Author Topic: Favorite barrel length?  (Read 778 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline erickrschaefer

  • Trade Count: (8)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 188
Favorite barrel length?
« on: December 12, 2004, 06:53:28 AM »
If you guys could only pick one barrel length for a hunting wheelgun what would you choose? I was thinking that 6" would be a good length. Seems easy to carry and still give great performance.

Erick

Offline palgeno

  • Trade Count: (5)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 371
length
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2004, 08:18:34 AM »
Longer is not always better, but to me the key is balance---the S&W 629 feels good at 5 or 6 inch length depending whether or not the barrel has a full under lug----Ruger SBH Hunter-7.5 inch----FA mod. 83-7.5 inch--- :wink: pg
"Do what you can,with what you have, where you are."  Theodore Roosevelt

Online Graybeard

  • Administrator
  • Trade Count: (69)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 26945
  • Gender: Male
Favorite barrel length?
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2004, 08:40:54 AM »
This really is a very personal matter. It's what feels best to you and what you can see to shoot if iron sights.

For me on iron sight guns I tend to like longer barrels from 7.5" to even as much as 10". If I'm using a scope (which I no longer do on revolvers) then I prefer barrel to be 6" to 8-3/8". No longer or shorter.

So what I'm doing now is sticking to barrels of 5.5" to 7.5" pretty much but still have some 8-3/8" also.


Bill aka the Graybeard
President, Graybeard Outdoor Enterprises
256-435-1125

I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life anyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life!

Offline Jerry Lester

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 928
Favorite barrel length?
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2004, 09:01:39 AM »
I'm pretty much a die hard Ruger man when it comes to revolvers(SA only), and my preference is 5.5" for all around carrying, and hunting.

Offline Lloyd Smale

  • Moderators
  • Trade Count: (32)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18269
Favorite barrel length?
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2004, 10:14:12 AM »
4 5/8s sa 4 da
blue lives matter

Offline Hooker

  • Trade Count: (2)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1581
Favorite barrel length?
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2004, 03:09:44 PM »
For defence 4" 38 and 44 spl in more powerful hunting cartridges 357 - 44 mag and 45lc 5.5" - 6" no scopes.

Pat
" In the beginning of change, the patriot is a brave and scarce man,hated and scorned. when the cause succeeds however,the timid join him...for then it cost nothing to be a patriot. "
-Mark Twain
"What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms."
-- Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787. ME 6:373, Papers 12:356

Offline myronman3

  • Moderator
  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4837
  • Gender: Male
Favorite barrel length?
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2004, 12:48:08 PM »
Quote from: Lloyd Smale
4 5/8s sa 4 da


i am with Lloyd on this one.

Offline Sgtshultzy1

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 74
Favorite barrel length
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2004, 01:06:57 PM »
I like the 6 for hunting myself.  Or, at least I better like it cause I just ordered a FA premier in 44 mag with a six inch tube.   I thought of getting a longer barrel but the balance of a 6 inch gun suits me.

6 inch tubes I think are a good compromise between performance and sight plain and portability.

Offline leverfan

  • Trade Count: (8)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 823
Favorite barrel length?
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2004, 07:58:50 PM »
For me, the whole point of packing a handgun is keeping it "handy" and easy to pack and use.  Four to six inches would be the range of barrel length that I would consider.  I've long since sold all my longer barreled revolvers, and I don't scope the ones I've got.  After trying the long barreled, scoped hunting rigs, I decided that carrying the bastard offspring of a rifle and a revolver wasn't for me.  I'll pack one or the other, sometimes both, but I don't try to combine the features into one gun anymore.
NRA life member

Offline Dusty Miller

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2271
  • Gender: Male
Favorite barrel length?
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2004, 09:10:05 PM »
For heavier caliber guns, like my FA 454 Casull, the 7.5 is really good.  My 44 mag Anaconda has a 6.0 tube and  that works really well.
When seconds mean life or death, the police are only minutes away!

Offline Catfish

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2696
Favorite barrel length?
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2004, 02:51:14 PM »
That would depend on how you were going to hunt. For setting a stand I like my 15 in. .357 max. It`s an Encore and wears a scope. For a walk around gun I`ve always carried a .44 mag. with eather a 7 1/2 in barrel or a 11 1/2 in barrel, both with iron sights. Next year I think I`m going to a .500 S&W, scoped for a stand gun and a 7 1/2 in. barreled .454, scoped for a walk around gun. I`ll let you know after next year what I think of these set-ups.