question about 'heavy' barrel

[glassman]

I'm looking to buy a bolt action .22 rifle for target use. What are the advantages/disadvantages of a 'heavy' or 'bull' barrel?

 

[Vicious-Peanut]

On a .22, none really. They are useful for fast calibers burning lots of powder as they take longer to heat up and therefor the groups don't open up as fast, plus they are more rigid and heavier so the are a little easier to balance off hand as the weight keep you from swaying, within reason of course.

 

[JesseL]

Heavy barrels also tend to dampen vibrations (either those induced by the shooter or those that result from firing) and resist flexing. This results in better accuracy, but most non-competitive shooters will never notice the difference.

I've got a couple Reminton 37 rifles that my grandfather built for smallbore competition and they're probably the heaviest guns I own. The barrels are around 1.25" diameter, and they're just .22s! I've never fired them, but grandad's targets were very impressive.