Heavy Barrel vs Reg Barrel

Wallbass45

Wallbass45

New member
I have always heard that a HB was more accurate than a RB. I been thinking of getting a HB for my .22 mag. The 20" RB gives me.75 groups at 50yds. and 1,5" at 100 yds. The Heavy Barrel Im thinking of is 22",the Q is will I get more accuracy at 100 yds and beyond?? and if so why?? Mainly used for hunting on stix and prone w/bipod. Thanks Jeff
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Personally, I think part of this type of thinking is because benchrest shooters shoot long, heavy barrels. These are guys that are going for the absolute pinnacle of accuracy, and the smallest of details affects that pursuit. Have you guys ever changed your holdover after accounting for the humidity that day? Me either. There are issues such as barrel whip, but unless you're on a benchrest I don't think such issues would be noticeable to an average, or slightly above average shooter. A heavy barrel will minimize wiggles on the bench too, but for me it doesn't really help with that in the field. I think a much lighter rifle will offer a steadier rifle for the shot in the field, as I sometimes feel the fatigue of holding up my 26" bull barreled rifle on stand. Not to mention you have that much less to carry around... I would be much happier with a light contour barrel than the bull contour I currently have, but I bought the bull under the same ideas that you stated... it being my first centerfire rifle, I quickly realized my mistake. Don't get me wrong, the rifle shoots well, but I have no doubt a Tikka T3 would be right there with it, and I kick myself everytime I walk by those Tikkas in the local Gander Mountain! Bottom line, I vote for the standard barrel, especially since you won't be trying to reach way out there with the .22 mag, nor will the .22 mag heat up a barrel as fast as a centerfire. Look for a high quality barrel, a good barrel in the lightweight form should shoot much better than even a bull of a lesser quality. Good luck, let us know what you decide on.
 
I shoot a heavy barrel for coyote or more like medium barrel. cz527 varmint 24" barrel. I have to say its very stable on the bench and shooting sticks. I hike very little when calling predators and keep the gun slung over my back between stands. usualy i have it resting on shooting sticks. In some areas with thick brush I dont' use the sticks and it can get a little bit heavy when waiting on a long stand. Overall I love it. The gun doubles for casual benchrest fun too just change scopes. Overall I like the heavy weight for the long shots off sticks and the balance with a big 40 mm scope. I think it is 8.5 lbs with scope I can't remember at the moment. Some guns like some of the savage guns for example can be more like 10lbs. 10lbs would be way to heavy. I would not want the gun to be any heavier.

That being said I already own a .222 rem sporter barrel and 22mag sporter barrel. If I didn' thave a sporter I could use on coyote already I might not of got the varmint.

The main thing is its more stable and heats up slower. Heating up slower doesn't matter hunting coyote.Remember it will also cool off slower. If you carry the gun in your hands alot you will just get tired. I would never carry it in my hands to like walk around hunt jack rabbit. Since its on a sling no big deal. I hike so much hunting birds with a shotgun I try to walk as little as possible coyote hunting.

If your going to do any hunting other then coyote like walk around stuff definently don't get the varmint.



 
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From what I understand a heavy barrel is more for better rigidity and heat absorbtion after your 4th, 5th, and subsequent shots. A heavy barrel will hold it's original accuracy for a higher number of rapid fire shots before it gets hot enough to warp, losing accuracy.

If you're coyote hunting it's the first shot that counts, and I doubt many get more than 3 shots at a group of coyotes trying to get away. If you do, I doubt an inch difference in accuracy at 300 yards will come into play very often.
 
Forget the heating up for a coyote rifle,the key to a HEAVY barrel is the mass(weight)makes the difference. If you don't believe me go to the hardware store and pick up a 3\4 dowell about 2 FT long and also a 3\4 steel rod the same length. Now hold them out in front of you arms length,and point them at some thing on a far wall. Which one wiggles and shakes the most, and reacts to every muscle shake-and breath you take. Bottom line--you can shoot better off of your stix with a heavy barrel rifle.
 
Yes, benchrest shooters use heavy barrels. But, the groups they shoot are measured to the 3rd decimal place. The real issue is, what is your criteria for accuracy? If you can live with groups as shown on the following targets, all shot with sporter weight barrels, you do not NEED a heavy barrel.
These 3 targets were shot with 3 different factory sporters, with light weight barrels; a 223 Rem, a 222 Rem Mag, and a standard 222 Rem.

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I agree but dragging that bench all over is a [beeep]. I assume that the rifle shoots accurately--if it don't get one that does--the point is how accurate can you shoot it out in the real world. I doubt that many Army snipers shoot weenie barrel rifles and I doubt if is because they over heat.
 
I've always believed that heavy barrels are more accurate than sporter weight. My rifle is currently a HB savage in .223 and I comparted it to a friends .223 sporter savage. We can't tell a noticable difference at .223 ranges. yes army snipers use HB rifles in large calibers, but they are intending to shoot more then coyotes and at extreme ranges where every inch counts.
If this says anything if I could get the money out of my HB and get a sporter weight I would, honestly I am saving now to just buy an additional calling rifle and use the HB for PD hunting where heat is a factor.
 
Before you trade your HB take both rifles to the range and shoot them both off of stix or what ever you use in the field. Sit down in front of the bench(real world)and see with one shoots the best-start at 200 and then 300- you may want to keep your HB.
 
Originally Posted By: Martyn4802Yes, benchrest shooters use heavy barrels. But, the groups they shoot are measured to the 3rd decimal place. The real issue is, what is your criteria for accuracy? If you can live with groups as shown on the following targets, all shot with sporter weight barrels, you do not NEED a heavy barrel.

I think this reply is exactly on point. Everything depends on how you'll be using the rifle.

I'm not sure you can make the blanket statement that heavy=more accurate. Everything depends on the individual gun and the individual shooter. AS Martyn shows with the pics above, it is certainly possible to get very good accuracy with a sporter barrel. Whether or not his version of "good" is good enough for you is always the question.

This issue of a heavy barrel being slower to heat up is often a point in favor of a heavy barrel, but I'd just point out that there is a downside. It's also slower to cool down once it gets hot. This again may or may not matter to you.

Also, there's a lot of variation in how heavy is heavy? My father had a Savage .22-250 with a 26 inch heavy heavy heavy barrel. The gun shot very well and yet I'd consider it to be completely useless because there was no practical way it could be shot off of anything but a bench with sandbags. This lack of versatility outweighed any possible advantages of accuracy that the gun had, so much so he ended up selling it and replacing with a Tikka. Overall, the Tikka is not quite as accurate, or at least we haven't found the load combo so far that gets it there, but it's certainly acceptable for his use and the overall versatility makes it well worth the trade off.

Grouse
 
I like my heavy barrel Savage. That being said, I'm thinking of buying a sporter model also. Carrying that extra weight all day along with all my other gear wears on you. Mine is very accurate and I would'nt think of getting rid of it but, steady shots are near impossible without a rest or bi-pod.
 
Originally Posted By: stevegI like my heavy barrel Savage. That being said, I'm thinking of buying a sporter model also. Carrying that extra weight all day along with all my other gear wears on you. Mine is very accurate and I would'nt think of getting rid of it but, steady shots are near impossible without a rest or bi-pod.

This is a good point. Holding a heavy barrel off hand is not near as easy as a sporter weight barrel. My model 7 remington has a "Magnum contour" barrel. I this this is a good happy medium. Slightly heavier then a regular sporter. But not a boat anchor or a bull barrel.
 
How many of you out there think you can make long range offhand shots on coyote? I wouldn't even attempt it on anything but a boot licker. Shooters can talk about there group size,ease of carry and on and on. Real world shooting requires that you can put the crosshairs on and touch it off when every thing is right. In talking to many young hunters they don't understand why they can't kill yotes consistently. They try to convince themselves that they had the crosshairs right on. The fact of the matter is the crosshairs were just passing across the body and they gave the trigger a jerk. I have to assume they think the bullet is a heat seeking missile. Thank God it isn't or we would have a lot of dead cows and pigs. Bullets do curve down and sideways but not to help a bad shot.
 
I find a heavy gun more steady even offhand but only if I don't have to hold it for very long. I was just handling my varmint and it really just is not that heavy. A BRNO #4 for example is 12 pounds with scope, now that is heavy.

8.5 lbs is no problem.
 
Originally Posted By: TripleDeuce660I find a heavy gun more steady even offhand but only if I don't have to hold it for very long. I was just handling my varmint and it really just is not that heavy. A BRNO #4 for example is 12 pounds with scope, now that is heavy.

8.5 lbs is no problem.

I also think that a heavy gun shoots better off hand as long as you don't have to hold it for two long. I for one have many rifles some lighter than others but I have had tremendous luck with the heavier guns on off hand shots. I also think that they are much more stable and are easier to settle the cross hairs when using shooting sticks. I also don't mind carrying them, I figure if and extra few pounds are to hard for me to handle I better hit the gym, which I do anyway. I think there are arguments both ways but I know that my personal success is way better with a heavier gun.
 
My Howa bull barrell is 10 lbs unscoped. So its heavy for the field. Probably 90% of the time I'm shooting off some sort of rest and I don't have to do much walking where I hunt. The thing is a real tackdriver and I don't mind the weight much. That being said I wouldn't want to drag it around all over the countryside.
-Ryan
 
In no way am I suggesting that you should NOT use a rifle with a heavy barrel. As I stated, you may not NEED one. If carrying a rifle with a heavy barrel is your cup of tea, go for it. 60 years ago, when I was a teen ager, I had a heavy barreled varmint rifle, and weight was not an issue then. Today, I just like a lighter weight rifle. YMMV

Martyn
 
Originally Posted By: Martyn4802In no way am I suggesting that you should NOT use a rifle with a heavy barrel. As I stated, you may not NEED one. If carrying a rifle with a heavy barrel is your cup of tea, go for it. 60 years ago, when I was a teen ager, I had a heavy barreled varmint rifle, and weight was not an issue then. Today, I just like a lighter weight rifle. YMMV

Martyn

Well put. To each their own. That is why they make varying weights.
 
SOME of the people on this site need to attend some serious benchrest matches, either 1000 yard, 600 yard, the multi-distance groundhog matches 200-300-500 or some real tough 100-200-300 matches, then they will see what accuracy is and how it's achieved..most of you are shooting factory this or that's, they are not benchrest rifles, even if the factory says they are this and that, THEY ARE NOT... HUNTING and BENCHREST shooting only have one thing in common, and that's the BANG that goes with the firing, other than that NOTHING...you don't need benchrest accuracy or benchrest cartridges to hunt any varmints for the most part, unless you prairre doggin' at 500 plus... most of you would enjoy attended a match, especially the hog matches out east, you'll be amazed at what you'll see and pick-up talking to the guys and gals who truely shoot benchrest...
 
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