yes I shoot ball-ets out of mine, also Warren Minnies although I get occasional flyers with the minnies. As for the barrel length, well then you would have to go with the Green Mountain as I believe the Thompson Center is 28 inches. Remember, the longer the barrel the more the rifle weighs. This can be a big factor at the end of the day when your climbing the last mountain side or walking the last mile home. Those long old barrels can feel really long at those times.