I have been building a 510 A-Square for quite a while and am currently waiting on the stock work to get finished.

I have a barreled action sitting here with a full length blank attached, so currently sitting at almost 28" long. I am thinking I will cut this to a finished barrel length of something around 20 to 22 inches.

I am only planing to run this a 500 nitro to 500 Jeffrey velocities, so the finished barrel length is only about balance of the rifle, and usability in heavy cover. Certainly not worried about velocities in a shorter barrel.

I realise a shorter barrel will move to muzzle blast closer to me, but am not really worried about that. Is there anything else I should be considering on the barrel length before I finalise what length I am going to cut it down to?

Once you cut it off you can not put it back on.

I did a 25 inch on my 416 and really like it.


Try longer then reduce it until you like it.

On the 510 wells, Danny Pederson told me 21 is all you need... i still believe that, after the 500 accrel ...

A very experienced Buff hunter client has ordered a 500 Jeff and 505 Gibbs...both with 20" barrels.

Heavy cover in a potentially dangerous situation...makes sense to me!

Bwana,

I think that you have answered your own question. Considering what the rifle will primarily be used for, I would focus on trying to achieve the best balance and handling qualities that can be achieved.

JP


Formerly JPaul

My 500 Jeffery has a 24" barrel as does my 375 Weatherby. My 270 Win has a 22" barrel. I like all of them. My 270 Weatherby has a 26" barrel, definitely too long to go into the timber with. Balance, feeling lively in your hands, swinging smoothly on running game like a fine shotgun, these are all much more important to me than barrel length.

Proper balance on a .500 bore rifle will be hard to achieve with such a short barrel.

The rifle will be butt heavy unless the barrel is a very heavy profile.

Then it will not handle well.

I would go with a longer barrel, myself.

Good luck.

My big bore bolt guns have all been 18-22”. I’d lop it to 22” and check the balance. Go as short as 20” if you need to. I probably wouldn’t go less than that for a 510 Wells.

RC

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Proper balance on a .500 bore rifle will be hard to achieve with such a short barrel.

The rifle will be butt heavy unless the barrel is a very heavy profile.

Then it will not handle well.

I would go with a longer barrel, myself.

Good luck.

You can’t know that. Balance depends on the profile of the barrel and the density of the stock…

I have an 18” 458 takedown that is very well-balanced!

RC

There is a world of difference between a .458 Win. Mag. and a .510 Wells.

And I can and do know that.

Thanks for the comments.

Barrel is a pretty heavy contour. I think will try it at 22", then adjust it from there if needed.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
There is a world of difference between a .458 Win. Mag. and a .510 Wells.

And I can and do know that.

Ok, Michael…

I have an 8-bore single shot rifle of recent manufacture that started out at 29”. It didn’t handle worth a piss until I took the barrel down to 23”. Every rifle is an entity unto itself. Even the monstrous 50 caliber cartridges…

BY EXPERIMENT, I FOUND A 20" 50 CAL BARREL WILL NEED TO COME IN CLOSE TO 5 LB S MUZZLE ( ACROSS LATS ON OCTAGON) WILL BE ABOUT .9

THIS BAL/ANCES RIGHT ABOUT THE FRONT GUARD SCREW. NO LEAD ADDED ANYWHERE, WEIGHT OF RIFLE 11 1/4 LB

POINT OF BALANCE CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED FOR THOSE WHO WANT A LITTLE LIGHTER, JUST KEEP THE THE MUZZLE PRETTY STOUT ..MEANS A SLOWER TAPER

Everyone likes their balance point a little different. I like mine right in the middle of the magazine floor plate. Just seems a little livelier to me and still swings nicely.

That sounds good...The balance point I described is an empty rifle. Four rounds of a 500 Jeff comes in at over a half pound...Balance point will move back...Course, after every shot, the point moves forward.

HAR...What to do?

quote:

Originally posted by Wildcatter:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
There is a world of difference between a .458 Win. Mag. and a .510 Wells.

And I can and do know that.

Ok, Michael…

I have an 8-bore single shot rifle of recent manufacture that started out at 29”. It didn’t handle worth a piss until I took the barrel down to 23”. Every rifle is an entity unto itself. Even the monstrous 50 caliber cartridges…

I have never handled a bore rifle, and all of those I’ve handled have been of fine English make, that balanced worth a damn.

One cannot screw a sewer pipe, much less two of them, onto any man-sized buttstock (and bigger than-man-sized action) and get anything but a muzzle heavy monstrosity.

That's why they invented gun bearers!

I hope yours is the exception.

Like I said. Balance is different for every rifle depending on where the weight is congregated. Even with 50s, big heavy actions and thick contour barrels (think 500 Jeff or 505) balance differently that smaller actions with long, lighter contour barrels (think 500 acc rel). I’m working on a large falling block in 577. A special contour will yield a well-balanced rifle. I guarantee the barrel will be under 24”, total weight will be sufficient for the caliber, and it will balance at the back of the forend… this will be my third custom 577…

All is relative.

I had a 505 Gibbs with a 24 inch barrel, It was a tad balanced at the barrel itself, I like a bit more weight up front as opposed to the std balance point, it suits me better for me snap shooting, running shots as it settles down faster..

I had a 458 Lott with a 26 inch no. 4 that balanced very well but was on the light side, and didn't tame recoil very well, but thats typical of that caliber it seems to me (snapy)

Had a couple of big bore carbines with 20 inch barrels that pointed and balances well but both had very heavey barrels to move the balance point forward and I really liked them, they weighed in at about 11 to 12 pounds, both the long and short guns I owned balanced the same.

Point being you can get identical balance by adding or subtracting weight to the barrel.

Of them all I preferred a 416 rem with a 20" barrel, and a 404 with a lighter 26"barrel, and they were both a bit heavy on the front end..The so called standard and acceptable balance point at in front of the bottom metal, never did much for me..

I suspect its determined by the individual and what one has become used to..I believe the human body can adjust to about any rifle if you shoot it enough including trigger pull..I also have noticed many hunters don't even know or notice the difference, yet some get by quite well..

Just my personal opinion on the subject..based solely on my likes and dislikes, may or may not work for everyone for whatever reason I will never understand!