22 Caliber Barrel length and rifling for more accuracy

[metalheadman23]

Hello I found this forum researching rifling and barrel length for more accurate rifles. I have an old savage single shot .22 bolt action rifle. I am also a mechanical designer so I can design the new parts like a barrel to make this old gun more accurate. I would like to do it as just a fun project but when I get more money I would like to possibly have a store make the barrel I designed. Now to the actual numbers and information. I know that there are specific rifling for specific rounds and weights. So I am wondering if any of you guys know the the best rifling for making a barrel that would help a .22 round shoot accurate at long range (if this is possible) or if you guys know the formula or calculations I can do to find the best rifling for an accurate .22 rifle barrel. Now I also know that a longer barrel up to 30" delivers a faster velocity BUT delivers less accuracy due to the fact that the longer the barrel is less rigid and causes the rifle to fire less accurate. So my second question is I also know that when you lengthen the barrel and you make it thicker (which I know means a heavier barrel) obviously makes the barrel more rigid thus making it more accurate than a thinner barrel at that length. So I am wondering is there a way to calculate the best length and thickness of a longer barrel to make it more accurate than a shorter barrel.

So in short I am wondering if any of you guys know what the number is or how I can calculate the correct rifling to use to design a .22 caliber barrel for more accurate long range shooting.
And is there any calculations I can do to find the best barrel length for this gun and/or is there any calculations that I can do to figure out how thick I would need to make a longer barrel to make it more accurate than a shorter barrel to find the most accurate barrel to calculate the weight of the new gun to find the sweet spot of barrel length and thickness and rifling to find the best barrel to make this rifle more accurate.

Any help would be appreciated I just want to do this for fun and see if I can design a better barrel than this gun has and when I get them money have a very skilled machinist or gunsmith make this barrel and put it on the gun.

 

[Bryan Litz Ballistics]

Are you talking .22 rimfire, or .22 centerfire?

This will have a lot to do with the answer, as the ballistics are very different (spitzer vs. round nose, supersonic vs. subsonic, etc.)

-Bryan

 

[metalheadman23]

I am talking an old rimfire and I am not sure about the rounds as I do not know a lot about the ballistics of bullets. So if you could just give me some general numbers for different rounds or the formulas for different rounds that I could calculate the rifling ratio.

 

[metalheadman23]

and I would have to say the supersonic rounds I want to see if I can make this rifle theoretically more accurate at long range on the computer then if I get the money make it more accurate in reality.

 

[Travelor]

First, do not shoot supersonic ammo as the transition to subsonic will cause you a problem. Use "standard" velocity which is subsonic.

Second, try posting your question on http://www.benchrest.com/ and http://www.rimfireaccuracy.com/Forums/ as they are much more into rimfire accuracy.

Probably a 1:16 twist with an odd number of lands.

 

[wapiti25]

Go read Dr. Mann's book a "bullets flight"

 

[CatShooter]

I think you are suffering under some myths - long barrels are not lass accurate... and from your comments, you are at the very beginning of point "A", and the rest of the world is at point "V" on the accuracy evolution scale - you need to gather a lot of information on what has already been done, before making up your own theories.

You have years of work ahead of you.

 

[seymour fish]

You will be right at home on "rimfirecentral"