Armory Sponsor
Posted: 7/14/2010 11:59:39 AM EDT
|
What would be an optimal barrel length? I saw EDM arms has 30" barrels, Ferret have 18, 28 and 36 or custom. Tactilit is 24- 32"
Oh the choices. |
|
It's a velocity vs. size/weight trade off.
Do you want to be able to move it around easily? What kind of vehicle do you have? Do you need more velocity to go that extra few hundred yards? My bohica 24" mk3 keeps Amax's supersonic to about 2400yd where I shoot (NW of las vegas). A 36" barrel would add about another 300yd to that, aswell as reduce flight time, elevation correction needed etc.. Less muzzle blast, more efficient burning of the powder. However, you probably can't shoot it from the standing, and it's an extra foot of ~2" thick steel pipe's worth of weight. IMHO, 24" is the minimum for me. I think somewhere around 28-30" would be ideal all around, 36-45" for max velocity if you really think you need it. |
|
Quoted:
What would be an optimal barrel length? I saw EDM arms has 30" barrels, Ferret have 18, 28 and 36 or custom. Tactilit is 24- 32" Oh the choices. I have a half dozen different 50's and have rebarreled 4 of them, some more than once, from 18" up to 36" and my favorite is the 30" barrel for ballance and better fit for hard cases. My 30" barrel has shot .5 MOA groups at 1000 yards with 750 gr bore riders and 233 gr of H50BMG. I have shot the18" and 30" barrels out to 2200 yards, the 18" barrel has about 700 fps less velocity with the same ammo in the 30" barrel and the drop difference is very significant. The 18" barrel rifle can be shot from the shoulder but not real accurately because of the weight factor. I have only had 2 barrels 36" long and they were too front heavy and hard to find an affordable hard case for them. Ed |
| Something else to keep in mind is that shorter barrels have less recoil. There's more pressure at the muzzle of a shorter barrel, which makes the muzzle break more effective. Seemed kind of counterintuitive when I first heard it, then heard the reasoning and thought about it, and it makes a lot of sense. Of course the added weight of a longer barrel would cut down a little of the recoil as well. |
|
I’ve had a 24” Bohica and now have a 30” Bohica. I much prefer the 30” for its accuracy and better velocity when using the same bullet and same amount of powder. The 24” is handy but I wouldn’t go back to a shorter barrel at all.
I'll cling to my God and my guns, and you can keep the "Change". |
|
I'll believe that there might be several things involved with shorter barrels and recoil, but one of them on a non-braked barrels is the jet effect. This is the same effect that one would see if a compressed gas cylinder has its nozzle busted off and the cylinder takes off on a trail of vapor. But with the brake the gun's recoil is reduced. More so due to the higher gas pressures than a long barrel where the gas pressure is reduced. But the longer gun has more weight and the laws of physics say that it take more energy to make some thing that weighs more. Well we didn't change the energy so that means a gun that weighs more will not move as much.
Now the draw back to a lighter gun with shorter barrel is that you are going to get a hell of lot more back blast and noise. Where as a longer barrel is going to create a lot less back blast, has more weight to help reduce recoil. I frankly have added weight to my rifle. I modified a 20 rnd mag to hold lead, about 2.5 lbs worth. Also my stock is not fancy or anything like that. It is just a standard A2 stock with a 2.5 lb weight in the tool box part of the stock. If I remember correctly, between the mag and the tool box weight, I think the rifle weighs in at about 32 lb and the recoil is less than a 12ga shotgun but with about 3-4" push backwards. Might be as much as a 12ga shotgun, but because I am not standing it is hard to say that the push is not the same as standing. |
|
Here's an article once posted on the Anzio Iron Works site from a few years back:
........."The following is based on a 700 grain military round. To maintain accuracy the bullet must stay supersonic. Every inch of barrel adds more weight and makes the rifle more unwieldy. So pick the right barrel length for your needs. Here is the breakdown: 17-29" barrel length FPS Inches––––––Min––––––Max––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-29-39" barrel 17––––––––2236––––––––2236–––––––––––––––––– 29"––––––-2656––––––-2656 18––––––––2261––––––-2271––––––––––––––––––-30––––––––––2674––––––2677 19––––––––2286––––––-2306––––––––––––––––––––31––––––-2692––––––––2698 20––––––-2311––––––––2341––––––––––––––––––––32––––––––––2710––––-2719 21––––––––2336––––––-2376––––––––––––––––––––33––––––––––2728––––-2740 22––––––––-2361––––––2411––––––––––––––––––––––34––––––––2746––––-2761 23––––––––-2386––––––2446––––––––––––––––––––35––––––––-2764––––––2782 24––––––-2411––––––2481––––––––––––––––––––––36––––––––––2782––––2803 25––––––––2436––––––2516––––––––––––––––––––-37––––––––––2800––––-2824 26––––––––-2461––––-2551––––––––––––––––––––38––––––––2818––––––-2845 27––––––––2486––––––2586––––––––––––––––––––39––––––––––2836––––-2866 28––––––-2511––––––-2621––––––––––––––––––-40"––––––––––2876 29––––––-2536––––––2656 17" barrel -2236 fps accurate to approximately 1600 yards 29-32" barrel- is the ideal in terms of long range, weight, and powder usage. 2656fps is accurate to approximately 2200 yards. You generally gain approximately 18-21 fps every inch over 29", then drops at 40". 40" barrel at 2876 fps , accurate to approximately 2500 yards" This info was posted at "anzioironworks.com/barrel length vs fps.htm" sometime around the 1st of 2003. Just for some more info |
|
Quoted:
Here's an article once posted on the Anzio Iron Works site from a few years back: ........."The following is based on a 700 grain military round. To maintain accuracy the bullet must stay supersonic. Every inch of barrel adds more weight and makes the rifle more unwieldy. So pick the right barrel length for your needs. Here is the breakdown: 17-29" barrel length FPS Inches––––––Min––––––Max––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-29-39" barrel 17––––––––2236––––––––2236–––––––––––––––––– 29"––––––-2656––––––-2656 18––––––––2261––––––-2271––––––––––––––––––-30––––––––––2674––––––2677 19––––––––2286––––––-2306––––––––––––––––––––31––––––-2692––––––––2698 20––––––-2311––––––––2341––––––––––––––––––––32––––––––––2710––––-2719 21––––––––2336––––––-2376––––––––––––––––––––33––––––––––2728––––-2740 22––––––––-2361––––––2411––––––––––––––––––––––34––––––––2746––––-2761 23––––––––-2386––––––2446––––––––––––––––––––35––––––––-2764––––––2782 24––––––-2411––––––2481––––––––––––––––––––––36––––––––––2782––––2803 25––––––––2436––––––2516––––––––––––––––––––-37––––––––––2800––––-2824 26––––––––-2461––––-2551––––––––––––––––––––38––––––––2818––––––-2845 27––––––––2486––––––2586––––––––––––––––––––39––––––––––2836––––-2866 28––––––-2511––––––-2621––––––––––––––––––-40"––––––––––2876 29––––––-2536––––––2656 17" barrel -2236 fps accurate to approximately 1600 yards 29-32" barrel- is the ideal in terms of long range, weight, and powder usage. 2656fps is accurate to approximately 2200 yards. You generally gain approximately 18-21 fps every inch over 29", then drops at 40". 40" barrel at 2876 fps , accurate to approximately 2500 yards" This info was posted at "anzioironworks.com/barrel length vs fps.htm" sometime around the 1st of 2003. Just for some more info Hmm. one could plot this data. I wonder if it is linear. Then one could also determine the approximate weight added per inch of length. |
|
Quoted:
Hmm. one could plot this data. I wonder if it is linear. Then one could also determine the approximate weight added per inch of length. Well you would have to make up a matrix. Different diameter barrels and CM vs SS would also be a factor I would think. Is the barrel tappered? Is it fluted? How many flutes? Could get to be real messy in short order if you want to be accurate with your numbers. I am just saying. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
What would be an optimal barrel length? I saw EDM arms has 30" barrels, Ferret have 18, 28 and 36 or custom. Tactilit is 24- 32" Oh the choices. I have a half dozen different 50's and have rebarreled 4 of them, some more than once, from 18" up to 36" and my favorite is the 30" barrel for ballance and better fit for hard cases. My 30" barrel has shot .5 MOA groups at 1000 yards with 750 gr bore riders and 233 gr of H50BMG. I have shot the18" and 30" barrels out to 2200 yards, the 18" barrel has about 700 fps less velocity with the same ammo in the 30" barrel and the drop difference is very significant. The 18" barrel rifle can be shot from the shoulder but not real accurately because of the weight factor. I have only had 2 barrels 36" long and they were too front heavy and hard to find an affordable hard case for them. Ed You shot a .5MOA at a 1000 yards? Lee Rasmussen just shot the world record at 1.970 at a 1000 yards. You must be good. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What would be an optimal barrel length? I saw EDM arms has 30" barrels, Ferret have 18, 28 and 36 or custom. Tactilit is 24- 32" Oh the choices. I have a half dozen different 50's and have rebarreled 4 of them, some more than once, from 18" up to 36" and my favorite is the 30" barrel for ballance and better fit for hard cases. My 30" barrel has shot .5 MOA groups at 1000 yards with 750 gr bore riders and 233 gr of H50BMG. I have shot the18" and 30" barrels out to 2200 yards, the 18" barrel has about 700 fps less velocity with the same ammo in the 30" barrel and the drop difference is very significant. The 18" barrel rifle can be shot from the shoulder but not real accurately because of the weight factor. I have only had 2 barrels 36" long and they were too front heavy and hard to find an affordable hard case for them. Ed You shot a .5MOA at a 1000 yards? Lee Rasmussen just shot the world record at 1.970 at a 1000 yards. You must be good. I've just had a lot of trigger time with a .50, and been able to shoot 4, 5, and 6 inch groups at 1000 yards, but there are lots of people that can shoot better than I can. I do all my shooting with a Light Weight gun (32lbs6ozs)in all 4 classes, Light,Heavy,Unlimited,Hunter, and I have shot all 4 classes off the ground (prone). http://statearms.com/winner.html Ed |
|
Quoted:
...There's more pressure at the muzzle of a shorter barrel, which makes the muzzle break more effective... Quoted:
I believe the lessened recoil on a short barrel is more attributable to Newton's third law. The bullet leaves the rifle with less velocity so the rifle is pushed back less. At least that's the way I understood it. Also consider the bullet is in the barrel for less time -thus there is less time for the rifle to accelerate backwards into the shooters shoulder. There are lots of little reasons that add up to a pleasant shooting gun. (not the least of which is the AWESOME dusk muzzle flash with a shorty!  )
|
Armory Sponsor