oldelkhunter

How much velocity am I really losing. Seems like a lot of 25-06 rifles come with 22" tubes . I figure I am losing 100-120 FPS by dropping to a 22". YOu never know these things unless you chronograph them but has anyone chronographed a 22" long 25-06?

Carpmaster

I havent, but wouldn't think it would be that much....my tube is 24"

oldelkhunter

And I feel funny buying one with the 22" tube.

Mr.G

Little more long-range bullet stability with the 24" too - shop around and youll find a good 'un with a 24" er

Paul L Mohr

Really, is that why most custum target rigs use a short heavy barrel?

Paul

johnnybravoo77

This is from chuckhawks:

The worst that can be said about the .25-06 is that it realistically needs a 24" barrel to reach its full potential. I've had 22" barreled .25-06 rifles and the muzzle blast was pretty severe, but it still outperformed a 257 Roberts +P.

I dont beleive you'll lose much, but I would weigh the pros and cons before taking the leap.

eldeguello

Like you said, you never know what your actual velocity is until you chronograph it. In additon, to know HOW MUCH YOU LOST, you'd have to start with a 24" tube and chrongraph it at 24", then cut it to 22" and chrono it again. It is possible for a rifle with a 22" barrel to have a higher MV with a given load than some other barrel which is 24" long shooting the same load.

As far as bullet stability is concerned, all one needs for thisis a barrel long enough to impart the correct spin to the bullet. For example, in .38 Special & .357 Magnum, 2" is enough............

handloader1

Oldelkhunter:

I owned a JC Higgins M 51 30-06 Sprg. untill someone from UPS stole it. It had a 22.5" barrel, and I could reach 2800 f/s with a 180 gr bullet usnig IMR-4831. I think you will lose maybe 75 f/s. Good luck.

Ideaman

I think the powder used in the cartridge would dictate velosity lost, but as a rule expect a couple of hundred. Does that really matter if the gun fits better?

oldelkhunter

Well the gun is borderline anyway so I am not going to pursue it further.