Rimfire Central Firearm Forum banner

Ballisticly speaking for 22lr

4K views 32 replies 25 participants last post by  jkv45 
#1 ·
is there any benefit to a barrel over 16" ?
 
#9 ·
Anschutz makes all their BR gins with a barrel length of 18 1/2" long for a reason. They found it to be the most accurate with match ammo.

Now, a squirrel rifle with a 16 1/2" barrel would be nice if the stock was not so long it looked odd. Usually, faster ammo shoots better in a short barrel. I said Usually, not always.
 
#16 ·
Anschutz makes all their BR gins with a barrel length of 18 1/2" long for a reason. They found it to be the most accurate with match ammo.
No, just no, and I'm sure I've had to correct this misstatement before. Anschutz made the 1990s BR50 with the 2013 50cm barrel (19.7in not 18.5in), but at the time the round-action 1913 and 1907 rifles had standard 26in and 27.2in barrels. Current BR models are standard match barrels in BR stocks.

Now, the short 2013 barrels were reputed to shoot well, but had the reputation of being finicky. Anschutz later offered the 2013 with 26in and 27.2in barrels.
 
#11 ·
is there any benefit to a barrel over 16" ?
Longer sight radius, faster velocity, better-stabilized spin on the round as it exits the barrel.Tighter shot groups.
With the exception of the longer sight radius the rest of this is just not true. I mean you may get a tiny bit faster velocity but not enough that would have any affect on the way it shoots.
 
#12 ·
I read research that std velocity ammu with 40gn projectile accelerates within the barrel up to 14”, after that, friction starts to slow it down.
With high velocity cartridges it accelerates up to 18”.

On .22LR I prefer shorter barrels, as these are generally stiffer and have less whip/harmonics, but that is a personal preference.
 
#13 ·
Anything over 22" is simply a waste ballistically speaking, unless you want a longer sight radius for iron sights. If you don't use iron sights then a longer barrel is hurting you not helping you.

And this is coming from a guy who has done both kinds of shooting; Match target and hunting. But do whatever makes you feel better.
 
#14 · (Edited)
My fav's are 16.25, 16.5 and 18" - 20's get long, cumbersome and I sold all of mine.. I do not shoot open sights.. all my stubbies shoot sub-MOA with mid-grade Std. Vel or Subs .. good/great ammo does not need extra barrel length .. ammo, quality barrel & shooter means more in the end... ;):bthumb: Charlie, do tell us what you are doing with it.. that does make a difference. If it's dedicated Bench rifle then a longer (20" is good) and Heavy barrel is a GO!
 
#15 · (Edited)
All my rim rifles are from '60s on back. So long bbld & heavy. The only light and handy is a rem24 shooting shorts. I like it but open sights and 70 yrs old eyes don't work well. And I won't scope that little beauty.
So gonna buy a 10/22 (my 1st) and keep it as small as possible. Funny as I bought an Axiom stock but not the rifle yet. Think I'll get that compact with the 16.125" bbl. I shoot std & sub in LR and like those 710mv Quiet out of my Sears m25. So figure the 10/22 should do well with the newer 835mv Quiet SA and the federal AE at 970mv.
Just for plinking! The only time I shoot at a target is at sighting in. But I do enjoy steel, bells & wiz bang action shooting.LOL
Thanks for the replies guys.
 
#29 ·
SAcharlie
With this information that you added it makes it easier to answer your original question.
In your application I do not feel that a shorter barrel will be significantly less accurate for your needs. Weight and or balance in your case may be more important.
For another person with other needs, cutting a crown at the tightest and roundest spot may be more important than most length considerations.
A correct answer to the length issue may be perfect for one application but not for another. That is why you may receive differing opinions. Really up to you to decide what is best for you.
Stay safe,
Glen H
 
#17 ·
How long is a piece of rope?

A question like this, as you may have figured out by now, is meaningless unless you say what you plan to do with the rifle. Are you using iron sights or putting a scope on it? Are you shooting targets or what? What ranges do you plan to shoot? If you include that sort of information, you'll probably get better answers that are helpful.
 
#19 ·
I think that one of the things that long barrels can contribute nobody mentioned is a lower exit pressure behind the bullet that may minimize deformation of the soft slug during exit. Those old 25 inch barrels usually shoot very well for being standard weight barrels with sporter chambers. Having said that I like short barrels just because they are more handy getting into and out of vehicles and are generally lighter to carry. If you are going with a fat target barrel go short. Lopping 6 inches can take a half pound off a typical sporter barrel.
 
#20 · (Edited)
What is it exactly that makes one brand of ammunition more accurate than another in a particular firearm?

Wishful thinking? :rolleyes:

As to what can actually produce better results rifle to rifle, with rimfire:

1) A specific muzzle velocity can produce an exit timing that best fits the barrel harmonics.

2) A specific bullet weight that, again, works well with the harmonics.

3) Better quality/uniformity of components that produces tight mv's and similar trajectories.

4) Specific cartridge length/dimensions that best fits the chamber and alignment to the leade.

5) Careful handing/storage of the cartridges on the assembly line, factory floor and during shipping.

No rifle can produce consistent trajectories from poorly made ammunition.
Asymmetric bullets will not fly a predictable trajectory.
Irregularities in the transition from bullet nose to drive bands, deformed drive bands,
uneven or tilted bullet seating and any variations to the heel of the bullet
will cause wandering of the bullets off from the intended line of aim.
MV differences causes vertical spread.

In reality, ammo quality is what y'er chasing, not brand.
The best made cartridges with the tightest mv's, is what is necessary for consistent accuracy.
 
#21 ·
What is it exactly that makes one brand of ammunition more accurate than another in a particular firearm?

Wishful thinking? :rolleyes:

[. . .snip. . .]

In reality, ammo quality is what y'er chasing, not brand.
The best made cartridges with the tightest mv's, is what is necessary for consistent accuracy.
Just thinking out loud here, but do you think you could buy, say a box of bulk cartridges, disassemble them into their component parts (primed case, powder, bullet) and then reassemble them after weighing and sizing the bullets into something with actual quality control?

I am not disagreeing with a thing jaia wrote above, I am just musing about the process I go through with centerfire rounds to get repeatable performance out of a .222 Remington or .223 cartridge and "applying" it to rimfire. What if we could substitute the lack of factory quality control with our own? I imagine that out of a box of 500 bulk cartridges, if you could pull the bullets and weigh them the weights would distribute on a nice bell curve. Weighing the powder wouldn't be too much of a problem. Reforming the bullets and getting them seated might, though.

Now I know what jaia's going to write: "Sounds like we've got ourselves a volunteer!" No, no nope! :D Just wondering out loud is all . . .which, after all, don't cost nothin'.
 
#22 ·
Awwwww, c'mon flangster, ya' know ya' want to.... ;)

Not going to reload rimfire...not ever.
Too many finicky bits to deal with in too small a package.
I'd rather play with a 22 hornet than deal with hand priming cupped brass for rimfire.
Can you imagine hand swaging those beat up bulk bullets, then trying to correctly seat them?

No way José. :D
 
#23 ·
long time ago in a land far far away someone started slicing 1" at a time off a 27" barrel checking velocity each time with various ammo. this person was also checking group sizes- but we do not need that some what iffy info. at any rate it was found that apx 19-20 inches to be apx optimum barrel length below 19" velocity stated falling off. While it may be true that the powder is consumed prior or by 14" the gas generated is still expanding. I think this test was printed in shooting times and maybe somewhere else. Anschutz repeated the test in their labs. they installed a hollow tube on the shorter barrels for iron sight radius so the sights would still be x clicks per . ( rise of the bloop tube). took place back in the 80's.
Some where along the line this all got confused with the minimum barrel length for a rifle 16".
I have a win 52c with a apx 19.5" heavy barrel set up for silly wet it does very well, stick it in a more conventional stock and it will hold it's own at a 50 meter bench shoot. I use standard velocity in both these shoots.
 
#24 ·
What follows is not intended to provoke contention. It's an opinion given by noted and sometimes controversial BR rifle builder Bill Calfee and is presented here simply as food for thought.

He says there isn't a difference in the accuracy "potential" between a 16 inch barrel and a 26 inch barrel. If it were possible to have two barrels that were identical except in stiffness, the stiffer barrel would produce better accuracy.

He adds this caveat:

A 16 inch, 22 rimfire barrel's accuracy, all else being equal, is totally dependent on the uniformity of the ammo.....since the peak pressure of the 22 long rifle cartridge occurs roughly at about this length.....

A 26 inch, 22 rimfire barrel, since the exit of the crown is several inches down stream from the peak pressure of the 22 long rifle cartridge, allows the quality of the barrel, itself, to play a role in the barrel's accuracy.


The term "peak pressure" is my way of describing the end of the useful pressure, exerted on the bullet, to increase velocity in the barrel. After this point is reached, the velocity starts slowing down in the barrel.

http://www.wwaccuracy.com/showthread.php?4590-22lr-barrel-length
 
#30 ·
A 16 inch, 22 rimfire barrel's accuracy, all else being equal, is totally dependent on the uniformity of the ammo.....since the peak pressure of the 22 long rifle cartridge occurs roughly at about this length.....

A 26 inch, 22 rimfire barrel, since the exit of the crown is several inches down stream from the peak pressure of the 22 long rifle cartridge, allows the quality of the barrel, itself, to play a role in the barrel's accuracy.


http://www.wwaccuracy.com/showthread.php?4590-22lr-barrel-length
Not bantering for heated debate here, but I sure wish Bill would have gone into more detail over his above statement.

As in what is the longer barrel with reduced pressure adding that the shorter barrel is not? Would this be increased bullet stability simply because of less bullet base pressure at muzzle/crown upon it just leaving the barrel?

Bill did mention "Ultimate accuracy Potential" of 16 vs 26 being the same but he seems to somewhat contradict himself talking about the reduced pressure of the longer barrel?

Bill Calfee, Quote.....There is absolutely no difference in the ultimate accuracy "potential" between a 16 inch barrel and a 26 inch barrel....
 
#25 ·
Penage Guy
Thank you for posting the link, and I would hope that all the folks that posted on this thread take a moment to go to the link and read it in it's entirety. And possibly buy a copy of Bill's book, "The Art of Rimfire Accuracy".
A lifetime accumulation of good information.
Also for what it's worth, in the last 6 months, two different Calfee rifles have set new world records.
Glen H
 
#26 ·
Not entirely correct, unless you never shoot past 50~100 yards.

Over the years there have been NUMEROUS tests where they started with a long barrel- depending on caliber, out to 30"- fired a group over a chronograph, cut one inch off, and repeated, until it was down to 14"~16", depending on caliber/cartridge.

As the barrel length decreased so did accuracy, to a noticeable extent.

The velocity decrease was dependent upon the burning characteristics of the powder, but, in most cases it was noticeable, often as much as 100 FPS- or more- per inch of barrel loss, to the point that you have un-burnt powder exiting the barrel behind the bullet.

The hard part is to determine how LONG the barrel should be to give you OPTIMUM ballistics, not how short it can be to still give you ACCEPTABLE ballistics.

I may be off a little here, but in most medium caliber not magnum [.280~.338] centerfire 18"~24", magnums 22"~26", large bore [.40~.50] 28"~32". Rimfire .22/.22 Mag will generally give you best accuracy/ballistics at 18"~22".

The trend today for shorter barrels on rimfires stems from the use ultra fast burning powders used with very light bullets, and the perceived desire for every owner to put a can on it, which will not garner you very good accuracy or ballistics at any decent range... and do not let me get started on those .17 pea-shooters...
 
#27 ·
This is a good general insight, but the argument would be more powerful if it included references.

For example, you mention cutting the barrels of diff cal. inch-by-inch... what caliber was it, what was the barrel profile, twist, ammo, crown, ...? Doesn't heavy/fluted barrel in 308 have different sweet spot to pencil barrel in .22?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top