Short barrels shoot, period. Everyone likes velocity AND accuracy when it goes hand in hand. Typically it doesn't. Long barrels Gaurantee better accuracy without pressure issues or compressed loads. They also typically shoot better at long ranges. Quite a difference from a 22 to 30 inch barrel in performance ( velocity). Nobody is going to choose a 22 over a 30 barrel for 1000 yard competition if he wants to compete effectively. At 600 yards however, I believe the playing field is fairly level.
308 Winchester barrel length
- Thread starter jfseaman
- Start date
Turbulent Turtle
F-TR competitor
Simple answer, because we suffer from barrel envy.
More complete answer is because people who want to excel in certain competitions will use equipment geared for that competition.
Short, stout barrels can be incredibly accurate and I believe those are the types of barrels favored by the benchrest crowd shooting at 100 to 300 yards or some such. I know very little about BR comps, so excuse my ignorance.
The tacticool guys and gals want to run around lugging their equipment from position to position and so long barrels can be detrimental to easy maneuvering. I don't know, I'm too old to play those games, but that's what I hear.
The OP said that short barrels are loud, I totally agree. They have more recoil because the rifle is lighter. They generate less velocity because they waste a lot of the wonderful hot gases making a bigger report instead of pushing the bullet faster.
My F-TR rifle wears a 34 inch barrel. I don't run around with it, as long as I can drag it from the back of my CUV to the rifle rack to the line and it makes weight, that's good enough for me. What I do want from my barrel is the most velocity I can get out of it, and still be able to reuse my brass several times. As has been stated several time, higher velocities mean less time in the conditions and in F-TR, at 1000 yards, that's a good thing. And we don't shoot for groups and we don't shoot as fast as we can pull the trigger, and we don't shoot just 5 or 3 shot strings.
Bottom line, get the barrel that fits your game.
Turbulent Turtle
F-TR competitor
I do not agree with the bolded statement. Long barrels do not guarantee better accuracy. What they do is usually provide higher velocities. If you have the same raw precision between a long barrel and a short barrel, this means the bullet from the long barrel should spend less time in the conditions than the one from the short barrel.
This.....I believe that factory rifles come with 22" barrels because they have a better chance of being more accurate overall on the average than a longer barrel. You have to figure in things like harmonics, which can be worse in the longer barrel and typically are less with a shorter barrel. This is one advantage. Next, as above, what I call "dwell time" for lack of a better term. The time measured from the sear breaking to the bullet exiting the muzzle which includes lock time. The longer barrel has more time for the bore to drift off the target after the sear is tripped. Just a few thousandths of movement at the muzzle can equate to quite a bit bigger group at 100-200 yards.
I believe lock time/dwell time is important in a hunting rifle where you don't have the advantage of the bench rest to help hold everything still. Don't get me wrong...I detest 22" carbines and that's very near to all you can get. This is a sad fact that has cost several manufacturers my business...a Sako 85 in 223 is ust one of many. Who wants to spend $2000.00 to get a carbine when you want a rifle??? All of my rifles, well at least all the ones I really like have 26" barrels or more. I do not find longer barrels to be a problem in the woods, a vehicle or treestand, but I agree, longer barrels are not necessarily more accurate across the board.
Let me phrase it better so that you will understand my meaning. Long barrels will provide better accuracy at longer ranges. This is simply because longer barrels provide faster velocities, allowing those long range bullets the best chance to apply the BC of that particular bullet which of course handles wind and is more reliable in those conditions. Longer barrels WILL NOT outshoot the shortest of barrels at 100 yards. I can validate that by my own short barrel 308s vs my long barrel models. I can also say that I shoot the long barrel 308 considerably better at 1000 yards than I do my 22" barrel. Again pushing the bullets much faster just gives the bullet 100% of its potential. That's I guess my meaning when I state the longer barrels are more accurate.
On this topic, here is a very interesting article.
http://rifleshooter.com/2014/12/308...ato-barrel-length-versus-velocity-28-to-16-5/
http://rifleshooter.com/2014/12/308...ato-barrel-length-versus-velocity-28-to-16-5/
Good article.
nakneker
Gold $$ Contributor
Just a thought on short barrels. The first custom I ever had made was 16.25 barreled Remington 700, no taper. I wouldn't do that again. However that rifle has many rounds and still shoots well under a half inch. Short and fat equals much less vibration, at least in rifle barrels 
However don't shoot it in the prone around dry grass, it may start a , it looks like a flame thrower at night.
However don't shoot it in the prone around dry grass, it may start a , it looks like a flame thrower at night.
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