Help Me Decide - 260 Remington and Barrel Length

[steinmaster]

I need help deciding on a barrel length for my upcoming 260 Remington build. I have viewed many pics and read many posts for precision rifles and their varying barrel lengths and configurations. I want a custom built rifle in 260 Remington that is an accurate compact rifle. I'm not to concerned about overall weight, but want it nicely balanced. I currently have a rifle with a Manners T4A stock and love the stock. I will be using the rifle for occasional white tail deer hunting, groundhogs, steel silhouette competitions, and F-Class competitions. I'm planning to shoot this rifle to 800 yards max using the lighter 120-123 grain SMK bullets.

I'm planning to build the rifle with a Manners T4A and a Stiller action. The barrel will be a Brux Remington Varmint contour. I want a barrel length between 18 -22 inches, but just cannot decide on the length. I want as short as possible, but do not want accuracy loss and I want it to look nice. There are some short-barreled rifles I've seen that look horrible. I realize I will be loosing FPS, but the loss is not concerning as long as I have accuracy and convenience of a "shorty" rifle.

If anyone has a similar set-up in a Manners T4A stock, can you please post pics. I know there is a short rifle thread, but I'm looking for just Manner stocks to see how my set-up would look. I also want to know anymore "cons" of going with a 18" barrel in a 260 Remington (besides loss in FPS). Since I'm only shooting out to 800 yards, going subsonic is not an issue.

 

[Captain Kirk]

I would opt for 20-22".

 

[BoilerUP]

You might expect 140s to get 2640fps from 18" barrel, with a 20" barrel providing 2700fps.

Add a couple hundred fps for 123s.

 

[snipe10]

I'd go 22 given the choices you posted but have my new GAP 260 coming in a 24, but that's just me, and GAP

 

[Pusher591]

Go 22". A shorty is always sexy but really a few inches of barrel isn't gonna make it handle that much better, but the extra ballistic advantage will be noticeable.

 

[ZombieMonkey]

If you're truly not planning on shooting anything over 800 yards I see no reason to go anything over 20"

 

[Wannashootit]

Accuracy and barrel length are not related.

Barrel stiffness is important, but you can have a shorter, stiff barrel (as you are planning)- the only thing you "lose" is velocity from a shorter barrel. I'm guessing, maybe 20-30 fps or so per inch?

800 yards is far from being a chip shot, for me anyway.. I'd go with the longest, varmint contour barrel that I'd be comfortable humping around for whatever type hunting you're planning.

 

[Lrdchaos]

I would go with the 22 for the added velocity.