08-20-2020, 07:50 PM
you can get light weight 20" tubes (faxon gunner, sixfivearms) as well as heavy barrels at that length, but i have yet to see a lightweight off the shelf 24" tube. when i got my upper i picked a 24" tube. the barrel was heavy fluted. with scope the rig was at 10.75 lbs sans sling or magazine. good ballistics, but quite a load to tote around over hill and dale. i figure a 20" light weight barrel and lightweight upper parts to go with it, keeping the same scope and mount, i'll likely end up just a bit over 8 1/4 lbs or so. i figure i'll lose maybe 80 to 100 fps by reducing the barrel length by 4", depending upon load i'm using.
so i would suggest to look at your hunting style. do you shoot mainly out of stands? then 24" and 11lbs could be an advantage. do you spot and stalk, and have a lot of elevation changes when your hunting? then i'd suggest a lightweight 20" build. if you're young and in shape, then toting 11lbs through the mountains may not be a big deal for you either.
and what are you hunting? because bullet weights go from ~85gr. to 140gr. or more. and varmint bullets open up easier and at lower impact velocities than big game bullets. the max range you should shoot at game at, in my opinion, is the range where the impact velocity is down to the point where the bullet will still expand. if you shoot game at distances so far that the impact speed of the bullet is so low that the bullet fails to expand on impact, you'll just poke a 6.5mm hole through the critter and you'll have a long tracking job ahead of you. Now the minimum impact speed for expansion varies greatly among the various types of bullets.
on light weight varmint type bullets, figure about 20 to 25 fps per inch of barrel length change. for the big game bullets that weigh a bit more, probably 15 to 20 fps change per inch of barrel length change. rough estimate. and see what that gets for you for max hunting range. then decide about portability vs max range and make your choice.
one more thing, if it is within your budget, whether you get a 20" or a 24", get the best barrel (quality) you can budget for, as this makes a huge difference on repeatable accuracy, in my opinion.
have fun.
-tdbru
so i would suggest to look at your hunting style. do you shoot mainly out of stands? then 24" and 11lbs could be an advantage. do you spot and stalk, and have a lot of elevation changes when your hunting? then i'd suggest a lightweight 20" build. if you're young and in shape, then toting 11lbs through the mountains may not be a big deal for you either.
and what are you hunting? because bullet weights go from ~85gr. to 140gr. or more. and varmint bullets open up easier and at lower impact velocities than big game bullets. the max range you should shoot at game at, in my opinion, is the range where the impact velocity is down to the point where the bullet will still expand. if you shoot game at distances so far that the impact speed of the bullet is so low that the bullet fails to expand on impact, you'll just poke a 6.5mm hole through the critter and you'll have a long tracking job ahead of you. Now the minimum impact speed for expansion varies greatly among the various types of bullets.
on light weight varmint type bullets, figure about 20 to 25 fps per inch of barrel length change. for the big game bullets that weigh a bit more, probably 15 to 20 fps change per inch of barrel length change. rough estimate. and see what that gets for you for max hunting range. then decide about portability vs max range and make your choice.
one more thing, if it is within your budget, whether you get a 20" or a 24", get the best barrel (quality) you can budget for, as this makes a huge difference on repeatable accuracy, in my opinion.
have fun.
-tdbru