Barrels

[RanchRoper]

I was looking through some catalogs I have and it's interesting that Cimarron calls rifles with 20" barrels "short rifles". I didn't consider my Henry short but a guy at the gun range also commented that it's "nice and short". So I guess the BB Carbine is exceptionally short or "guide gun" specs?
What barrel lengths do you folks prefer and why?

[Sir Henry]

I like carbines for handling but for accuracy my opinion changes somewhat. On a rifle with a scope I still prefer that short barrel. I think long barrels were popular when smokeless powder came on the scene. After all with black powder a longer barrel meant higher speeds. But with smokeless anything longer than about 16 inches doesn't make the bullet go faster.

But on a rifle with iron sights I prefer a longer barrel because it increases the sight distance making it more accurate too shoot.

[RanchRoper]

Makes sense. I thought my Big Boy @20" was a long barrel.
Now I'm worried about having "barrel envy".

[White Squirrel]

I don't hunt and I rarely shoot a rifle from a bench rest, I just plink for fun. So, I prefer the shorter rifles all the way around. I have two rifles (both .22 LR bolt action) that have 22" barrels. Everything else I have is either a 16.5" or 18.5" barrel.

[Henry88]

I have 3 bolt actions, all 22", and that seems right. Maybe for squirrel hunting in thick brush, a short bolt job may be nice, but that is kind of what the Henry is for. I would like a Steel Big Boy with a short barrel, think that would fit right in............

[seak89]

I really want a 24" barreled 45-70 Henry makes just for the older look. When I take my mares leg into Canada and put a full stock on it that short gun is handy as a pocket on a shirt. Also very accurate at a hundred yards.

[Les]

We are definitely not the first people to ask this question - and we won't be the last. This is just one of 1000's of opinions on the subject. The very last line just about sums up the whole thing, I think.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/how-long-s ... length-be/

[PT7]

Very good article, and what you noted as a summation looks about spot-on.

I've not heard of the Backwoods Home Magazine before, and looked at the web site. Found it interesting. It also looks like Massad Ayoob regularly writes (blogs) for the publication, too. First time I've read any article by him that the focus was other than SD. This one was well-written and informative....thanks for posting it.