22"

I'd vote for 24" as a minimum. The last one I built was with a 25" Walther, and it really is quite nice.

tj, the point is that the 338 WM pushes bullets of nearly identical SD/BC and velocities for nearly the same trajectories as the 06. The 338 WM throws a 210 near 3,000 fps as a 30-06 pushes a 150 at the same. The 338 pushes a 225 at 2,850 which compares well to a 30-06's 165 at 2,850. The 338 throws the 250 at 2,700 which compares to the 06's 180. Also, if you calculate the 338 WM's bore-volume / case capacity ratio it's almost identical to the 30-06. While it uses more powder it's burning the same in a larger hole.



See? Bullets of the same SD/BC for the same trajectories with the same bore-volume/case-capacity ratio... an "06 On Roids!"



BA

My Model 70 has a 26 inch tube.
I think a 24 is plenty lomg enough. I might take a couple inches off mine at some point and recrown. The references to a 338 win being really just a 30,06 on roids puzzle me. I checked the latest barnes manual and 338 win squirts a 225 grain X bullet out at neary 300 FPS faster thaa .338 06, I guess I am missing the point here. To me most magnums are decendants of non belted cousins. 300 win from 30,06 7mm Rem from 7X57, 264 from 6.5X55. Its funny how the .338 seems to be working in reverse. The .338 win came first, and now we have factory rifles in 338,06 A square. ...tj3006

My advice would be to start with a 26" barrel. If you don't like the way it handles cut off an inch or two. It's a whole lot cheaper to shorten a barrel than to buy a longer one!.........DJ