223 barrel length?

[porkchop401]

I am looking to put together a semi custom 223 varmint gum , semi custom meaning a factory rifle with custom stock, barrel length and trigger . Being from Louisiana our vermin are mostly feral hogs , nutria, coyote, crows, armadillos and beavers. For the most part these critters require the use of boats and atv's to access locations and a shorter than your standard varmint rig though not required is convenient. I am looking to purchase a m700 left hand sps varmint to start with and cut the barrel down some what and there in lies the problem. 26 inches of barrel is very unwilding but I do not want to lose too much velocity. I am thinking about 22" would be very handy and still give adequate velocity. I am a hand loader and use a variety of bullets from 50 grain sierra SP's to 70 gr tsx to 77gr match kings at the range playing around. I have previously been using an AR15 variant for the task but have not been pleases with overall accuracy with 1-1.5" being the norm. Any how your thoughts on barrel length are appreciated.

 

[snox801]

I think you nailed it at 22".
My longest is 20" but it's a toss up hate to give up speed you don't need to. I have a 22" on my creed and it's great for handling.
Also those groups are fairly large in your .223 AR. Since you hand load you should grab a box of hammers and see if those shrink. Most the time the mag length ammo keeps you off the lands but hammer are very insensitive to jump. Cutting edge are similar but not as forgiving and they don't seem to perform as well.
I get consistent.75" 5 shot groups out of my 300blk with them.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

I use a 26" .223 in long range competition shooting and yes, it's very long but I get 2900fps with 75's so it's only really to give me that little tiny velocity edge that I need to get to 1000yrds fully supersonic. With my 18" barreled AR-15, performance isn't THAT much different but it's enough to matter for competition purposes beyond 800yrds. You can't feed my competition rounds from an AR mag though, they're way too long thanks to a custom throat meant for 75-80gn bullets seated long.

Your bullet weight will determine your required powder burn speed which will greatly affect if you'll get much benefit from a longer than normal barrel. Heavy bullets get slower powders, slower powders like longer barrels. =

Barrel twist is a factor too. Too much twist on light bullets exacerbates any inconsistencies in the bullet mass distribution, causing bigger groups. If you're going to shoot varmint bullets, it's best to do so from a slower twist varmint barrel. If you're going to shoot heavies, there's no option but to go to a faster twist meant to stabilize them.

After 22", for my money, if you don't have a specific reason to go longer, don't.

 

[Silly_Ghillie]

I use about 27 grains of Varget, 55 grain out of my 20" give me about 3200-3220 on average, and around 3090-3100 with black hills 68 grain heavy M. I'm using a bull contour 416R upper from ARD. I'm averaging about a minute with the 68 grain pills. Dunno if that helps.

 

[porkchop401]

I appreciate the Info fellas !

 

[Mustang72]

How far so you shoot and what bullet do you normally hunt with? I have a 22 inch 223 that I am thinking of taking down to 20 inches so that is handier in the truck and thick stuff. I shoot 50 grain v-max 98% of the time. I have a 16 inch barrel 308-it handles like a dream! Out to 300 yards i have never missed any velocity. Those two guns have killed more than a truckload of deer and pigs. 18-22 inches seems ideal for your use. You could buy a crowning tool and take off a little bit at a time.til you get it how you want it.