barrel length question

[cowpoke]

Do any of you guys have any unbiased data to show if there is any difference  in performance between a 22 inch and 24 inch barrel on a 270 or 30-06?

I am looking at getting a rifle in one or the other of those two cartridges and am trying to figure out if there is a difference in perfromance between those two barrel lengths.

I suspect it doesn't matter , but am curious

I will be shooting factory ammo through it.

Thanks

[stork]

There will be a slight performance differance, but it will be small.  the longer the barrel will give you a little more velocity although I do not know how much.  Don't worry about it when you buy your rifle.

[csimmons]

From the conflicting or uncorroborating  articles/books I have read, the longer barrel will result in an increase in fps of 25 to 50 fps.  Thus to 2 inch longer barrel would provide up to 100fps increase.  The issue becomes how much unspent powder remains when the bullet exits, thus, I believe this formula can be effected to some degree by hand loading.  
C Simmons

[Graybeard]

Theory aside you'll likely find about as much difference between velocity from two otherwise identical barrels of same length as between the exact same barrel chopped from 24" down to 22".

The ONLY way to KNOW rather than guess what difference it makes is to take a long barrel. Run several rounds over a chrono and then chop it and do it all over again at varying barrel lengths. This has been done many times and thus averages of velocity lost.

BUT there have also been lots of tests run comparing the same load in different guns with same length barrels and the differences are often just as great or greater than with barrels 2" different in length.

There are a LOT more factors than just barrel length involved here. Get the barrel length you want and don't worry about the few fps it might gain or lose you. Even 200 fps in a round that develops around 3000 fps is of no real world significance.

[Lawdog]

cowpoke,

Tests have shown that you will loose between 50 to 100 fps. with a two inch barrel loss.  The only other difference is added muzzle blast with a shorter barrel.  Lawdog
 

[Somerled]

Cowpoke:

I suspect you're looking at bolt actions. But if you're considering a single-shot action, they are often shorter overall even with a 26" barrel.

The brush here makes shorter rifles practical. Two or four inches trimmed in exchange for some velocity loss makes sense. The distances are a lot shorter, too.

Then, some shorter barrels sometimes turn out higher numbers than longer barrels when you actually check with a chronograph. Barrels can be quirky.