<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>As far as accuracy goes, all other things being equal a shorter barrel rifle will tend to be more accurate than a longer one.[/quote]I don't know about that. The BOSS system used by Browning is a commercial example of a principle known by rifle barrel makers for years, the world over.
What you probably mean is the "stiffer" barrels are probably more accurate. And with that I agree. Of course, that means longer barrels would be thicker than normal and would be heavy. That's what we call a varminter barrel. Thin barrels are accurate when the length is cut or "damped", as in the BOSS system, at a primary vibration node maximum deflection point. Or you can vary the primary vibration frequency by the old tried and true method of finding the right "load" for that rifle. That just moves the node deflection to your barrel length. Shorter is not always more accurate for a lot of reasons.
As for velocity vs accuracy, a very simple principle shows that one does not yield the other. For a given load, there is a barrel length that yields full extension of the pressure pulse. That gives maximum velocity for that load. That barrel length may be smack between two primary vibration nodes, i.e., the worst place for accuracy. The muzzle is whipping across the boreline at this point, going from one maximum displacement to the other, not necessarily in a straight line either.
Heavy sporter barrels usually have a straight taper instead of a "hollow ground" taper. That way you get good mechanical resistance to primary vibrations without the weight of a heavy varminter barrel. Another way to make your barrel stiffer is to shorten it. That's where this started.
[This message has been edited by sensop (edited April 24, 2000).]