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Author Topic: Barrel length for hunting  (Read 681 times)

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Offline chucky52

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Barrel length for hunting
« on: April 07, 2009, 04:35:13 PM »
I shoot hornet in 10 in. and want to set up for small game and small varmits. What's the best barrel length? What's the best way to set it up, scoped? which scope?
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Offline Hopalong7

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Re: Barrel length for hunting
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2009, 02:14:42 AM »
    I think it's just a matter of what YOU are most comfortable with. ;)  My personal barrel lengths have gotten longer over the years.  With Contenders, at first we had just 10" barrels and when 14" er's came out I thought...no way...too long, too cumbersome...now I frequently hunt with 16.25" er's.  For varmits and small game I would go with a scoped barrel to really utilize the accuracy of the gun.
GOOD SHOOTIN', Walt    ;D
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Offline OLDHandgunner

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Re: Barrel length for hunting
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2009, 02:50:48 AM »
What Hopalong7 said. What ever your comfortable with. All my Contender barrels are scoped.
My 22 Hornet barrel is a Custom 9" with a 5x Burris on it. It will hold it's own against any 22 Hornet rifles.
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Offline Carter

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Re: Barrel length for hunting
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2009, 01:15:58 AM »
Just to add some philosophy to the mix...  ;)

To me, any barrel longer than 14" is a rifle, and when I want to shoot a rifle, I use a rifle.
So every one of my Contender barrels is a 10" bull, in calibers between .22 to .223 to .44Mag and some others in between.

The only concern I have with some calibers is efficient powder burn, but with the reloads, I can control that somewhat with the powders used.

But that's just my .02, and we all know what that's worth.  :-\
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Offline no guns here

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Re: Barrel length for hunting
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2009, 03:47:32 AM »
For me it comes down to how are you going to hunt and shoot?  The LOOONG barrels get sort of hard for me to shoot off-hand but they settle down really nicely on a rest.  The 10" or so barrels seem to work better for me off-hand but don't give up any real accuracy from a rest if they are scoped.  You can choose either way just be aware of some of the limitations with a really long barrel or a really short barrel.  I personally like the 10" barrels and a couple of 14's.  For some reason it seems wrong to me to shoot  a rifle round from a 10" barrel but lot's of folks do it and like it.  For varmints I'd get a 14" barrel and scope it and call it good.


NGH
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Offline chucky52

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Re: Barrel length for hunting
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2009, 05:26:26 PM »
I saw a monopod shooting stick somewhere. Sounds like a good solution to hunting with a long barrel.
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