Barrels.........

[jeep2000]

so i have been doing alot of research the past month or so on rifles for predator/varmint hunting. i plan on purchasing within the next 2 weeks. my question what are the pros and cons for heavy and regular barrels? i was set on a 700 sps varmint with the heavy barrel but when i went to go look at one it was very heavy opposed to the 700 sps. i plan on doing mostly coyote hunting which will entail alot of walking from spot to spot. also if i get a 22-250 cal will the heavy barrel be better or not matter? pros and cons please. thanks.

[Mojotex]

Heavy barrel:

Con - it is heavy (duh).

Pro's - is stiffer ... harmonics are less dramatic, absorbs more of the energy of the acceleration of the bullet .... less kick all else equal due to that Newton momentum thingy we had in HS science, and the barrel will not heat up as fast ... more mass to heat up. Heat is a long range accuracy killer when shooting round after round in short order.

If you are hiking a bunch and taking only a shot or two at a time, a standard barrel will do fine. If you can tote an extra 2# or so, the "heavy barrel" should be no big deal.

[gunnermhr]

Any custom barrel from a repuatable barrel manufacturer, ie Hart, Kriger, Broughton and so on will be better than any factory barrel no matter what the contour. Of course the smith chambering it is going to make a huge difference too.