Assuming all other things are equal , same type of barrel , same shooter or vise ,load is best for that rifle etc etc . I'm having this debate with other shooters and many are saying a longer barrel is more accurate . I say no , it just gives the shooter the ability to be more accurate . Am I wrong ?
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Is a 18" barrel less accurate then a 30" barrel
- Thread starter Metal god
- Start date
Generally stiff barrels are more accurate. Shorter barrels of the same diameter will be stiffer, and more accurate. It is possible for a 30" barrrel to be just as stiff as an 18" barrel, but it would have to be a LOT thicker. In barrels of equal diameter, at reasonable ranges the shorter barrel will be MORE accurate. Everything else being equal of course.
Then there is range. As long as bullets are traveling at supersonic speeds they remain stable in flight. Once they slow down they become unstable and accuracy is gone. A 30" barrel will shoot 200-300 fps (maybe more) faster than an 18" barrrel depending on the chambering. This means that at some point the bullet fired from the shorter barrel will slow to the point where it is unstable. The same bullet fired from the longer barrel will remain stable for a slightly greater distance.
You could have a situation where the shorter barrel will be more accurate out to about 950 yards before accuracy basically disappears. From 950-1000 the longer barrel would be more accurate and beyond 1000 neither would have any accuracy to speak of.
If you are talking iron sights, the longer barrel will usually be more accurate. Not because of the barrel, but the greater the distance between front and rear sights, the easier it is to aim precisely.
Then there is range. As long as bullets are traveling at supersonic speeds they remain stable in flight. Once they slow down they become unstable and accuracy is gone. A 30" barrel will shoot 200-300 fps (maybe more) faster than an 18" barrrel depending on the chambering. This means that at some point the bullet fired from the shorter barrel will slow to the point where it is unstable. The same bullet fired from the longer barrel will remain stable for a slightly greater distance.
You could have a situation where the shorter barrel will be more accurate out to about 950 yards before accuracy basically disappears. From 950-1000 the longer barrel would be more accurate and beyond 1000 neither would have any accuracy to speak of.
If you are talking iron sights, the longer barrel will usually be more accurate. Not because of the barrel, but the greater the distance between front and rear sights, the easier it is to aim precisely.
Generally stiff barrels are more accurate. Shorter barrels of the same diameter will be stiffer, and more accurate. It is possible for a 30" barrel to be just as stiff as an 18" barrel, but it would have to be a LOT thicker. In barrels of equal diameter, at reasonable ranges the shorter barrel will be MORE accurate. Everything else being equal of course.
This is where I get confused . Do you really mean more consistent ? I have heard many times on this forum that as long as the barrel is made well and mated to the receiver correctly you should be good to go with no walking and very good accuracy .
I guess we can include into this thread . Is a stiffer barrel more accurate . meaning if you have a 20" heavy barrel at it's best and a 20" sporter barrel at it's best Will the sporter barrel be less accurate ? when I say at there best , that means loads worked up to have them shooting the best each could be .
no other issues just 2 barrels at there best for both questions barrel length and stiffness
I don't believe you are wrong but neither are your friends. It really depends on what you're shooting cartridge wise and at what distance. As stated above the longer barrel gives you a better sight radius with open sights, therefore less margin of error. Also stated above is the fact that a short barrel of equal diameter won't vibrate as much as a longer barrel therefore giving you better accuracy. It's one of those "six of one, half dozen of the other" scenarios.
Barrels are dynamic.They move during firing.For a very imperfect analogy,think fishing pole.Or guitar string.
Also think in terms of receiver rigidity.30 in is a longer lever than 20 in.
And,I suppose in theory powder burn rates would matter.In a 30-06,the long barrel might favor 4350 or 4831,while the short barrel might favor 4895.
The barrel harmonics get complex,too.A 30 in barrel might flex ,but it may be that while the mid section is flexing,the muzzle is still holding relatively still as the bullet departs.Its a wavelength thing,in imperfect terms.
Also think in terms of receiver rigidity.30 in is a longer lever than 20 in.
And,I suppose in theory powder burn rates would matter.In a 30-06,the long barrel might favor 4350 or 4831,while the short barrel might favor 4895.
The barrel harmonics get complex,too.A 30 in barrel might flex ,but it may be that while the mid section is flexing,the muzzle is still holding relatively still as the bullet departs.Its a wavelength thing,in imperfect terms.
ndking1126
New member
Jmr40 really summed it up. All things being equal, the shorter barrel will vibrate less because it's stiffer. That, in theory, means the shorter barrel will be more accurate.
This is really getting into symantecs, but to be accurate, consistency is necessary. You could probably even say consistency is accuracy. for your original question you said all things being equal so we have to work off the idea that everything is happening with perfect consistency.
For spotter vs bull, I would have to assume the bull barrel is theoretically capable of better accuracy, but I've heard arguments both ways. I know in real world, sporter barrels can be made accurate enough that factors such as the marksmans ability, can be a bigger difference than the difference of if the barrel is sporter or bull weight.
This is really getting into symantecs, but to be accurate, consistency is necessary. You could probably even say consistency is accuracy. for your original question you said all things being equal so we have to work off the idea that everything is happening with perfect consistency.
For spotter vs bull, I would have to assume the bull barrel is theoretically capable of better accuracy, but I've heard arguments both ways. I know in real world, sporter barrels can be made accurate enough that factors such as the marksmans ability, can be a bigger difference than the difference of if the barrel is sporter or bull weight.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Worth the read:
http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/max357/houston.html
It looks to me, from what I've read through the decades, that consistency in system harmonics is the key. Repeatability, shot to shot to shot.
It seems to be a consensus among "nit-picky-serious" shooters that stiffer is better, so that makes short actions better than standard or magnum actions.
The Houston warehouse guys found that the 21.5" barrel length gave the tightest groups.
There are obviously many other factors, but I'm limiting these comments to the issue of barrel length.
http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/max357/houston.html
It looks to me, from what I've read through the decades, that consistency in system harmonics is the key. Repeatability, shot to shot to shot.
It seems to be a consensus among "nit-picky-serious" shooters that stiffer is better, so that makes short actions better than standard or magnum actions.
The Houston warehouse guys found that the 21.5" barrel length gave the tightest groups.
There are obviously many other factors, but I'm limiting these comments to the issue of barrel length.
As a general rule of thumb every additional inch of rifle barrel will add 25fps. So if 18" is shooting a round at 2500fps the same gun and ammo should be around 2800fps with a 30" barrel. That little bit of velocity would give the bullet a little more distance before it drops into transonic speeds and accuracy goes to pot.