AR15 Barrel Length

[Lordgunner]

I'm pretty set on getting an AR15.

One simple question. Is a 16" barrel going to be accurate enough? Or is a 20" one a better decision?

I've read articles saying that their 16" barrel is very accurate. The smallest thing that I'll probably be shooting are prarie dogs

[survival shop]

Its not just the barrel length , it is also the barrel manufacturer. The 16 " bbl's I have installed were all heavy match bbl's. ( Oly. Arms )and they performed very well , of course when you want to get all you can from the .223 ( long range ), a longer bbl. is going to do the job. I have a 24" ,S/S, heavy match ( OLY. Arms) 1 in 10 , crowned , bbl . that justlovesthe heaver bullets @ longer ranges . You will find a lot of opinions here, of course as to this subject, because like every thing else , each barrel and weapon combo will shoot different , but for longer range accuracy , the longer barrels will win out over the shorter ones . It all depends on what your use is.Of course , open sight type ,scope & mount and how its monted on the rifle will have an effect.

[bigtim6656]

i had a 16 inch factory bushmaster and it was dead on at 100yards no proplem

[Bullet Hole Bailey]

My colt Ar-15 has a 20" barrel and its deadly accurate!

[Lordgunner]

Well... I think I got it figured out.

http://www.pkfirearms.com/store/get_item.aspx?id=682&action=display
^^That's the upper, I'd get the flatop so I can mount a scope.

http://www.lonestarwholesale.com/2.html
There's the lower. Scroll to the middle of the page and look at the "AR15 Lower Complete with M4 Stock". I'd probably get the Bushmaster lower.

Any thoughts?

I figured that I couldn't go wrong with Bushmaster

[CalNewbie]

My experiences with the 16" Bushmaster differ from bigtim6656's. 16" barrel (actually a little shorter given the flash suppressor), best you can hope for is 2" - 2 1/2" groups. A friend has a similar rig and has experienced the same results.

If you want better accuracy go with a 20" barrel. 24" is overkill.

[kelbro]

I have a 16" DPMS bull barrel that regularly prints .25-.50 5-shot groups.

I also have a 16" pencil barrel that will routinely shoot 1-1.5" groups at 100 yds with open sights.

It's the quality of the barrel along with a good trigger that makes a rifle shoot well, not the length. And the shooter has a little to do with it too . There's no telling what these guns will do with a better pilot steering.

[skin290]

ORIGINAL: kelbro

I have a 16" DPMS bull barrel that regularly prints .25-.50 5-shot groups.

I also have a 16" pencil barrel that will routinely shoot 1-1.5" groups at 100 yds with open sights.

It's the quality of the barrel along with a good trigger that makes a rifle shoot well, not the length. And the shooter has a little to do with it too . There's no telling what these guns will do with a better pilot steering.

Quoted for truth...some make the case that a shorter barrel is actually MORE accurate (stiffer) thana longer one, but of course, you have to take into account a larger drop from loss of velocity, so figure out how far you want to shoot it...and buy accordingly