I am kind of doing a full circle and going back to some of the milder non magnum rounds for a lot of my hunting. My body has taken some abuse lately so the milder recoiling rounds have become much more appealing . Also I like the fact that these non magnum rifles can be made under 8lbs scoped while producing pretty minor recoil.
I had a wonderfully accurate 1951 .270 Winchester Model 70 that Pete Grisel stocked for me. I used that rifle a lot but in a weak moment I let it go. The down side to that rifle was its 9 1/2 lb weight with a Schmidt&Bender 6X.

I am wanting to build another .270 Winchester, lighter than a pre 64 model 70. I will use a Echols Legend stock, either a pre 64 or classic model 70 action. For a barrel I will use a Krieger in either a Featherweight 22” or a #1 24” Light Sporter.

My question: Is there a major ballistic advantage going to a 24” barrel vs a 22” in the .270 Winchester.

My intent is not to make a compact lightweight rifle but instead to make a accurate rifle without adding any unneeded length or weight. This rifle will be primarily used for whitetails, coastal deer hunting and hog hunting . I will probably scope the rifle with a lighter scope like the Leupold 2.5-8X36.
The load I use to use was Jack O’Connor’s , with a 130 grain bullet (I used Nosler Partitions and Ballistic Tips) loading with H4831. If I remember right I was getting 3150fps out of the 24” barrel.

My two 270 Wins are 24 inch barrels. This is bc I greatly dislike short barrels especially.

I am chronoing 2950 FPS with 140 grain Accubonds. I’m sure the 2 inches is not a great advantage.

Jack O Conor used 22 inch barrels.

If you’re not chasing numbers a 22” barrel is all you need, especially with 130’s.

I have 3 with 22” barrels and 3 with 24”
My two lightest weight rifles wear the longer tubes but they are also set up specifically for 150 grain and up bullets.

Have fun with your project.

Yes, no and maybe.

A lot depends on the barrel.

About 50 fps.

Dave

either one, not enough difference to tell, but a fwt rifle with a fwt barrel tends to be more accurate in 22"s than 24 or 26, the longer barrels need more beef as they tend to be whippy...but even that is questionable..for a 270 im with Jack O'connor a 22" is the best option, as for his stiff load of 4831, He used WW2 surplus 4831, as it was and still is the best of the 4831s, and his 63 gr. load got 100 or more FPS and roughly 10,000 PSI less pressure than any of todays powder, but RL-22 and RL-15 to a lesser degree comes darn close..A lot of these figures or anyone elses figures depend a lot on the individual gun..My figures come from my chronographing of that load many times in a number of 270s..Jack was spot on..Not all guns will hold 63 grs of that powder, but perform as well with 62 grs. Be carefull of compaction that pushes bullets our just enough to cause problems in the magazine and chamber in regards to these posts..

Thank you for all of the replies.
I usually prefer longer barrels on most of my rifles. Some of that has to do with me being tall. With 25”
Being my favorite barrel length.
I have a 30.06 on the way that is being stocked for me, that rifle has a 22” Krieger FWT barrel. The rifle has been test
fired twice , once in its pattern stock stock and recently in its new stock. The gun is accurate. I will need to see how I like the handling and shooting a 22” barrel.
I was surprised in doing a little informal research that the 22” barrel length seems to be more popular than a 24” in the .270.

22 is just fine, but I like you prefer longer barrels, 24 or 25 for me.

23”. If it’s too long cut it.

It depends on the diameter of the barrel. I love my featherweights but i find them muzzle light and wish I could add about 4 ounces to the barrel. Perhaps a 24 inch barrel would accomplish this.

Is there an advantage to a 22” barrel? I mean a real advantage?

A: It doesn't matter in the field.
B: I always make 25 inch barrels just for the looks.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
A: It doesn't matter in the field.
B: I always make 25 inch barrels just for the looks.

mr. 4WD: I own 3 pre-64 model 70 rifles in .270 Win. The first I had rebarrelled long ago as a woods rifle. A douglas featherweight 22" duplicating the factory featherweight. The next was the opposite expreme: a heavy 26 1/2" Hart for praire hunting. The third a standard grade. I've owned them all now for many years. The lions share of my hunting annually is coyote calling and I use my standard grade rifle by far the most. It has to me a wonderful balance factor that makes the featherweight seem overly muzzle light. I love the way it rests in my shooting sticks. I weighs probably around 9 lbs. or so with Leupold 2-7x. I could lighten it up by a half pound or more by switching mounts/rings and featherweight bottom metal but I've never understood the obsession with light weight. I honestly believe the vast majority of folks that obsess over that are probably overweight and out of shape, but thats just me. Velocity is a non-issue: I'm sure my long barrel gets the most, but to me 50 fps. is meaningless in the game fields. just my 2 cents worth.

Set up: Pre-64 action, steel floor plate. Shilen #2 barrel at 25 inches. Bastogne stock. Sig scope in talley light weight rings (scope is a little heavy). Weighs in at 9 lbs 9 ounces.
Before I put the sig scope on I had a Leupold 4.5-14x40 mounted. This weighed 6lbs 14.6 ounces with no stock. A McMillan Edge stock would have put me at 8 lbs 6.5 ounces. Shilen lists that blank at 3.25 lbs.
The featherweight barrel at 22 inches would save about a half pound. No doubt I am carrying around an extra pound and a few ounces. I doubt I will ever see a benefit from the extra 50-75 fps or whatever it is but it is a very pleasant rifle to shoot and I sure like the looks of it with a little longer barrel.

23 to 25 is ideal.I just picked up a Hill Country Arms 280 AI with 25 inch #4 fluted barrel. Pretty darn perfect.Wrings out all the ballistic performance and weighs 7.5 pounds without scope. I too am stepping down from mag cartridges to a civil, flat shooting all-around rifle. I like the 7mm bullet options available.
Scott

I've owned about a half dozen 270s over the years, mostly with 22" barrels. My current one has a 24" barrel. Only advantage I can see is that it's a pre'64 model 70.

ford or chevy?

It does soften noise and make a noticeable difference in perceived recoil with the longer barrel. You also get the added velocity and a little more weight past your front hand.

I shot two last week, one 24" and one 22". Both Winchesters, all the same ammo over the chrono.
To my surprise there was no difference in velocity on any of the ammo, factory or reloads.

perry

I'd go with a 22" barrel.

Even better: .308 Win carbine, 18.5" barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by perry:
I shot two last week, one 24" and one 22". Both Winchesters, all the same ammo over the chrono.
To my surprise there was no difference in velocity on any of the ammo, factory or reloads.

perry

This ^^^^ isn't unusual at all.

The "rule of thumb" is 35 fps per inch +/- at that velocity range BUT...... there are no hard and fast rules and certainly exceptions!

My 26" barrel and my brother's 24" barrel shoot exactly the same speed with the same load.

Like others have said: it make no difference in the field as far as velocity is concerned. It all depends on what feel you're looking for.

22 might be more handy??? 24 might balance better??? but don't base your decision off velocity because it make no difference.

Zeke

quote:

Originally posted by nopride2:
About 50 fps.

Dave

X-2

FWIW,




130 Gr. Ballistic tips or Accubonds over 60 gr. of H4831SC has been my go to load for the 270 for years.

+/-2800 FPS out of this 20" barrel.




Not Blazing fast, but seems to work!



ya!

GWB

I don't like short barrels.

Every one I build I put a 26 inch barrel on.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I don't like short barrels.

Every one I build I put a 26 inch barrel on.

Saeed,

I am exactly the same, always wanted a 26" barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I don't like short barrels.

Every one I build I put a 26 inch barrel on.

I put a 25 inch on my 416 it hangs just so for off hand shots.

I was a 26" std. wt. rifle buff in my youth as they certainly point and hold better off hand and snap shooting, but then I was young and stronger than I am today, some years ago I went to the fwt. 270, 7x57, 308, or 30-06 for deer and such..

My 375 sports a 24 inch barrel as does my 338. Im not married to one barrel length..

quote:

Im not married to one barrel length

Having spent time with you on safari, I would question why any barrel would wish to marry you!

They submit because they know I would circumsize them from 26 to 22 inches otherwise, OUCH!

I've owned 4 270s. All were accurate but the rifle with the 24 inch Krieger shoots bugholes. I'm talking .25" and less for 3 shots in an 8# rifle.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGuire:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I don't like short barrels.

Every one I build I put a 26 inch barrel on.

Saeed,

I am exactly the same, always wanted a 26" barrel.

My BDL in 270 I absolutely love has a 22" barrel and I get 3000 fps with 150g Partitions with great accuracy, been shooting them forever. I have a 24" barrel on my CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery and a 26" barrel on my Mark V in 270 Weatherby. 24" is just about perfect for me but we're all different and that's what makes life interesting

I learned an advantage to short 22 inch barrel in general. That advantage being enclosed small ground blinds when a deer comes to your right as a right hand shooter.

I bought a Winchester model 70 featherweight in 270 last year. I was worried with the 22" barrel not giving me the velocity I wanted. I've been working up loads with the 150gr partition and IMR 7977 and i'm hitting velocities close to 3,000fps. I am getting close to the book max and hoping to hit the 3,000fps mark and still have the accuracy it's producing. I'm at 3/4" and was shrinking them when I ran out of time at the range.

As far as handling is concerned, I think the featherweight handles nicely. It's quick to point and it's a steady hold for me when I was shooting offhand at Jack Rabbits.

My son has a New Haven 22” M70 Featherweight in 270 Winchester. I recently picked up a used M70 with a 24” barrel. I am not a 270 guy, but do appreciate the older stainless M70 Classics.

I am quite impressed with 3,000 FPS with a 150 grain bullet, especially from 22” barrels.
I would be extremely satisfied with 130’s doing 3k.
I have not hand-loaded for, nor chronographed either of these rifles. But, definitely curious.

His featherweight use to shoot the 140 grain Failsafes extremely well, with allowing some cooling time between shots. Present plan is to load tipped 130’ish grain monolithic types. With suitable groups, I will still be satisfied/happy with 3,000 fps with either rifle.

No game animal can tell the difference, and that’s what counts. It’s just a matter of preference.

I prefer at least 24 inches of barrel on a high powered hunting rifle, which is what I have on my .270 WSM.

I do like handy carbines in the right calibers, though, so I’m not religious about it.

My all time favorite fwt is a pre 64 mod. 70 in 30-06..I sold my old std weight Win. 270 as they duplicated each other, and the 06 was more accurate..but scoped the win fwt. weighs 8 to 8.5 pounds depending on wood density so it has enough weight to hold well for off hand shooting..I like 22 inch barrels mostly because they are handy under many circumstances and I hunt horseback a lot and a 26 inch tube on a horse is terribly awkward.