22 BR barrel length for short NV rifle

[ABC1000]

I’ve got another 22 BR barrel on the way, but need to decide which length to finish it at. I’ve got one finished @23” for a general varmint/bench rifle, but this new one will be used with my clip on/thermal units for some night hunting…
This 23” BR is the shortest I’ve gone in BR already, but I’m thinking 20-22” for this new one. It will most likely be used for 400 yards and closer (90% probably 250 yds or closer). It’s a 12T with freebore for 40-55 gr (thinking .025” but can’t remember exactly at the moment). I’m shooting Varget out of my 23”, but I’m wondering about burning all powder in the tube…
Will 20” be too short to burn all the Varget? I’m stocked at the moment with powders that should be good, so if there’s something else that would be more ideal let me know.
I’m not a competitive 22 BR shooter, but have 22, 6 and 6 BRA setups for varminting and general shooting/bench setups.

I typically run the Otter Creek hydrogen L which is a long can, so would like the barrel as short as possible. Any help mucho appreciated!

I’ll probably be shooting 50-55 gr Sierra, v-max, Nosler BT and 52 gr Ammermans left over.

 

[357Mag]

I’ve got another 22 BR barrel on the way, but need to decide which length to finish it at. I’ve got one finished @23” for a general varmint/bench rifle, but this new one will be used with my clip on/thermal units for some night hunting…
This 23” BR is the shortest I’ve gone in BR already, but I’m thinking 20-22” for this new one. It will most likely be used for 400 yards and closer (90% probably 250 yds or closer). It’s a 12T with freebore for 40-55 gr (thinking .025” but can’t remember exactly at the moment). I’m shooting Varget out of my 23”, but I’m wondering about burning all powder in the tube…
Will 20” be too short to burn all the Varget? I’m stocked at the moment with powders that should be good, so if there’s something else that would be more ideal let me know.
I’m not a competitive 22 BR shooter, but have 22, 6 and 6 BRA setups for varminting and general shooting/bench setups.

I typically run the Otter Creek hydrogen L which is a long can, so would like the barrel as short as possible. Any help mucho appreciated!

I’ll probably be shooting 50-55 gr Sierra, v-max, Nosler BT and 52 gr Ammermans left over.

ABC -

Howdy !

Yes…. All the powder should have combusted within a few inches past the chamber, inside the barrel.

The .22BR I shot had a 22” barrel; on a rifle set up for short range benchrest.
Mine was one of the very first .22BRs out there.

I shot IMR4895 in it, along with benchrest primers; and I tried out both SR and LR-primed cases. Of course, there’s a goodly variety of “ benchrest “ powders suitable for use in this case size. These powders would have “ burn rates “ notionally faster than
Varget, and would certainly be suitable use if/ when you are going w/ a lighter .224” cal bullet.

My .22 BRs barrel had 1 -14 twist, which I was selected with shooting 52-53gr benchrest bullets in-mind. It also shot 50-55gr varmint bullets just fine.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[alf]

I’ve got another 22 BR barrel on the way, but need to decide which length to finish it at. I’ve got one finished @23” for a general varmint/bench rifle, but this new one will be used with my clip on/thermal units for some night hunting…
This 23” BR is the shortest I’ve gone in BR already, but I’m thinking 20-22” for this new one. It will most likely be used for 400 yards and closer (90% probably 250 yds or closer). It’s a 12T with freebore for 40-55 gr (thinking .025” but can’t remember exactly at the moment). I’m shooting Varget out of my 23”, but I’m wondering about burning all powder in the tube…
Will 20” be too short to burn all the Varget? I’m stocked at the moment with powders that should be good, so if there’s something else that would be more ideal let me know.
I’m not a competitive 22 BR shooter, but have 22, 6 and 6 BRA setups for varminting and general shooting/bench setups.
I typically run the Otter Creek hydrogen L which is a long can, so would like the barrel as short as possible. Any help mucho appreciated!
I’ll probably be shooting 50-55 gr Sierra, v-max, Nosler BT and 52 gr Ammermans left over.

Any bolt gun for me that might be used for night time with a thermal is cut to 18".

Actually, I've settled on 18" for all of the bolt guns that I want a suppressor for.

This one is similar to your 22BR, but mine's in 22x47 in a 12" twist, zero freebore, shooting 52 Bergers at 3800.

 

[AckleymanII]

ABC, Question: Why do you want a short barrel? My 22 BRs(P. dogs) ran 24/26" in length, free velocity is an aid past 300 yards. Another 150 fps is nothing to sneeze at. I do not run cans, but do use muzzle breaks, so the longer barrel gets the concussion away from my head. I had a set of 22 BRs for p. dogs, one 23" and one 27". The 23" shot the 50g Nosler BT at 3800 and with the same load in the 27", the load was at 3950. You could see the difference in the "splash" effect on the p. dogs starting at 250 yards. Barrels and throat geometry can have a huge difference in Velocity, my reamer has zero freebore.

For a varmint rifle, I run 27" lengths for velocity and noise reduction. My Field guns where I walk out and make stands for coyotes, 24"-25" depending on the caliber.

 

[ABC1000]

ABC -

Howdy !

Yes…. All the powder should have combusted within a few inches past the chamber, inside the barrel.

The .22BR I shot had a 22” barrel; on a rifle set up for short range benchrest.
Mine was one of the very first .22BRs out there.

I shot IMR4895 in it, along with benchrest primers; and I tried out both SR and LR-primed cases. Of course, there’s a goodly variety of “ benchrest “ powders suitable for use in this case size. These powders would have “ burn rates “ notionally faster than
Varget, and would certainly be suitable use if/ when you are going w/ a lighter .224” cal bullet.

My .22 BRs barrel had 1 -14 twist, which I was selected with shooting 52-53gr benchrest bullets in-mind. It also shot 50-55gr varmint bullets just fine.


With regards,
357Mag

Thanks 357! I’ve got a 8# tube of IMR 4895 as well as H, H322, n135 (no N140), and a few others to try if needed. I’ll post some results when I get it up and running with the short barrel.

 

[ABC1000]

Any bolt gun for me that might be used for night time with a thermal is cut to 18".

Actually, I've settled on 18" for all of the bolt guns that I want a suppressor for.

This one is similar to your 22BR, but mine's in 22x47 in a 12" twist, zero freebore, shooting 52 Bergers at 3800.

I almost did a 6X47 but didn’t. Always wanted to try a 47 chambering. I’ve got a couple 18” 308 and 223 barrels for playing around/truck guns, but that’s the only ones I’ve done that short. Sweet looking rig!

 

[ABC1000]

ABC, Question: Why do you want a short barrel? My 22 BRs(P. dogs) ran 24/26" in length, free velocity is an aid past 300 yards. Another 150 fps is nothing to sneeze at. I do not run cans, but do use muzzle breaks, so the longer barrel gets the concussion away from my head. I had a set of 22 BRs for p. dogs, one 23" and one 27". The 23" shot the 50g Nosler BT at 3800 and with the same load in the 27", the load was at 3950. You could see the difference in the "splash" effect on the p. dogs starting at 250 yards. Barrels and throat geometry can have a huge difference in Velocity, my reamer has zero freebore.

For a varmint rifle, I run 27" lengths for velocity and noise reduction. My Field guns where I walk out and make stands for coyotes, 24"-25" depending on the caliber.

Ackleyman, this barrel will be almost exclusively for night hunting. I have a dozen or more barrels that I shoot varmints with (ground squirrels, rock chucks, raccoons, pdogs when I can get to them) in many different cartridges. And with all but a few of them, 24” is considered short, so I get the importance of a long barrel lol, though 28” is about as long as I get in .224 cal.
James Kessler at NSS gives me a hard time (jokingly) for getting a few shorties, he’s a great guy and I get a lot of barrels from him for my Zermatt/bighorn setups. Reasonably priced and they’ve all shot bugholes.
If the lights are on, I usually have a long barrel in my hands, but at night it complicates things. That’s why I went with the 22BR, so I could still be hitting hard for a few hundred yards. Take it easy

 

[AckleymanII]

I have thousands of hours in night hunting predators, started in '76. You know your likes and dislikes, so Rock On!

 

[Eagle1899]

Recently had a 223 and 6BR cut back to 16.5" with no regrets. I run a suppressor on both. Both are medium Palma contour and feel solid( for lack of better description). Handling is really good with the suppresor attached.

 

[Woollybugger]

Went 20” on a 22 Dasher with a can and a thermal. Handy size for me.

 

[Webster]

I’ve got another 22 BR barrel on the way, but need to decide which length to finish it at. I’ve got one finished @23” for a general varmint/bench rifle, but this new one will be used with my clip on/thermal units for some night hunting…
This 23” BR is the shortest I’ve gone in BR already, but I’m thinking 20-22” for this new one. It will most likely be used for 400 yards and closer (90% probably 250 yds or closer). It’s a 12T with freebore for 40-55 gr (thinking .025” but can’t remember exactly at the moment). I’m shooting Varget out of my 23”, but I’m wondering about burning all powder in the tube…
Will 20” be too short to burn all the Varget? I’m stocked at the moment with powders that should be good, so if there’s something else that would be more ideal let me know.
I’m not a competitive 22 BR shooter, but have 22, 6 and 6 BRA setups for varminting and general shooting/bench setups.

I typically run the Otter Creek hydrogen L which is a long can, so would like the barrel as short as possible. Any help mucho appreciated!

I’ll probably be shooting 50-55 gr Sierra, v-max, Nosler BT and 52 gr Ammermans left over.

Don't worry about if all the powder burns. Go for accuracy only. With my 6BR with 55-65 gr bullets I get great speed and accuracy with 8208 and H322. Varget and R15 are 150 fps slower.

 

[ken158]

In your BR you are shooting about 5 grains more powder than a .223. A government M4 has a 14.5” barrel and they use a lot of suppressors. You can easily go down to a comfortable 16 - 18” range and loose little fps. Considering the size of critters you will target, your velocity loss will be negligible.

 

[ET138]

I have a 18” 22BRA 1:8” twist that is set up for thermal night hunting. I have not noticed any negatives running Varget and 62gr ELD-VT at that barrel length. I am using an Omega suppressor.