caliber and barrel length

[onausable]

Being new to this addiction, I just wondered if certain calibers worked better in one barrel length over another.

[Curtis]

Definitely.  Certain wildcats like the 30 Herrett and 357 Herrett were developed specifically to work efficiently in shorter barrels.  Other cartridges with greater case capacity need a longer tube to be their best, but they're still viable rounds even in ten inch barrels.

Curtis

[jhalcott]

  I had a 10" 30-30 and a 14" 30-30 the longer tube was a lot better. I have 10 ,14 and 21" 7TC?U barrels and here too the longer tubes seem to work better. I have seen a 10" 45-70 barrel and while it IS fun to play with ,I would have NO practical use for it. Maybe a NOISY weed burner,but not much else.  When Remington developed the XP they had to make the .221 Fireball to work in it's 10" barrel. Now guys are shooting .223's in 10" TC's.

[onausable]

I suspected that might be the case. A friend of mine offered me a 10" barrel chambered in 222 Rem. He never used it much so wasn't too helpful on the performance question. I really don't need it either as I have a 223 barrel but figured why not. The price is right.

[jhalcott]

  Considering the size and powder capacities of the .221 and .222 remingtons , the .222 SHOULD work better in a 10" tube than the .223.

[onausable]

That good to know however the 223 is a super 14 barrel. I've always been hesitant to purchase rifle calibers in anything less than 14".

[Grumulkin]

I've always been hesitant to purchase rifle calibers in anything less than 14".

Me to but I got over it.  The 222 Remington should be fine in a 10 inch barrel.  Things like the 7mm/08 work fine as well.

[Curtis]

Much also depends on if you handload.  I have .223 in ten inch and I love it.  When I first started loading for it I used IMR-3031 and the muzzle blast and flash was horrendous!  After reading good reports from folks using IMR-4198 I tried it and it works much better.  My .223 is the most accurate of any of my calibers in the Contender.

I am just partial to the shorter tubes.  The only "fourteeners" I have are .22 rimfire with a rifle scope that I only use off the bench, and my 7-30 Waters which IMO needs more barrel to live up to its reputation.  In 7mm the 7TCU is probably more suited to the ten inch barrels than the Waters and probably very close in velocity (in the short tubes).

Curtis

[onausable]

I don't reload although I have friends that do so have access to a press. I'm a fan of Hornady factory loads. They seem to have the best consistency and for my purposes have always been more than adequate.