Point Blank Barrel Length

T

thumper4fun

Guest
Is there some rule of thumb optimum barrel length for point blank ppc rigs in regards to accuracy? I recently overheard a shooter at one of my local matches say that from his experience a 19” barrel provides the best accuracy. Is this just one man’s folly or is there some truth to it? If so, what makes a certain length more accurate? Stiffer, better harmonics, etc.?

If there is no magic barrel length my thinking is that starting with a 22” barrel would give me the option to set it back a couple times.

This may be a silly question and if so I apologize but I’m new to point blank match shooting and just trying to learn the ins and outs. I did a search but came up with nothing. Thanks
 
Do you happen to have the article Secrets Of The Houston Warehouse and if not I can try to figure out a way to post a link to it if you and or anyone else would like to read it. Below is a statement that I just copied and pasted from the ariticle in regards to barrel length.

Jim Gilmore said a barrel MUST be 21 3/4” long for optimum accuracy. That precise length, he stated, sets up a vibration pattern that duplicates well from shot to shot. Virgil faithfully followed that advice on his guns.

J.Louis
 
I would have to assume that every piece of steel vibrates differently than the next, or the last. With that said most ppc barrels cut any shorter than 21.5 inches would be so because of weight issues. Then there is the rule of thumb,that shorter barrels are stiffer and vibrate less so who really knows?? I sure dont. I keep my barrels around 4 pounds 13 oz. some are 22.5 inches long per xyz barrel maker and others are a bit shorter for abc barrel maker. Sometimes when i have my buddy cut my chambers, he slugs the barrel to find were he wants to crown. That can have a pretty big effect on how long the barrel ends up being, to stay in that 4 pound 13oz range. Lee
 
Secrets of the Houston Wharehouse

Louis.J said:
Do you happen to have the article Secrets Of The Houston Warehouse and if not I can try to figure out a way to post a link to it if you and or anyone else would like to read it. Below is a statement that I just copied and pasted from the ariticle in regards to barrel length.

Jim Gilmore said a barrel MUST be 21 3/4” long for optimum accuracy. That precise length, he stated, sets up a vibration pattern that duplicates well from shot to shot. Virgil faithfully followed that advice on his guns.

J.Louis
Click to expand...



http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/max357/houston.html
 
I have it, I have printed it and read it many times.You know my favorite part of the whole article is that T.J. Jackson had several 6BR's that all shot in the zeros.
To say i'm a big T.J. jackson fan would be an understatement. My light varmint barrel is 21 3/4"..but the jury is still out on it and my most accurate barrel was 24".
so who knows..
 
"so who knows.. "

That's truth....!


LOTTSA factors have to come together for the "PERFECT STORM"... Hummer Barrel that is...
These few and far between Hummers WANT to shoot.. But lottsa "little things" can hold it back from >>consistent<< ZERO's...:rolleyes:

22" is a good plan... Thumper, I do this with my LV/SP & HV guns.. Not for velocity but IF it's a really good shooter, I can set it back aft first 800 to 1k rounds (6ppc) and pretty much know it'll shoot near "hummer" like for another 500-700 rounds.. Wringing out the MOST from a barrel as far as I'm concerned...! Has not failed me yet.... Just is, most of these barrels have not been "good enough" to be a set-back candidate... Typical, regardless of barrel brand.

cale
 
Cale, your thinking makes perfect sense to me and that was the path I was headed down until I heard mention that there was some magic length that all hummer barrels were cut to. If I can get 1500-1600 rounds out of a really good barrel (original plus 1 set back) I'm all for it.
 
There is no magic length, 2 of my best barrels were 23.5 and 24" in length on a sporter/lv.
 
IMHO there are different lengths that have shot great, but according to what I read in the articles all the best shooting guns Houston Warehouse had 21-3/4' barrels. The warehouse was much better development platform than most shooting tunnels. Must are too small in diameter. There is one in Europe that is comparable but none in the US that I know of.
 
JohnVm but just imagine what they could have been if they were then cut to the proven 21 3/4 length it could have moved both of them into the hummer class. It would have been interesting to review the before and after test results.

J.Louis
 
Last edited:
Something assured Jim Gilmore that his belief in 21 3/4 was good. At least according to the warehouse story, he was able
to convince Virgil King and T.J. Jackson that it was.
 
Louis.J said:
JohnVm but just imagine what they could have been if they were then cut to the proven 21 3/4 length it could have moved both of them into the hummer class. It would have been interesting to review the before and after test results.

J.Louis
Click to expand...
J. Louis, you very well could be right, they might have improved. But over the years I have learned to not argue with success. I was competitive with the barrels as they were and if you cut them and they do not shoot than you are out an estimated 5 grand plus( estimated cost of barrels and bullets etc) before you find another successful barrel. I have had plenty of 21.75 in. barrels that would not shoot. to make me believe that it is not that important. I would be more inclined to believe that barrels are not that consistent from start to finish as we would like and you need to have several inches that are very consistent on the end or it will never shoot. This is just my opinion but I sometimes am wrong. But don't tell my wife that.:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top