Optimal Barrel Length

[Bart B]

[ QUOTE ]
You keep saying that palma groups are smaller than benchrest groups.

[/ QUOTE ]I've never said that nor put it in print; this media or any other.

Palma match shooters rarely shoot under 2 MOA from 800 through 1000 yards in competition. They use aperture sights slung up shooting prone. The best of them can hold inside 3/4ths MOA and break their shots inside of that.

 

[goodgrouper]

Uhh, I believe you did sir. Here is a quote THAT YOU MADE not more than a few days ago!
[ QUOTE ]
If you nay-sayers would get your head out of the 'benchrest' sand and learn that highpower match rifles shoot just as accurate with their longer, thinner barrels than the shorter, fatter ones used by the stool shooters, it would enlighten you

[/ QUOTE ]

Am I dreamin here or what?

You sir delight in being against the grain in every facet of this sport which further makes me believe you are here with the sole intent of trolling in mind. No longer will it work with me! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[James Jones]

Holy cow !!!
anyway , I come from the school of thought that believes that a pipe that is 2" in diameter with a .308 hole in it is in fact alot stiffer and way LESS subject to harmonics from a bullet being blasted out of it that a pipe that it 1/2" in diameter with a .308 hole in it.
Now in 20+ years of shooting I have seen a couple rilfes with realy skinny barrels like the .500" mentioned earlier shoot groups that would mic under 1/4" but they would not shoot these groups with the shots being fired any faster than about one per 2 min. So yea the skinny barrels will shoot if their build properly and shot properly but the chances of getting a gun to group tight will always go to the short fat barrel.
Now , this is not saying that if you get a 20" barrel that 4" thick and chamber it for say a 30-378 that its gonna be more accurate than a 6mmPPC with a 26" barrel that measures .5 at the muzzel , I personaly believe that their is a optimum barrle length more so than a barrel thickness.
I have a 308 that stared life with a 26" tube and it shot well sub 1/2" but I cut it back to 22" and the groups shrank a noticable amout only when another load wos worked up for it , the best shooting loads for the 26" length would not shoot that well out of the 22" length. The smae care was taken in the reloading steps and the smae care was taken when the barrel was crowned both times (it was a recessed 90 deg by the way)

So I think that the question being asked can only be answered buy trying the caliber you want to shoot with a new found favorit load for each barrel length that is tested which I personaly don't think is very cost effective so we tend to go with what is common practice.

Now what would make for a stiffer yet lighter barrel a 26" M24 conture fluted with 6 3/16" flutes or 10 1/8" flutes both being cut to the smae depth
which one would be more accurate ??

 

[Dan B]

I've not seen it mentioned yet...but back to the original post...21.75" works best for the BR cartridges they are using for short range benchrest AND...they have certain weight limits they have to make for certain classes.

For the cartidges THEY are shooting at the the ranges THEY are shooting under the time constraints and required number of shots for a record target...21.75" at a certain barrel taper may just be the best barrel length to have enough meat to handle the heat w/o wandering shots AND still land them all in the same hole...AND make weight for the class. If you also remember in that article it said that Virgil's gun remained unpainted because if if had been...it would have been overweight for class.

I've got a tricked .222 Rem XP-100 w/ 14" barrel (1.010" muzzle diameter) that I would seriously put against ANY gun at 100 yards...does this mean 14" is best.....nope.