30-06 barrel length

Status
Not open for further replies.

speed_kills

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
18
hello I have looked and I would say 75% of 30-06's have 22 inch barrels.Are they any disadvantage to this or can more be gained from a 24 or 26
 
Longer barrels mean more accuracy and more muzzle energy (more distance for the bullet to speed up) but obviously are more heavy and combersome.

...Sounds like some cheesy statement from an orientation booklet.
 
does anyone make 26 inch barrels in a 30-06

Jack Krieger makes them every day.

Win06t1.jpg


I get 2900+ fps with 190SMK's out of my 26" Krieger. The large case capacity of the '06 just begs for slow powders and heavy bullets.

Don
 
Longer barrels mean more accuracy

Not necessarily. Shorter barrels are generally stiffer and thus have the potential to be more accurate. The biggest difference isn't going to be in the accuracy area but rather the muzzle velocity. A 26" barreled 30/06 is going to be a tough find I think (other than the previously linked Thompson). I can't think of one right off hand, but I'm sure there's some out there. They're not common, because the different between a 24" 30/06 and a 26" 30/06 just isn't that big. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head would be an older Remington 721 or something similar.
 
Yehen said:
Longer barrels mean more accuracy and more muzzle energy (more distance for the bullet to speed up) but obviously are more heavy and combersome.

Longer barrels may mean more practical accuracy for iron sighted rifles, due to the greater sight radius and sometime better balance; but shorter barrels are more inherently accurate (all else being equal) due to being stiffer than longer barrels.
 
24" barrels are common and work well.

Weatherby's Vanguard series (Howa barreled action) come with 24" barrels and shoot very well. Ditto for some Remingtons.

Ruger's No 1 Standard .30-06 has a 26" barrel.

Of course, there are plenty of custom rifles, but these are reasonably-priced production rifles.
 
22-24" is optimal for .30-06 when one considers velocity vs. utility. Believe me, another 2" of barrel mans a whole lot more getting snagged on tree branches when hunting.
 
I have hunted since the early 60's with a scoped 03 with a 20"
two groove barrel. It was put together as a quick handling brush
gun. However, it has produced one shot kills over the years, from
60 to 375 yards, in brush and desert terrain. It likes 168 to 180
grain Sierras:) It also kills big game just as dead as the 22 and 24"
barreled 06s that I own. Really haven't noticed the couple hundred
fps that might be lost, as it is quite accurate. Speed might kill, but
solid vital hits, do it better:D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top