I was pondering the same thing. I notice Remington and Ruger use 22" bbl.in .243. I was looking at the Weatherby Vanguard in .243 because of the price and the fact it uses a 24". Some say no difference with 22" or 24" so I would think a 26" might offer a little more velocity and maybe better accuracy. Maybe not. I believe in at least a 24" barrel for all my non-magnum calibers. I guess I'm stubborn.