Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted: Moreover, the correct (party line) answer to the original question is that barrel length affects neither accuracy nor precision, only velocity.
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And I'm constantly amazed by how many cant understand something that simple, and yes, its that simple.
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I wish I could understand. I asked the same question under Competition shooting board at General. I saw lots of explanations but I am still not convinced...
Does barrel length affect accuracy in a smooth bore gun? I guess without rifling longer barrel would provide correct path for a longer time. Thus increasing accuracy? I just feel that there must some reason (even wrong) why so many people automatically think longer barrel means better accuracy.
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In the smooth-bore gun, this might be true, but it's not really relevant for most of us. I have seen results of a test in which a 24" barrel was cut down 2" at a time to 8". No change in accuracy or precision, but decreased volocity with each cut.
Long range shooters generally use longer barrels to get more velocity, so that there is less deviation at long ranges. For example, using the Barnes Ballistics program, for a .223 with a ballistic coefficient of .271 at 3000 fps muzzle velocity, and general sea level atmospheric conditions, we see that at 800 yards, the drop is 30 MOA. with a velocity of 3200 fps, the drop is 25.5 MOA. So, you'll be 36 inches lower with the slower load. So what, you might say, I'll hold higher. That's true, with target knobs, you just dial higher to compensate. But suppose you measured your range at 800, and it's really 825, because your rangefinder registered on a nearby object, not the target, or some other changing condition such as wind, or temperature or elevatiion or up or down angle, that you have not accounted for. That extra 25 yards throws off the slow load by 2.06 MOA, which is 16.5 inches at 800 yards. It throws off the faster load by 1.78 MOA which is 14.2 inches at 800 yards. The greater the distance and the greeater the veolocity, the greater the effect will be. Those 2.25 inches might not seem like much, but could mean the differnece between a hit, or a miss at that yardage. And we haven't even begun talking about wind yet, which is much harder to estimate, and much, much more variable. Wind speed at the muzzle might be TOTALLY different than wind speed at the target, and it may change direction and speed multiple times at longer ranges.
That's why long range shooters have longer barrels. Velocity.