NVMIKE

as general rule the more case capacity a cartridge has the more you benefitt from a longer barrel. a longer barrel is usually more acurate, but pickier about loads.

8mm/06

You'll just sacrifice possible velocity potential. The bigger the potential of the cartridge the bigger the possible loss of velocity. Long and short barrels can be accurate or inaccurate. I'ts more about the load and the barrel/stock fit than anything else....course the condition of the barrel has a lot to do with it too...bore, crown etc.

bigcountry

NVMIKE, this doesn't make anymore sense to me. Maybe you can elaborate.

Briman

What Bigcountry said- shorter barrel is stiffer, and is less likely to have harmonic problems, is likely to be more accurate.

NVMIKE

The full quote is important here, I also said that the longer tubes are pickier. Probably because of less whip in the shorties. I'm not sure why, but I think its stablized more in a long tube once you match a load to that longer barrel. the short ones are easier to find good loads for, but I think the longer barrels have a better "best case scenario"I've got a couple remington 600's very short rifles, a win 70 , rem 700 all in 6mm. the latter two have 26 inch barrels and neither likes factory ammo or standard loads (2"-1.75"groups). With handloads I've got them both shooting a 70gr varmit load and a 85gr hunting loads under .75" a friend got a 5 shot group all touching about .39". Now the 600s they will shoot ANYTHING under 2" and most 1-1.5", but they wont shoot ANY under 1" either. my 300 win mags are the same way. the wifes 24 1/2" barrel will shoot ANYTHING 150gr, 180gr, 250 gr, handload, factory load, hot load, light load, ANYTHING. My 26" barrel wont shoot light or heavy bullets, 165 -180 only, but it will shoot under 3/4" with the right load.Find out how long the barrels are on top benchrest shooters guns. I bet you wont find many under 22", and most will be 26+. Why?[&:] who knows?

diyj98

The guys talking about the short barrel generally being more accurace are right on. That's why you'll see short barrels on benchrest rifles. For years Remington put long barrels (for velocity) on the 40X varmint rifles, but short barrels (for accuracy) on the 40X benchrest models.