yikes, unless I am reading the charts incorrectly the loss from 21-18 is massive..

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/22mag.html

 

That's interesting. My CZ 512 has a barrel that is 20 and 11/16 inches. The muzzle energy graph in the link shows that there is not much gain for most loadings after 16" for 22mag. Thanks for reminding me of that great web site!

 

"Effective" is subjective. (Ha, see what I did there? )

NAA makes their mini revolver with a 1-1/8" barrel in .22 WMR. My personal one has a 1-5/8" barrel. Oh, it's effective. Loud and proud! Ballistically it's about like a very loud high velocity .22 LR, and accurate enough for one-inch groups at 50 cm.

 

Check out the link below. It has some results with a 16.25" barreled .22WMR I have.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5417286&postcount=56

 

Thanks Folks.
Not too bad. Just curious about those numbers.
I have a Ruger LCR in .22 mag. That about cuts the FPS in half. I use Speer Ammo designed for short barrel revolvers in that gun for what its worth.

 

i have one cut to 16" and one to 18". Both post similar speeds with my preferred 40-50gr ammo. There is little to gain by going longer in the velocity department. No massive losses cutting it down, i have killed feral hogs with both.

 

here's a little bit of data i got when i looked into that...
from my Canadian point of view, no barrel length limitation for rimfire rifle...
I looked into this assuming i would sacrifice -10% velocity from the 19" barrel BBTI reference chart... an see how long the barrel would be.

From BBTI http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/22mag.html

-10% velocity from the 19" barrel.
11 types of ammo
= 9" 10" 10" 10" 10" 9" 9" 9" 11" 10" 10" barrel length
conclusion = optimal barrel lenght = 10" for 90% max velocity

here's some other data for fun from a guy who tested the magnum research ported barrel option... vs heavier bolt or fluted chamber.
from

the 3 rifles :
19" Magnum Research 22 mag ported barrel
21" savage bolt
16" savage bolt

with fmj 40 grain cci

. 21" . . . 16" . . . 19"
1849 . . 1705 . . 1772
1878 . . 1744 . . 1804
1829 . . 1758 . . 1748

1852 . . 1736 . . 1775 Average FPS for the 3 shots
vs 21" . -116fps . -77fps (-4.2% velocity 19" vs 21")
. . . . . . . vs 16" . +39fps (+2.3% velocity 19" vs 16")

-10% velocity here would be like 185 fps from the 1852 fps of the 21"
= 1667 fps... so the 16" is still 69 fps (+4.1%) over that score.

Basically for you Americans, unless you want a rimfire $BR, you can go with your minimum barrel length of 16 inches and still get the most out of your 22 mag.

Btw 6" of the usual bull barrel weight about 1 lb so its up to you if you want to carry extra weight for not that much velocity gain.

At some point, if you want more velocity or energy, you're much better with a caliber upgrade vs extra pounds of metal. 17 wsm is the top rimfire caliber at about 400 ft.lb of muzzle energy... that's 9mm territory hehe

22lr has the shortest need for barrel... beyond 6" lol its pretty much just extra weight

The only advantage a longer barrel has is sight radius if you using open sights. If you're running an optic, the advantage is gone.

Duck hunting is another story though... the extra barrel length helps following/shooting but its just 1 method.. you could train with a shorter barrel and be as good.

Also, for fun... most centerfire rifle calibers are at about 90% max velocity around 16" barrel length.
Like the .308 the 223 and ak rounds... 16" is all the barrel you need. Its actually shorter for the ak round but who cares cause you got to pay to get there.

(I think the 22lr data comes from this site...)
22lr
14" = 1,105 fps.
13" = 1,106
12" = 1,110
11" = 1,089
10" = 1,114
..9" = 1,077
..8" = 1,063
..7" = 1,057
..6" = 1,024
..5" = ..959
..4" = ..927 fps.

22lr
Colt New Frontier . . Sa Revolver . . .4 3/4" . . . 996 fps
S&W Mod 17 K-22 . Da Revolver . . 6" . . . . . 1,092 fps
Ruger Single 6 . . . . .Sa Revolver . . 6 1/2" . . 1,028 fps
S&W Mod 41 . . . . . .Auto Pistol . . . 7 3/8" . . 1,087 fps
S&W Mod 17 K-22 . Da Revolver . . .8 3/8" . . 1,049 fps
Sako Mod 78 . . . . . Bolt Rifle . . . . .22 1/2" . . 1,219 fps
T/C Contender . . . . S/Shot Pistol . .10" . . . . . 1,229 fps
REM. Factory Data . . Test BL . . . . . 18 1/2" . .1,280 fps

22lr
average velocity 3 shots

. barrel . . . 2" . . . . 5" . . . . 19" . . . . 23"
Stinger . . 1085 . . 1333 . . 1563 . . 1547
minimag . . 983 . . 1172 . . 1333 . . 1335
std vel. . . . 764 . . . 887 . . 1029 . . . 996
CB long . . . 503 . . .606 . . . 725 . . . 653
. . . . . . . . tp22 . . ruger . . savage . mossberg
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . mrkII . . bolt . . . . . bolt

308 Winchester / 7.62x51mm NATO: Barrel Length versus Velocity (28 to 16.5 )
308 Winchester Barrel length in inches versus Muzzle velocity in feet-per-second (ft/sec)
http://rifleshooter.com/2014/12/308...2014/12/308-winchester-7-62x51mm-nato-barrel-length-versus-velocity-28-to-16-5/

Barrel
length .Winchester . . IMI Samson . . Federal Gold . . Winchester PP
. . . . . 147 FMJ . . . 150 FMJ . . . . . 168gr . . . . . . . 180gr
28 . . 2965 . . . . . . . 2823 . . . . . . . 2706 . . . . . . . 2632
27 . . 2962 . . . . . . . 2800 . . . . . . . 2697 . . . . . . . 2607
26 . . 2955 . . . . . . . 2801 . . . . . . . 2673 . . . . . . . 2597
25 . . 2917 . . . . . . . 2769 . . . . . . . 2659 . . . . . . . 2585
24 . . 2909 . . . . . . . 2766 . . . . . . . 2635 . . . . . . . 2553
23 . . 2877 . . . . . . . 2744 . . . . . . . 2618 . . . . . . . 2553
22 . . 2837 . . . . . . . 2718 . . . . . . . 2597 . . . . . . . 2527
21 . . 2807 . . . . . . . 2683 . . . . . . . 2580 . . . . . . . 2507
20 . . 2804 . . . . . . . 2679 . . . . . . . 2565 . . . . . . . 2478
19 . . 2757 . . . . . . . 2634 . . . . . . . 2532 . . . . . . . 2441
18 . . 2739 . . . . . . . 2595 . . . . . . . 2523 . . . . . . . 2411
17 . . 2707 . . . . . . . 2577 . . . . . . . 2481 . . . . . . . 2401
16.5 .2682 . . . . . . . 2561 . . . . . . . 2466 . . . . . . . 2373
15 . . 2614 . . . . . . . 2498 . . . . . . . 2436 . . . . . . . 2343

7.62x39mm
123 grain projectile goes
fps
2400 from 20"
2350 from 16"
2250 from 12.5"
2100 from 10.5"
2000 from 9"

16" 2309 fps
11.5" 2075 fps
7" 1940 fps

looks like 12.5" is the minimum for the ak.

223 Remington/5.56 NATO, velocity versus barrel length: A man, his chop box and his friend's rifle
http://rifleshooter.com/2014/04/223...56-nato-velocity-versus-barrel-length-a-man-his-chop-box-and-his-friends-rifle/

 

The OP was asking about rifle barrels, but I'll chime in about handguns.

I don't think the .22 WMR is much more useful than a .22 LR high velocity when fired out of those NAA mini-revolvers, or derringers, with 1.5" to 2" barrels.

The NOISE is tremendous, sure, but the gunpowder doesn't boost the bullet's velocity when it burns in the air in front of the muzzle.

I tested both kinds of small pocket pistols by shooting stacks of soaked-wet newspaper (had been soaking for hours in an old camping cooler). The magnums didn't penetrate much more. Maybe an extra inch. That's it.

That being said, maybe a much louder noise and a big muzzle blast and flash will make a bad guy think he's being shot at with a 9mm, and that itself may be worthwhile.

 

That being said, maybe a much louder noise and a big muzzle blast and flash will make a bad guy think he's being shot at with a 9mm, and that itself may be worthwhile.

I've thought the .22 magnum snubby would make a good wilderness 'signal' gun. The loud report (about .38 Spcl. loud) and very compact ammunition would give some lightweight carry options.

 

Another number to consider is how cutting the barrel off effects the standard deviation in velocity of your ammunition which equals group size at longer ranges. I asked the same question last year after buying a suppressor, finally decided that 18-19" would be the best, went with 18.5".

 

Now Paul Harrel video arent the most entertaining but he's doing a good job data wise.
.22 Long Rifle vs. . 22 Magnum.
he's shooting 1 1/8 handguns with a chrono at about 4:00

 

I have a 16 1/4" MGM barrel for my G2 Contender carbine. I don't have a chronograph to tell me velocity but it is very accurate with CCI Maxi Mag 40 GR HPs and TMJs. It is a great walking varminter in sage rat country!
FM

 

That's the muzzle energy chart graphic.
(some people will find it easier to "read" than a bunch of number in a table)
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/2013data/22magME.html

in the second table, test with real world weapon,
the 18.5" barrel is a Rossi Circuit Judge... a revolver carbine.
It's probably defective or the worst piece of crap ever made.

 

I have a Chipmunk Hunter Pistol in 22 magnum. It has a 10 inch barrel, and is single shot (bolt action).

I chronographed it with some off-the-shelf ammo, different brands and bullet weights. Unfortunately, I did not write any down, as I did it more of a curiosity reason.

I do remember one of the loads though fortunately. The 30 grain Hornady V-Max load was right at 2,000 FPS (plus or minus 10 FPS). Advertised velocity is 2,200 FPS muzzle in a 24" barrel.

That's roughly a 200 FPS drop with loosing 14 inches of barrel.

The pistol has a pretty mean bark with the 10 inch barrel, but it is fun as hell to shoot.

 

thanks for posting your chrono results BlindFaith429
10" is about the right length for a -10% max velocity

-14 inches of steel is like -2lbs
too bad you have to SBR it in the US if you cut a rifle barrel.
no minimum barrel length for rimfire in Canada haha our only gun law that makes sense

 

Define effective?

I have only owned one 22mag which was an earlier 93 (no accutrigger) heavy barrel. I called it effective, 90 yard shot on a coyote that prevented the neighbor and her dog from getting in trouble when living outside of Stephenville. a single 30 gr TNT in the back of it's skull turned that coyote into a bag of cement, it just hit the ground.

16.5" barrel lose? Compared too? Look at some of the data these others posted, over my crono I got some good numbers out of the 21" barrel. I think it was the same 30 grain CCI TNTs at near 2400fps, but that was a while back and we have to trust my memory.

So effective for what?

Dave Z

 

Volquartsen says their testing shows anything over 13.5" is basically wasted barrel because all of the powder and its effective expansion is consumed by the time it has reached 13.5" down the tube, hence their preference for 16.5" barrels on their rifles.

Jordan

 

I think if I get a .22 Magnum Henry it will be the 16.5" Small Game Rifle instead of the 19.25" standard .22 Magnum rifle.

 

I'm with you. I've had hands on time with the 19" barrel Henry .22 Mag and I like the gun just fine. But I've had my eye on that small game carbine, plus it has an aperture sight if I remember correctly. man: