone likes! Let's call this BEFORE any attachments such as a suppressor or brake.

I use 25" for all my rifles. If i use a brake it's a 1.5" shorty, circular, added to 25"

 

[Greyfox]

For open country, 26".

 

[Trooper1]

I like 24" on medium cartridges and 26" on the magnums.

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