Recommended Barrel Length 6BR

[james]

I will be installing a Brux 6BR heavy varmint taper 1x9 twist barrel on my BAT action rifle. This rifle is used for varmint matches out to 400 yards and I’ll be using 90 grain BT target bullets. I am needing suggestions on the best length for this barrel. My blank will be 30” long - I was thinking of maybe 28”.

thanks!

 

[james]

I be forgot to mention the stock I’m using is a Shehane ST-1000 laminated one - pretty heavy stock.

 

[JFrank]

HV contour .900 at the muzzle and finished at 28 inches seems to be just about right.
Not just speed but im suggesting the rifle should be fairly well balanced and manageable in the bags.

 

[Bill Norris]

28 inches will probably be good. Not alot of gains after that. Personally I like 26 better.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I agree with Mr Norris. I shot 26 in in BRXs for years, bumped up to 28 couple of barrels ago, I see no gain. Thinking of going back to 26.

 

[Bill Norris]

I agree with Mr Norris. I shot 26 in in BRXs for years, bumped up to 28 couple of barrels ago, I see no gain. Thinking of going back to 26.

Yea, in the past I've seen a couple of 28" barrels on the chrono and the extra anticipated speed just simply was not there. Only a few fps.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

I recently aquired a BR with a 28in. Can't see a reason to shorten it. May re-chamber to Dasher if the 1000 yd vertical doesn't impress.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Yea, in the past I've seen a couple of 28" barrels on the chrono and the extra anticipated speed just simply was not there. Only a few fps.

I think any speed difference is more related to the barrels individual properties more than inches 27 and 28. Plus who cares. What matters, and the only think that matters to me, is can the barrel be tuned to be competitive. I don't get the Lab Radar out until I have a load, and only beacause I get asked so often what is the speed of my load. Personally, I DON'T CARE.

 

[billshehane]

You are getting some good information here and my vote is also 28"s'. And I have shot em all out to 32"s mostly with 103 to 110 bullets.

 

[std7mag]

While i don't shoot a 6BR, my thoughts run like this.
If your only shooting to 400 yards with this, i'd go shorter. 22-24".
Reason being that the shorter barrel will be more stiff. Aka not as much harmonic vibration whip at the muzzle.
And at 400 yards the extra velocity you may get isn't enough to warrant it.
If you had said you were shooting to 1,000 yards, then yes.

 

[JohnKielly]

Murphy's laws of Rifles:

Barrels should be one inch longer than you fitted.

Stocks need to be ½ inch longer than you trimmed it to.

Loads need to be ½ grain lower than popped the primer.

 

[JFrank]

While i don't shoot a 6BR, my thoughts run like this.
If your only shooting to 400 yards with this, i'd go shorter. 22-24".
Reason being that the shorter barrel will be more stiff. Aka not as much harmonic vibration whip at the muzzle.
And at 400 yards the extra velocity you may get isn't enough to warrant it.
If you had said you were shooting to 1,000 yards, then yes.

This could be a thread all by itself.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Quite a few years back we did a test for 6mmBR.com where we started with a 30 inch barrel and cut one inch off untill velocity dropped.

The velocity stayed consist and untill we hit 27 inches, and only lost a little from 27 to 25. 24 inches still hit 3000 FPS.

This was with a 108 Berger VLD and Reloader 15.

With you 90 grn bullets out to 400 yards, I think 26 inches would be perfect.

 

[gcabrera]

For the 90gr Berger BT bullets, 25.0" barrel length works great.
Most of my shoots are 100y-400y with occasional 600y matches.
These are the velocities I am seeing out of a Krieger 1:10" twist, using H4895. Not sure if I can post the charge weight, but no sign of pressure.
The first shot was the fouling round out of a clean barrel and ambient temperature was 70F at start of the match and about 80F toward the end.

George

 

[Rat Rifle]

Interesting what a 10 degree increase in temperature apparently did.

 

[LarryDScott]

28 or 30 is good for a LR rifle. With a heavy stock it makes for a good balance. W/the long barrel you have enough for a set back when needed.
LDS

 

[dat]

One advantage of the 28" over shorter is the extra weight to "slow down" the recoil a bit more. That extra weight is also "centered"- obviously, unlike adding weight in the butt, which is usually below the bore line.