All, I'm looking into a new rifle in .338 Winchester, and am noticing that some rifles carry them w/26" barrels; I'm aware that a 24" tube is sufficient to get most published and factory velocities, but is there any advantage to a 26" tube? i.e. do you get MORE velocity, or is the powder entirely burnt within the first 24"??

Thanks in advance,
Craig Nolan

My preference is a 22-23" tube, larger bore dia. allows much powder to burn, very little velocity gained IMHO. Handling and putting muzzle blast further from your ears should dictate choice.

I'd buy what you want, chop it down if desired, then you have the gun you want, like you want it.

Mines finished at 23". I find it just right for my needs. It'll still work well in shorter lengths too. Go with what feels right. No need for 26" in this caliber.

A 26" barrel is not necessary until case size increases. The persistent hand loader might manage to squeeze an additional 50-100f/s out of the 338 Winchester in a 26" barrel, but the real payoff comes with calibres such as the 340 Weatherby. A 250 grain bullet moving at 2700f/s is a force to be reckoned with in any book, and + or - a few f/s makes no real difference.

The best metric for determining barrel length is the burning rate of the powder normally used in the cartridge.

A cartridge of a case size, bore diameter, and bullet weight that provides optimal velocities with "medium" burning powders like 4895 or BL-C2 does fairly well with a 22" barrel. An example might be .308 Winchester.

A cartridge of a case size, bore diameter, and bullet weight that provides optimal velocity with a very slow powder like Retumbo or US 869 does better with barrels in the 26" range.

In my .338, I get the best results with H4831, although many shooters opt for a faster powder. This will have something to do with the bullet weight you prefer, since the lighter bullets can use a faster powder and the heavier ones need a slower powder for optimal performance. My .338 carries a 24" barrel, which seems about right, but it would obviously attain more velocity with a 26" barrel, though it would still perform satisfactorily with a 22" barrel.

The longer barrel would be something of a small impediment to its handling characteristics, and the shorter barrel would punish the shooter with some bit more muzzle blast (if for no other reason than being two inches closer to your face!) Use whatever barrel length seems comfortable to you. I tend to opt for longer rather than shorter, but others are the opposite. Ballistically, you won't begin to suffer appreciably until you get somewhat shorter than 22 inches.

I've always been a fan of longer barrels. I don't see any reason not to go with a 26" tube on any rifle, especially a 338. Ballistics aside, I like the way the rifles point with longer barrels. Also, getting any muzzle blast farther out in front of you makes for more comfortable shooting. I've never had a problem hunting with rifles with long barrels.

mine wears a 26..... what clayman said x2 regards jjmp

i get very good velocity with a 23" bbl in my 338 and IMO 24" would be the max i'd buy in terms of ergonomics. You're not going to get enough velocity increase with those extra 2" to make it worth the decrease in handling.

23-24 is perfect. Mine is 24.

The longer bbl. will always yield higher vel. You'll see maybe 50fps w/ 250gr bullets & up to 75-80fps w/ 210grNPs. I think it would be fine w/ 24"bbl.

Mine is a 24" also. But I have other rifles in 22", 24" and 26". IMO, it hardly matters if you are going to use this rifle for hunting. I don't go by the barrel length so much as the "feel" and fit of the rifle. If I "feels" right I know I will be able to use it well.

Mine's 25.6" and it is a shooter. I like long barrelled rifles.

i have always had 24 inch barels, but it depends on the type of area you hunt. really thick and brushy areas, shorter barels dont hang up as easily. i tend to hunt both very open and brushy areas and i still prefer a 26 inch barrel. what added fps i get allows me to shoot flatter and not have as much bullet drop. shure it may not be a whole lot flatter shootin with a 26 inch barel over a 24, but i will take it. just my opinion

I've got a M70 stainless .338 that came with a 26" barrel. I had it cut to 24" and recrowned when I sent it off for a trigger job. No reason I can think of for a 26" barrel on a 338.

Thank you all for the replies, good info from all; I personally do not mind a 26" barrel, but I figured many AR members would have personal experience with any ballistic differences from varying barrel lengths....

Regards,
Craig Nolan