Barrel contour questions

[wbwanzer]

I'm looking at getting a Weatherby Vanguard S2 in .223 sometime this summer. This can be gotten in a carbine with a 20" barrel or the standard synthetic model with a 24" barrel. The 20" barrel is #1 contour with a .561 muzzle diameter, and the 24" barrel is #2 with a .611 muzzle diameter. All of the Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 rifles come with a three shot MOA guarantee.

Now I'm not a hunter and I don't shoot competitively. I'm just out there for the fun of it shooting at either 25 yards or 100 yards. So does it really matter which barrel I have? No. But for those of you who are OCD like me and like to research things to death, which would theoretically be more accurate?

Thanks for your input. If you think this is silly and don't want to participate, that's fine too.

 

[Gtscotty]

Barrel length is not a factor in accuracy at the ranges you are looking at. The 24" might have an advantage if you were shooting right out at the edge of .223 supersonic zone, if only because it would probably yield higher velocities. For most .223 uses I would rather have a 20" barrel than the 24". The real question would be what twist rates both barrels have, and what bullet weights you want to use.

Edit: Reread and saw that the two potential barrels are different contours. Theoretically the heavier barrel might be more consistently accurate, especially under long strings of fire. In reality it will probably depend on the individual barrels... I would still lean towards the shorter, lighter barrel personally.

 

[briansmithwins]

At 100 yards I don't expect that you'd see any difference between the two barrels.

Since you're not hiking or maneuvering with it, there isn't any downside to the longer, heavy barrel.

Besides, you can always get a barrel cut down and the contour reduced. Going the other way ain't easy.

BSW

 

[jmr40]

Barrel stiffness determines accuracy. All things being equal a thicker barrel will be stiffer. All things being equal a shorter barrel will be stiffer. In this case I think it will pretty well even out. A 223 doesn't gain much speed beyond 20" like some others. I'd handle both and pick the one that felt better to me. Vanguards are the heaviest of the common rifles available so I'd personally go with the lighter, shorter barrel. But this is all about personal preference, no wrong answer.