Gunsmithing barrel length question

Re: barrel length question

I do.

Ive just gotten started in this game but the barrels I've turned so far have been odds as well as evens.

I have a 21" on my 243, and will be going to a 23" I think
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...rebarreling it in 3 weeks.

We use quickload to get an idea of ideal barrel length for a given load and rifle barrel. For example, my buddies 308, with a 26" tube, only gets 100fps more than the same load in the same rifle cut down to 20". Quickload agreed with our real life findings. So in that case, I wouldnt go longer than 20"

For my 243, I dont get much more velocity from my load past 23". It still goes up obviously, but at a lesser rate than 20" to 23". So, I consider 23" to be ideal.


I like compact rifles, and dont mind giving up a few fps to save a few inches. So I try to decide on barrel lengths in a practical way. Even if it lands me on a 21", 23", 25", or 27" barrel.
 
Re: barrel length question

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jonaddis84</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We arent smart enough to count between even numbers. I know there is some famous smith that swears by 21.75" as optimal length </div></div>
What smith is that?

Swearing by one length for everything is silly. Kinda like saying which crown angle is most accurate.

There are a ton of variables.
 
Re: barrel length question

I could be wrong, and often am, but I think that 21.75" came from the guys that were shooting in the warehouse in Houston. I believe they were shooting 6mm BR. They spent a lot of time doing experiments and that was the number that they came up with.
 
Re: barrel length question

LOL, I read that some time ago and never for a second thought it was completely non-fiction. Ever since, I see the magic 21.75" referred to as if it was based on methodology as opposed to Hemingway.

For quite a while I hemmed and hawed about having my 26" varmint trimmed to 23", but am now glad I made it 22". It's still a beast, and I can't believe I hauled 26" up and down mountainsides. Standardization is a Good Thing, especially when you are looking for ballistic data or resale value.