Barrel shortening, the effects.

Cass

Good article on what exactly happens when you shorten a barrel.

The author/tester done this on other calibers, but the 308 was of particular use (also look at his 223 one). He did no focus on groups just speeds, etc.


Have a read.

goz83

So i might lose a few fps when shirtening the .22 then. I think I can live with that.

Would this technically make some rifles unsuitable for deer hunting with ammo which would ordinarily be just above the cut?

cw67irl

goz83 wrote: »

So i might lose a few fps when shirtening the .22 then. I think I can live with that.

Would this technically make some rifles unsuitable for deer hunting with ammo which would ordinarily be just above the cut?

Most 22lrs have burnt all the powder by 12 inchs so in theory a 14 or 16 would be ideal. I had a Volquartsen 12.5 Inch Barrel on a 10/22 and it was an absolute tackdriver!

It wasn't me!

goz83 wrote: »

Would this technically make some rifles unsuitable for deer hunting with ammo which would ordinarily be just above the cut?

Almost certainly, but you'd need a chronograph to tell.

Cass

goz83 wrote: »

So i might lose a few fps when shirtening the .22 then. I think I can live with that.

Its caliber specific i think. IOW, as said above, some calibers can deal with or even see slight improvement in a shorter barrel, but all the indicators according to the authors 308 and 223 articles say with centrefires it's not the case.

Would this technically make some rifles unsuitable for deer hunting with ammo which would ordinarily be just above the cut?

I'd imagine so. 220 swift, and 22-250 being the first tow that come to mind.

However barrel length is not an issue when licensing, even though it's addressed in law, so it'll most likely never be an issue.

I just thought it was a good read from the point of view that the short, higher caliber rifles, are actually suffering from shorter barrels. I also noted form the article that the indicated speeds on the boxes of ammo were very close to actual speeds, but only in the 28" barrel version. Most manufacturers use a 24" barrel when testing so if the stated speeds are from a 24" barrel, and the test shows it is most likely only from a longer barrel are the manufacturers using highest/best speed achieved or are not all manufacturers using a 24" barrel when testing.