Hunting with 24” Barrel

[MidGAHunter]

Sounds like the 24” barrel on my Tikka T3x Creedmoor isn’t a big deal.


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Nope, not at all. I've used 24 inch barrels on rifles in open country, lock on stands, climbing stands, ladder stands, box blinds, and ground blinds without issue. You will be fine.

 

[bhylton]

my main rifle has a 22n barrel. (300wsm). but looking back at all the animals i have killed with it, they would all be just as dead if it had an 18in barrel. would i be getting "max"performance from the round? no.. but all my shots have been 485yds and less so it just dont matter...

when im shooting over a chrono i wish it had a 26in tube .....i just dont think it matters that much to the animal if the bullets is going 150fps faster or slower...

that said, with the rifle in a gun bearer, the end of the barrel is even with the top of my head, so not sure anything under 22in would gain me any maneuverability.

 

[Wapiti1]

My hunting rifles are either 22" or 24". I don't see the point of going shorter. I've never had an issue where a shorter barrel would have been faster, better, whatever than the 22/24" barrel I had.

For me it is about getting the right weight and balance for the rifle. A short barreled rifle that is butt heavy isn't going to point as well as a balanced rifle with a longer barrel. Prone, this won't matter, but standing in the timber when you have a couple of seconds to make a shot, it does. My hunting rifles have to work in all positions that I might need to shoot from.

Jeremy

 

[chutinlead]

I chopped my hunting rifle down to 20", but I also run a 8" long can. I wanted it to fit in my case with the can left on. Velocity was still good with Bergers 156gr 6.5 EOL running over 2800fps. I might get a 18" Carbon Fiber barrel for next year though.

 

[KurtR]

Got my creedmoor built a decade ago with a 24” bbl and it has worked good for me

 

[meta_gabbro]

Depends on the cartridge. My 308 has a 22" for mulies in timber, the 30-06AI I'm putting together next year will be 25" or 26" plus a brake for elk and open country speed goats. If I had anything in a magnum, it'd probably be with a 26" too

 

[BigRutt]

I got the 20" ctr 6.5cm and am waiting on a 7" can to go with it. So hopefully it will be just like normal in the woods 27" barrel essentially. I feel like anything over26-28 in the mtns is just too long.

 

[jfs82]

My backup hunting rifle is 24 inch, I sure prefer my mains 21 inch though. When I rebarrel the backup Ill go to 21/22 with that one too.

 

[ShortMagFan]

I’ve got 6.5 SAUMs with 20 and 24” barrels. Which one I carry depends on where I’m hunting. I would not want longer than 24” unless I was out west (I’m an eastern hunter). I would not feel handicapped with my 24” rifle on a western hunt though

 

[wyosam]

Most of mine have been 24”, but I’m trending shorter lately. 22” on 6.5cm and 280ai. Building a model 7 with an 18” in 7-08ai. I’ve had that one forever in .243 and I love to carry it. Since its reaching the end of life for its barrel, moving to an elk capable cartridge made sense.


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[Overdrive]

The first long range gun I set up has a 24" pipe, and it's only a $500 Weatherby Vanguard II in 257 Wthby. It is a flat out shooter. I topped it with a Huskemaw and it has dropped a lot of animals with 1 shot kill's, Deer, Antelope and Elk. My other long range rifles have 26" but still happy with the Vanguard in a 24" and it's nice and lite compared to my Sendero, and I'm going to build another Vanguard with a 26" in 6.5-300 Wthby so hope that one come's out good too.

 

[Kimber7man]

I had the 24” barrel on my 6.5 SAUM chopped back to 20” to make it handier with my Ultra 7. A 20” 6.5 SAUM can still deliver the mail....

 

[Brettm1983]

24" is the perfect size