Can you guys out there make some suggestions for accurate centerfire rifles with barrels 20" or less that are also accurate? At this point I'm not going the AR route which may be the best alternative. I'll appreciate your help as always.
Rifles with shorter barrels?? (not AR)
- Thread starter Sniper66
- Start date
- Status
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Well, cartridge preference and what you plan to use it for might help with recommendations.
edwardware
Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 4,424
The is absolutely no reason to connect barrel length to accuracy. Barrel stiffness is first order; length is not.
Pick a rifle with a good barrel; it should be accurate. I like Rem700s because I can swap barrels myself.
Pick a rifle with a good barrel; it should be accurate. I like Rem700s because I can swap barrels myself.
newfalguy101
Member
Its been shown many times that a shorter barrel is more stiff and therefore less suseptable to barreal whip or forend pressure.....if its a quality barrel shorter *should* be more intrincicly accurate....whether you as a shooter are good enough to see a difference is the big unknown......Personally I am not.
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
Any Savage, that has the barrel cut to twenty inches or less and has been given an eleven degree crown.
(I just like eleven...
)Shanghai McCoy
Member
Doesn't an eleven degree crown make it louder..?Any Savage, that has the barrel cut to twenty inches or less and has been given an eleven degree crown.
(I just like eleven...
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
Doesn't an eleven degree crown make it louder..?
Yes.
But these are the concessions one must make for accuracy...
@HexHead brings an interesting point that I do not disagree with.
Duster340
Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2015
- Messages
- 850
Ruger American Predator, 18" barrel. 1/2" @ 100 yards. I paid $389 OTD a year ago. I also have the 16" Ranch rifle in 5.56/223 that takes AR mags if you want 223. Accuracy is very comparable with good ammo
Tikka CTR 20" barrel. It will shoot well under 1" at 200 yards. I bought this used 2 years ago for about $700. Closer to $1000 new.
Tikka CTR 20" barrel. It will shoot well under 1" at 200 yards. I bought this used 2 years ago for about $700. Closer to $1000 new.
Skylerbone
Member
CZ 527 Carbine with 18 1/2” barrel at 6 lbs. $500 for composite stock, $650 for Turkish Walnut.
Yeah...it would probably help to provide more info. I was trying to spare you my droning on and on. Anyway....I plan to make it my primary varmint rifle for calling coyotes. Short barrel for quicker movement to the target...sometimes in brush. I have several varmint rifles but they are heavy with 26" barrels. For too unwieldy for my stated purpose. I want a .223 mostly because I have a ton of ammo already and it'll all kill coyotes, foxes, etc. I'll start the search for the 2 rifles above. And hey jmr40, thanks a million for the. pics. Have considered Tikka for years so now may be the time!! That's one of the reasons I love this site. Thanks everyone.
Goneshoot'n
Member
None at all. Check out what this fella shoots at a mile with the long range shooters of Utah:
Gtscotty
Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2007
- Messages
- 3,634
For .223, I'd probably lean towards picking up a Tikka T3x and having someone chop the barrel to whatever length you want. The T3x has a nice action, comes with an 8 twist and should handle any of the common bullet weights without issues. If you later decide you want to swap the stock or go to a chassis, there are lots of options.
Having someone cut the barrel adds $100 - $130 to the total cost, but you get to choose the exact rifle you want and the exact barrel length without having to settle for what's available from the factory. @MachIVshooter has chopped the barrels on a few of my rifles and I've been very happy with the results. The larger chamberings can be pretty blasty with shorter tubes, but .223 isn't bad.
Having someone cut the barrel adds $100 - $130 to the total cost, but you get to choose the exact rifle you want and the exact barrel length without having to settle for what's available from the factory. @MachIVshooter has chopped the barrels on a few of my rifles and I've been very happy with the results. The larger chamberings can be pretty blasty with shorter tubes, but .223 isn't bad.
Jessesky
Member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2016
- Messages
- 981
I have to say this is really subjective. The only reason a shorter barrel would be less accurate is if it’s so short it cannot stabilize the bullet or the ballistics suffer so severely. But this would only happen well beyond SBR territory.
Often shorter is stiffer and more accurate.
As far as factory rifles with sub 20” barrels. I owned a 5.56 Ruger American ranch and it was hole in hole accurate. But I probably got a good one.
Often shorter is stiffer and more accurate.
As far as factory rifles with sub 20” barrels. I owned a 5.56 Ruger American ranch and it was hole in hole accurate. But I probably got a good one.
Shanghai McCoy
Member
I bought a Savage varmint with a 20" barrel a couple years back and it has been very accurate with a variety of loads for me.
EIB0879
Member
I'm looking at the Ruger American Predator in .308 with an 18" bbl. Last year I was hunting out of a tight blind with a 3 0-30 Marlin. For most situations this is fine but on a big Axis buck I didn't get a pass thru or a good blood trail. I decided I need something a little more powerful.
351 WINCHESTER
Member
All things being equal a shorter barrel will usually shoot better than a longer one owing to the fact that barrel whip is less.
uzimon
Member
Aug
- Status
