How much accurate are heavy barrels?

[lovemachine]

On a .22lr, how much accurate is it by having a heavy barrel VS a non heavy barrel?

What makes it so accurate?

 

[shibumiseeker]

There's no one formula since it depends on a lot of factors.

In general with everything else being equal (quality of the barrel, twist, etc) heavy barrels:

are stiffer for their length resulting in tighter harmonics (less barrel whip).

move less when heating up or cooling down as internal stresses come into play.

How much more accurate is impossible to say because of the number of variables and the accuracy overlap is large, so you could have a heavy barrel less accurate than a thinner one of the same type, but it isn't as likely.

 

[Westside]

what I was told was that heavier barrels equate to less felt recoil. So, when you are holding the gun, i.e. don't have it locked in a vice, your follow up shots will on average be closer to the point of aim. Also the heavier the gun the easier it is to hold still, well at least for me.

Someone will be along shortly to correct me or add on.

 

[Boomstick]

Differences in rimfire guns is marginal if you are comparing quality bbls. The benefits come from the bbl being stiffer, therefore having less harmonic whip. Basically if you watch a gun being fired using high speed capture you will see the barrel actually flex and move like a whip, the stiffer (ie heavier) the bbl the less it will flex and whip, hence the more consistent shot to shot accuracy.
Secondly barrel will shift point of impact slightly when the heat up (also clean vs dirty, hence cold bore shots, and clean bore shots) the heavier the bbl the slower it heats up (also the slower it cools down)
The reason you see fluted heavy bbls isnt to save weight, its to get the benefits of the stiffer bbl but also to create more surface are for the bbl to air cool quicker.
My suggestion is to get a quality bbl, a good quality standard bbl will be more accurate than a "decent" quality heavy bbl, having a free floated bbl is a big plus , and protect the crown of the bbl, the last inch of so as it leaves the bbl is by far the most important part

 

[IndyGunworks]

all the above information is true, however on a rimfire like you are asking about its not as big od a deal. My wifes shilen match barrel is in a factory contour and will shoot right alongside my cz match barrel w/ a varmint barrel.

22lr doesnt produce enough heat or force to really NEED a heavy barrel, but it does help some.

ammo is far more important in a rimfire IMHO.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

ammo is far more important in a rimfire IMHO.

And even MORE important than ammo... The shooter.

-J-

 

[lovemachine]

What kind of ammo do you recommend for more accuracy in a 22?

I was curious if it would even be worth spending more money on a Savage Mark II with a heavy barrel.

 

[Boomstick]

Im a huge fan of Wolf match target and match extra, cci standard has given me good results also

 

[IndyGunworks]

Rimfires are the pickiest of all guns. there is no such thing as match ammo that will shoot good in every rimfire. i suggest buying a box of every match ammo that is in your price range and firing 10 5 shot string w/ each differant kind of ammo, this will allow that manufactururs lube to build up in the barrel and by the end you will see a true result. more than likely your gun will like many kinds of ammo, but you will be able to find a high cost ammo it REALLY likes, and a cheaper alternative that it likes just as well.

If you are a phenominal shooter you may not see much variation at 25 yards, so 50 yards or further would be the true test. although i wouldnt go past 50 unless its a absolutly windless day as wind will very easily scew the results.

 

[IndyGunworks]

also, if your barrel is not freefloated, make sure it is before you fire, because it WILL matter

 

[lovemachine]

also, if your barrel is not freefloated, make sure it is before you fire, because it WILL matter

Ok I need more info on this. Because I'm not sure I understand...

 

[IndyGunworks]

run a dollar bill between the barrel and the stock, it should not bind until it gets to the reciever. If it does use a dremel or dowel rod w/ sandpaper wrapped around it and open it up. you want 0 contact w/ the barrel. when the barrel flexed just a little, or vibrates, or heats up, it will come off of the contact points w/ the stock in an irregular fashion, or may not return to EXACTLY the same place. if you free float it there is no stress on the barrel so it will vibrate/flex the same way everytime.

think about it like a guitar string, if you want consistant vibration and sound, make sure nothing is touching the string in between its two contact points.

 

[IndyGunworks]

note there are some exceptions to this rule, but for the most part the only exception you would have to worry about is if you have an action screw that screws into a collet on the barrel like my cz does, in that case it just gets free floated to that point, and beddded from that point back.

 

[Yeah]

With a stiff stock, in as many cases as not an FL bedded barrel is as good or better an arrangement as one floated. Floating is just the most bang for the buck in that it is quick and easy to do. But the results depend on the barrel and action and you don't know until you do it what a particular combination will benefit from most.

Heavy barrels in general benefit more from an FL bed than a float, as compared with light. On weak actions, 10/22s and .920 all metal barrels are consistent examples, they are often best with the barrel bedded and the action floated.

But more on topic, barrel weight and stiffness and heat capacity and cooling tendencies, are all secondary measures that are far less significant contributors to accuracy than other factors. A well cut concentric chamber, aligned precisely with a consistently sized bore, joined by a similarly well aligned throat that offers square presentation of the lands, are all well up the list from barrel profile. As are steel quality and treatment. Bore finish. The details of the crown.

Just looking for something with a thick barrel is putting the cart before the horse.

 

[bullet]

I think the heavy barrel helps, but IMO the money is better spent elsewhere like optics.
I had a stock 10/22 with a decent scope that I could out shoot most of my other friends 22's.

IMO I would spend my money on optics, the right ammo, better trigger, then a good heavy free float barrel.

 

[kb66]

"Yeah" was dead on. An additional reason that match rifles have heavy barrels is to simply add weight to the gun. In match competition, heavy rifles tend to lessen the effect of tiny body movements that all shooters make, such as breathing and heart rate. It is a very easy thing to see in the prone position, take aim at a target with a sporting rifle and just watch your point of aim change as you breathe, then do the same thing with a heavy rifle. The difference is very significant.

When looking for ammo, look for lower velocity, around 1050 to 1080 fps for a .22. The bullet stays in the barrel longer (also a reason why match barrels are longer) and you get a more consistent spin and accuracy is all about consistency.

Examples of less expensive, accurate ammo:
Wolf Match Extra
Wolf Match Target
SK Rifle Match
SK Standard Plus
Aguila Match Rifle
Remington Target (I have not had much luck with this but some do)

This is just a short list, there are many others. SK and Wolf are said to come from the same factory, but my rifle shoots them differently. I have heard a lot of good things about the Aguila for it's price but I have not shot any. Again, accurate ammo is consistent from one round to the next, which is not something you normally see in the cheap, high velocity ammo from Walmart.

 

[top hat 45]

what is your intended usage for the rifle? if its just a safe queen with occasional shooting, small barrel would be fine.
if anything else, i.e. hunting, reasonably serious targets, the heavy barrel is the only way to go. many factors, as others have mentioned, go into accuracy.

trigger pull, trigger control, optics quality, barrel resonance, ammo speed, ammo quality for consistant groups. let us know what is going to be the goal of the savage you are considering for more definitive answers....daryll

 

[Yeah]

If I won a hunting rifle with a heavy barrel as a prize, I'd give it to the first unsuspecting guy I ran across.