I have two in 26" barrels now that shoot pretty close to the same numbers as 30" barrels. Just depends on where your accuracy hits. You could easily get a 26" that shoots faster than a 30" when best accuracy is considered. But if you compared a fast 30 and a slow 26 then there would be quite a bit of difference. Back in the 90's I did quite a bit of testing developing variations of the 338 Lapua and 338-300 RUM's with different barrel lengths. 15-20 fps on average per inch of barrel is what I found with most rifles chambered in these two cartridges. That is why most of mine are in 26" and 28" barrels. I am a hunter so no need carrying the extra weight since an animal will never know the difference. The velocities I shoot in both my 26" barrels are virtually the same as the ones I see posted on here for guys with 30" barrels. I wouldn't let the velocity effect my decision.
