Thread: 22lr barrel length

Okay, I will assume this topic has probably already been covered .
That said I was checking out some charts today re barrel length vs velocity as I am considering cutting the 16in barrel on the papoose down to 14 inches .
But after checking out the charts I am now thinking 13 inches .
And something else I had never considered when perusing these charts is semi vs bolt action .... as the bolt stays closed for full length of barrel travel in a bolt action , giving a backstop to barrel pressure but a semi opens the bolt and releases pressure , from what I have gleaned from my interwebbing this happens before the bullet has left the barrel and therefore after a certain distance of bullet travel a longer barrel is actually a hinderance on speed , more so than a bolt gun.
Looking at the following chart I found for some interesting reading and am now considering 13 as a possible better length than 14 as the velocity seems to actually drop in some of the chart lines and in the firearm comparison bottom chart a ten inch barreled ruger is no different to an 18in 10/22 .

BBTI - Ballistics by the Inch :: .22 Results

Anyone have any real world experience with short barreled 22 down to say 12 inch in a semi type action or any input regarding their own short 22 ?

16 inches is short

my 12" 10 22 and 20" cz gives the same velocity with fiocci official 300

yeh i have a 13 inch pooger 10/22
I asked for 12.5 but ended up with 13ish
it is more accurate now
it was as accurate or better than my model 2 brno
I only use subs and it eats without complaint
(40 and 42gr win if it makes any difference)
Id do it again in a heart beat

Wouldn't over think it. 12 inch is fine, 14 inch is also fine. I have 10/22 and a bolt, both short both work great.

Originally Posted by NewbieZAR

my 12" 10 22 and 20" cz gives the same velocity with fiocci official 300

Ignore the chart and go with whatever length is most practical.
My 16" Tikka has higher MV than my 22" CZ
I shortened my semi down to 14" as its purely for spotlighting notice zero difference.

If you were planning on doing target shooting/ long range 22 shooting there is an argument in going a long as possible/ practical but for hunting it really doesn't matter.

My marlin bolt is cut to 12.5" specifically for subs, works well and super handy.

Google optimum barrel lenght 22lr.
Going to the optimum lenght may cause some subsonic ammo to "pop" over the sound barrier.

Yeah, i test all me .22 ammo over the magneto speed and really with subs the velocity average between the 12" 10/22 and the 20" CZ/BRNO model 2E is pretty much none, about 10fps average diffrence. Both shoot really well out to 250 yards on target and both have taken bunnies in the 150-170 yard region. I havent compared supersonics yet.

Originally Posted by NewbieZAR

Yeah, i test all me .22 ammo over the magneto speed and really with subs the velocity average between the 12" 10/22 and the 20" CZ/BRNO model 2E is pretty much none, about 10fps average diffrence. Both shoot really well out to 250 yards on target and both have taken bunnies in the 150-170 yard region. I havent compared supersonics yet.

That's what I have always suspected with subs. Would love hear what you get with supers.

I have a Beretta Sport which can be fired as semi or bolt action. I cut it down short and tested over the chrony, the semi auto mode shoots slightly faster than bolt. Did a thread on it here a while back.

About bolt opening before bullet leaving barrel. A semi bolt travel back may START before a bullet has left the barrel, but nowhere near so far as to start venting gases to the rear.

In straight blowback the bolt travels back as an aqual opposite reaction (remember physics). So if a 1gram bullet exits at 1000fps then a 250gram bolt will travel back at 1/250th of the bullet speed, because that is the ratio of the two masses traveling apart. So 4fps bolt speed back vs bullet 1000fps ahead.

In reality you have to add the mass of the spring to the bolt mass.

Initial bolt travel speed is independent of the spring strength. But if you use an underweight bolt you need a strong spring to decelerate it.

I will be using mainly HV as I have yet to find a sub round that will cycle in my other papoose but haven't tried CCI yet.
Being a 'backpack' takedown rifle I figure a shorter barrel will be even handier for packing away and just handier to use.
And with a thin dead straight barrel, no taper whatsoever from chamber to muzzle, a shorter barrel may make it a little more rigid with the weight of a suppressor hanging off it .
Mind you the old one is still factory length with suppressor and doesn't seem to mind ....
Thanks for the input guys .
Being this papoose is a remlin version rather than an original I have no issues with fiddling with it and think I will cut it down to 13 and see what happens . If nothing else it will make it even lighter than the around 1 1/2 kilos it weighs now , which will be a bonus anyway .

Always remembering 762mm......

Originally Posted by Ftx325

I will be using mainly HV as I have yet to find a sub round that will cycle in my other papoose but haven't tried CCI yet.

Try getting hold of 45g CCI Suppressor Subs