6.5 barrel length for F-class

[marchx]

Yes, I know, topic was discussed a dozen times, but:

I saw Mark's video and he practically says that in a longer barrel recoil affects the accuracy. Between the lines he says"extra 50 fps is not worth wxtra 2" of barrel length". is it the case? I was planning a 28" barrel for my new needmoor build but hey, maybe I am wrong and should stay with 26"...

 

[17VLD]

Personally I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum work very well.l have shot specialty pistols with 18” barrels at 1000 yards that group exceptionally well and I do think the short fat barrel is a key factor.I have also shot a 32” straight 6BR at 600 yards that can group very tight too, in fact that rifle got me my first screamer group of 1.019” in a registered IBS match.My thought with the rifle was it could always be cut back if it didn’t work well.I bought what Krieger had available at the time. After watching the video I may just go shorter and chamber it in a 6 BRA and be at a similar node to where I am now.I am starting to think shorter barrels are not really a handicap like I used to believe as a younger man. I think you can tailor your load to match your barrel length and case combo to achieve what you want with a 26” barrel. But I don’t feel that my 32” barrel hurt me either. This is a subject that intrigues me and for me there was one way to find out what worked.
Another thought is how the extra length affects balance and gun handling. I am sure my gun with behave better after it gets cut back a little too.

 

[swd]

I have good friend I’ve barreled probably a dozen 6.5 Creed barrels for F Class. We pretty much always go with 31”-32”. He has won a couple state championships with those lengths.

 

[mauser284]

I would not go shorter than 29 inch and would prefer 31 to 32 inch. I would go as long as your barrel supplier will go with out charging extra. On top of that keep in mind that if you get a 31 or 32 inch barrel blank your finished fitted barrel will end up an 1 to 2 inches shorter.

 

[spudgun]

If your going to do a lot of shooting then think ahead and get the longest barrel you can get (within reason). After about 1500 rounds you will most likely shoot the throat and then just have it cut back and re chamber.

Did that with my Brux barrel. Saved me the price of a new blank.

 

[Zero333]

Your 6.5 Needmoor will need a 30" barrel to even have any chance to make top 20 against the bigger 7 mm's and the 300 WSM.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

26 is "enough" 28 is better, 30 is prime. Recoil should not be an issue if your platform is good.

 

[ATFIV]

30-32 will easily hit 2790-2830 with 150 class bullets.

 

[marchx]

@chootem what distance?

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Your 6.5 Needmoor will need a 30" barrel to even have any chance to make top 20 against the bigger 7 mm's and the 300 WSM.

NOT to, "Rain on your Parade" but, a 7 SAUM or .300 WSM ( or BIGGER ) is NEEDED for,.. a Mile / 2,000 Yards !
Skip, the 6.5 Creed, !
Zero 333, is,.. RIGHT, as the 6.5 CM IS, a "NeedMoor" at, those Distances !!

 

[marchx]

I ony shot 6.5 at 1000m with decent results BUT in calm weather. with moderate wind I would not even take my rig out of my Schrank.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I have good friend I’ve barreled probably a dozen 6.5 Creed barrels for F Class. We pretty much always go with 31”-32”. He has won a couple state championships with those lengths.

I would not go shorter than 29 inch and would prefer 31 to 32 inch. I would go as long as your barrel supplier will go with out charging extra. On top of that keep in mind that if you get a 31 or 32 inch barrel blank your finished fitted barrel will end up an 1 to 2 inches shorter.

Question for both of you.

I know that a 22LR doesn't NEED more than 16" of barrel, yet Anschutz has chosen 26" as their standard. We all know how well they shoot.



Here's the question:

Putting aside balance issues, overall length, looks, etc...
With the CM working just fine with 20-26" barrels, what makes the 30"+ barrels better?


I'm not against more barrel length, I'd just like to understand what makes the long barrel better for longer range shooting.

 

[swd]

Question for both of you.

I know that a 22LR doesn't NEED more than 16" of barrel, yet Anschutz has chosen 26" as their standard. We all know how well they shoot.



Here's the question:

Putting aside balance issues, overall length, looks, etc...
With the CM working just fine with 20-26" barrels, what makes the 30"+ barrels better?


I'm not against more barrel length, I'd just like to understand what makes the long barrel better for longer range shooting.

If the rifle has iron sights sometimes it comes down to sight radius but rimfire is a whole different game full of voodoo magic, lol.

In F Class ballistics and accuracy are both quite important. Reading wind is where match’s are won or lost. The only reason for long barrels is free speed. You can get to the next higher accuracy node. Which hopefully has less wind drift. That’s all it is. You’re just giving up advantage with shorter barrels. If the gun is a dedicated F class rifle then give yourself all the advantage you can.

You can relate it to racing. Two identical cars that handle the same. But one just enough more horsepower to lap a little faster. That car has the advantage. Of course there’s still the question of both drivers skill which equates to who can read the wind best for the day..

 

[Mike Casselton]

Makes sense. Thanks

 

[T.Rhodes]

following with interest...

 

[ronsatspokane]

NOT to, "Rain on your Parade" but, a 7 SAUM or .300 WSM ( or BIGGER ) is NEEDED for,.. a Mile / 2,000 Yards !
Skip, the 6.5 Creed, !
Zero 333, is,.. RIGHT, as the 6.5 CM IS, a "NeedMoor" at, those Distances !!

BTDT as they say. I ran a 300 WSM for F Class for one season. Love the caliber but unless you are willing to dump 3 grand into a stock with a RAD and a 32 inch barrel pushing the weight right to the limit, the 300 WSM is too much. Mine weighed 20 pounds but didn't have a RAD. The last match I shot it in I was flinching at the end of the third string of the day.

I've gone back to the 6.5 Creedmoor. Partially because I'm tired of chasing the holy grail but also being retired, that gets damned expensive. Ballistically it won't compete with the new 6.5 PRC's necked up to 7 MM or even a 284 when those are in the hands of people who know what they are doing and who can read the wind. But, the trusty 6.5 Creedmoor built on a BAT VR action did earn me my High Master in NRA Long Range. They are more than capable at both F Class Long range and mid range (1000 and 600 yards respectively). Now keep in mind that there are High Masters and then there are High Masters. I shoot with folks who are High Masters and who could be shooting my needmoor while I'm shooting their very expensive custom built 7-6.5 PRC and they would win. Their wind reading skills and dedication make them competitive at the world level. With me, I tell my wife that when it comes to breaking wind, I'm a real high master. When it comes to reading it, occasionally I get lucky.

P.S. my Creedmoor currently sports a 30 inch 1.25 straight barrel. It was only a 27 inch barrel when I shot the initial High Master scores at 1000.

 

[FeMan]

My 6.5CM backup rifle saved my bacon two years ago in the Nightforce Steel Challenge. My primary rifle went down and I had to shoot the 6.5 CM w/156 EOLs with a 30-inch barrel on day two, with target ranges from 800 to 2100 yards. I slipped a few places but still ended up with a top 10 finish. I didnt feel like I gave a whole lot up against a field of 300 Normas. The 6.5CM with the right load is pretty amazing.

 

[T.Rhodes]

Well, @ronsatspokane and @swd make a pretty good case for my re-barrel project that's being done. I'm going with a 30" Proof SS, 7.5 twist in heavy Palma. This being fitted to a Bergara action.

This will be a F Class only rifle, so weight, balance, don't really factor in.

My load with the stock 24" was 153.5 Berger LR Hybrid over 42.0 gr H4350, and it was doing pretty well. I've got hopes for significant improvement with the new barrel. We'll see.

 

[swd]

32” with 153 and 4350 run +/- 2800fps

 

[ronsatspokane]

Well, @ronsatspokane and @swd make a pretty good case for my re-barrel project that's being done. I'm going with a 30" Proof SS, 7.5 twist in heavy Palma. This being fitted to a Bergara action.

This will be a F Class only rifle, so weight, balance, don't really factor in.

My load with the stock 24" was 153.5 Berger LR Hybrid over 42.0 gr H4350, and it was doing pretty well. I've got hopes for significant improvement with the new barrel. We'll see.

Is there a reason you are going with heavy palma instead of 1.25 straight? If this is going to be an F Class gun, I would recommend that you get all the weight you can into the build without going over the 22 pound limit. A 1.25 straight barrel adds a lot of weight which cuts recoil, torque and aids in tracking. Those palma contour barrels were designed for sling shooters (aka palma shooters) where the sport was initially limited to 13 pound rifles with open sights shooting 155 grain 30 cal bullets. That has changed but the palma barrel remains and is still called a palma barrel. I don't shoot palma but that is my understanding. Someone may come along and correct me. Those palma guys are finicky about how their sport is characterized.