Stevil Wrote:whats the accepted wisdom witt Barrel length and the Grendel case ? where does performance peak considering the powder capacity ?
I would factor in your build plus height/weight, then look at your elevation above sea level, as well as the intended use of the rifle.
For traditional hunting where you won't shoot anything past 200-300yds, doesn't matter. Pick a length from 10" to 24" that best fits your height/weight, taking into consideration that shorter barrels will have more muzzle blast.
For target shooting and longer range hunting, you want as much barrel as you can get, within reason. I think 20-22" is where it peaks out, but each barrel is different.
Because I'm at higher altitude, I can get away with shorter barrels for long range work because barometric pressure is much lower, with thinner air, so bullets fly easier with less drop.
The closer you are to sea level, the more barrel length you have, the longer you will stay supersonic if you are looking at shooting 800yds and farther.
You also want to take twist rate into consideration. Tighter rates keep the bullets spun faster, longer, which helps with predictable impacts at longer ranges. I personally see this start to become important at about 700yds with the .308 Winchester, for example, where a 12" twist will start to fall apart from a 16" barrel.
My 16" AA Grendel barrel has a 1/7.5" twist, which keeps the projectiles very stable at distance in my experience.
NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO
CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor
6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:
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