Barrel Length Recommendations

[hogan]

What's the smallest-capacity cartridge that seems competitive in long-range matches?
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The 6XC which is basically a .001 shorter bodied 6mm/.22-250AI. Looking at about 35gr of powder versus the 42+gr of larger cases, but with high BC bullets it has been favored for XC and other longrange applications. Maybe its time has come & gone already? Pehaps the 6mmAR Turbo is now the soup du jour?

If you read the Winter 08 or 09 Domininon Rifle Club newsletter, author there provided MUCHO documentation that a bolt-rifle in .223/5.56 chambering with 1:6.5 twist barrel (and superlative shooter) could deliver 90gr SMK & JLK VLD bullets to 1000yds with 2" veritical spread. The groups reported were 15 & 20 rounds fired. How's that for "competitive" using about 23gr of RL-15?

Depends upon who you want to compete with. The 6xc with 107gr match or maybe the datac 115s is a solid option. Form your own brass from .22-250 cases and you're in the game, or buy the Norma factory stuff.

 

[Brians356]

The 6XC which is basically a .001 shorter bodied 6mm/.22-250AI. Looking at about 35gr of powder versus the 42+gr of larger cases, but with high BC bullets it has been favored for XC and other longrange applications. Maybe its time has come & gone already? Pehaps the 6mmAR Turbo is now the soup du jour?

If you read the Winter 08 or 09 Domininon Rifle Club newsletter, author there provided MUCHO documentation that a bolt-rifle in .223/5.56 chambering with 1:6.5 twist barrel (and superlative shooter) could deliver 90gr SMK & JLK VLD bullets to 1000yds with 2" veritical spread. The groups reported were 15 & 20 rounds fired. How's that for "competitive" using about 23gr of RL-15?

Depends upon who you want to compete with. The 6xc with 107gr match or maybe the datac 115s is a solid option. Form your own brass from .22-250 cases and you're in the game, or buy the Norma factory stuff.

Did you mean .010" shorter bodied? (Only .001" shorter seems hardly worth noting. How may less grains of capacity is that? )

Anything in the Creedmore / 250 AI class (or smaller), shooting long/heavy VLD bullets would be subject the "diminishing returns" of barrel length suggested by the 6.5 Creedmore barrel chop test previously cited, wherein 142-gr bullet velocity decreased after 24 inches.

(If that 6.5 Creedmore chop test was fatally flawed, perhaps someone could explain how? It's also fair to note a 6-Creedmore could well utilized a longer barrel than 6.5 Creedmore, but 4 or 6 inches longer?)
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[Shynloco]

Well guys,
I'm surprised this post continues to gather opinions. Sorry for not putting a KABOSH on this subject earlier. So for what it's worth, the barrel was finished and mounted by my Gunsmith back in Feb (2017). It ended up being 29" long (finished) and the rifle is "a shooter." I have since been working on load development and just this morning, I was at the range and confirmed (after testing several variations of loads-bullets & powders) that my rifle is the most accurate (5 shot groups in the 1's @ 100 yds) shooting 140 gr Bergers being pushed by RE19.

In closing, thanks for all the input and opinions a number of members have offered. I have always enjoyed varying opinions on a number of topics. But in the end, after trying a variety of combinations (once I settled on recommended barrel lengths), the rifle itself is the final arbiter of what she likes the best. Thx again to all.

Alex

 

[Brians356]

Well guys,
I'm surprised this post continues to gather opinions. Sorry for not putting a KABOSH on this subject earlier. So for what it's worth, the barrel was finished and mounted by my Gunsmith back in Feb (2017). It ended up being 29" long (finished) and the rifle is "a shooter."

Nice! And, it is a standard 260 Remington, yes?
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[Shynloco]

Yes sir it is a standard 260 Remington and boy does it shoot.

Alex

 

[Brians356]

Yes sir it is a standard 260 Remington and boy does it shoot.

What's your load of RL-19 (if you don't mind divulging) and MV?
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[Shynloco]

What's your load of RL-19 (if you don't mind divulging) and MV?
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42.05gr of RL-19. I did not chrony the session, but am estimating that according to Berger's reloading manual, it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2600 fps. And I seated the bullets to just touching the rifling and not a full hard jam seat.

 

[Brians356]

42.05gr of RL-19. I did not chrony the session, but am estimating that according to Berger's reloading manual, it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2600 fps. And I seated the bullets to just touching the rifling and not a full hard jam seat.

Seems like a conservative load. I don't have Berger data to hand, but Alliant's online load data offers:

260 Rem, 140-gr Speer SP, CCI 200, 24-in barrel, Reloder 19 45.5 grs -> @2731 fps

I wonder if you're even close to utilizing all 29 inches of barrel. But, if it shoots that accurately, who cares? (Edit: Unless you need more velocity for long range.)
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[Shynloco]

Seems like a conservative load. I don't have Berger data to hand, but Alliant's online load data offers:

260 Rem, 140-gr Speer SP, CCI 200, 24-in barrel, Reloder 19 45.5 grs -> @2731 fps

I wonder if you're even close to utilizing all 29 inches of barrel. But, if it shoots that accurately, who cares? (Edit: Unless you need more velocity for long range.)
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Just saw your last post. And I agree I'm not getting the full benefit of the barrel's length. But keep in mind, I'm only shooting 100 yds and that if I were shooting say at 600 yds, the powder load would have to be increased and retuned. And when I first selected the Berger bullets, my selection was based actually upon recommendations of two shooting friends (in different parts of the US) who were reloading/shooting heir 6.5 rifles. But they were not using RL19, rather other powders that worked well in their rifles. BTW, they too were shooting only 100 yards. So I chose the mid range (in the Berger manual)recommended load as a starting point. The rest is history. But I'm a firm believer that people can offer all the combinations of bullets/powder that they've experienced. But in the end, that rifle shooting the combo will say yeah or nah to a reloaders/shooter's test. Finally, as much as I like Sierra bullets, neither the 140 Matchkings or 142 Matchkings put together groups as tight as the Bergers IN MY PARTICULAR RIFLE. And the Sierra grouped better than Nosler Competitions or Hornady's, which I selected as best possible candidates based upon my years of reloading and shooting. However, keep in mind, results could be different when any of those bullets were tested in another reloader/shooter's rifle. Testing and careful precision reloading, is the only way to determine any rifle's capabilities and accuracy.

Once again to all, thanks for the discussion that hopefully spurs the thoughts and efforts of others to find the best possible loads in their rifles.

Alex