24" 22" or 20" AR Barrel Length???

CWeeks

CWeeks

New member
Well what are the best barrel lengths for AR's. I will be getting the 1X8 twist. The gun is a full Dtech custom with compensater. And my shots will be from 150-450+ yards on small critters. Is there any advantage to getting the longer barrels. Or is the 20" just fine for what I need.
 
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Most will agree that the only advantage to the longer barrel is velocity...but this also depends on which ammo or powder you are using. H4198 is burnt up by 15" so that extra length barrel really isn't helping anything; unless you shoot a slower powder.

If you are shooting iron sites the extra distance between a 16" and 20" in site distance can make you a more accurate shooter..but your not considering 16"...and probably not iron sites.

I am stationary shooter...either firing from the truck or a fixed position. I have a lead weight in my a2 butt-stock and shoot a 20" bull barrel profile. I want a heavy rifle to help keep the gun steady for long shots in winds on the open prairie. This is not a walking or hiking rifle....it weighs about 15#'s....unloaded.

Personally I would describe your style of hunting to DTech and see what he suggests.
 
16" full bull is the way to go..... Don't let a bunch of ol' ladies scare you off of it just because of the noise. I have three AR's, 2 of them have the 16" bull barrels (one is fluted) and the other one has the 20". There is very little noise difference between them (because I'm smart and wear hearing protection)but my 16's are better shooters.

Good Luck,

Rus
 
Even though 4198 in a 224 diameter barrel is burned to its peak around 14" at the 45,000 pounds level. It has produced gasses that will continue to accelerate the bullet past the 30 inch mark. Gas travels at or near 14,000 feet per second. I would think a 22 inch barrel would give the velocity and balance for a varmint rig.
 
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for shooting beyond 300 yds, go with the longer tube, milk all the velocity you can get, especialy with heavy bullets.
RR



My AR shoots very consistant out to 400 yards (Nikon Buckmasters BDC is the ticket) you will loose a LITTLE velocity but not enough to worry about. I don't know where you live or what kind of terrain you are hunting, but ask yourself just how many times am I going to take a shot at a predator from 400 yards?

Good Luck,

Rus
 
Radd,
I will happen a ton out here in the West in fact 3 weeks ago we went out and we saw 22 dogs only a couple of those were inside 350 yards they all would come to the 350+ mark and would sit down and no matter what we threw at them they would come any closer. But this is not my concern that is still a big enough target. What I will be shooting is rockchucks at 300-450+ so the velocity and accuracy out that far is what I need.
 
I have a 24" Shilen service contour match barrel and I think it's prefect. I was planning on buying a heavy, bull barrel but I'm glad I didn't. Not too heavy and not too light. I gotta say this Upper is more accurate then my bolt guns. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif

I went with the 24" because this up coming June I'll be heading out west for a PD trip. I wanted that extra velocity.
 
I don't know what caliber you are shooting but if it is a .223 those type of long shots out west in the wind will be hard to make. .223 is a 300 yd round at its best in high wind area such as those found out west as it starts to get blown around plenty.

I prefer a 22" barrel fluted. They seem to be a perfect balance to me but most folks don't make them in that length.
 
Well I can get it from Dtech that is who I am ordering from and he has 24" barrels that he will cut down to 23 or 22".
 
For my needs a 18 or 20" is the ticket when I walk more than I shoot. The 16" is to noisy for me and I have had problems with the gas systems on several of my 16's. You won't notice the difference with noise on the 16's with hearing protection but after awhile you won't without either. I prefer to put my money in the quality of the barrel in the correct contour instead of fluting.
 
I got my DTech in the 24" flavor and love it. When I ordered it I was torn just like you are between 20" and 24"; what convinced me was talking to Mike and having him weigh each barrel and note the difference. The fluted 24" barrel was only 4oz heavier than a fluted 20" barrel. I'm shooting 77gr Berger BTHPs at 2850 fps and it does a great job at bucking the wind and shooting to 550yds.
 
I'm glad to hear that you went with a 1X8 twist, seems everyone wants the 1X9. I have said that I would never have the need for a 24" barrel on an AR platform, but I got a good deal on a Wilson air gauge barrel and so I put together another upper and bought a couple of lowers at the last gun show to put on the shelf. Then this little voice in my head says "Hey let's try this" So now I have a 24" bull AR of my very own. Have to try it out Wednesday at the range. I would think that with 55gr. Ballistic tips and 25 grs. of of H335 I should be able to see the hits in the scope.

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That is agood looking AR William, one of the first AR upgrades I will do to my Dtech is the skeleton butt stock, they look mean on these blackies. Your load is what I currently shoot and what I will try in hte AR when I get it. I shoot 55 grn Vmaxes and 25.5 grns of H335 it shoots really good in the Stevens 200 in .223 I have and hope it does just as well in the AR. I decided on the 1X8 barrel because I want to be able to load 65+ grainers to shoot real long rockchuck stuff one day in the near future.
 
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