Shooters and reloaders
24" vs 26" barrels for a
470 NE double being ordered??

If you are going to order a new rifle you have to ask yourself the question, "What for." You gain no advantage in 470 caliber. Now, if your going to order a 450-400 yes, 26 inches. Don't do it, in my opinion you will de-value the rifle. With 24" barrels you get 2100-2150 fps and its alot more usable in thick jesse.

I agree with the man from Colorado....go with the 24".

I own a 450/400 with 26" barrels and a 9.3X74R with 24 inch barrels. The only reasone for the shorter barrels. . . they wouldn't let me order 26" barrels.

I just like longer barrels on a double rifle!

It is simply a personal choice, and nothing is gained with one over the other, more than your preference! 2" of barrel will have zero effect on the velocity, and if the rifle is made with either it will be made to ballance properly, sooooooo, if you want 26" barrels, order them, if you simply want a double rifle that will do everything you want in the field,and the standard is 24", and the cost is the same for either, then 24" it is. One should never buy a rifle to suit someone else! IMO, use your money to buy what you want, and don't worry about the opinions of others, it's your rifle, not theirs!

Just my opinion, but on a 470 you will appreciate 24 inch barrrels more than the 26 inch variety.

Something else to keep in mind - some actions and tapers are not suited to longer length barrels. Taking the taper out another two inches on some rifles can make the barrel walls too thin for the loads and bullets. At least one bullet maker out there asked me what make of rifle I was loading and its barrel length for before we got into the discussion of bullet availability. Seems there have been some issues.

Personally, I wouldn't have a double rifle with 24" barrels. On a double rifle, 26" barrels are short, and there is no gain whatsoever in cutting them any shorter, but there are negatives. The shorter barrels just don't handle as well, and they certainly don't swing as well on moving game.

Velocity loss may seem small but, hey, we've gotta keep this in context. As has long been so well established here on AR, there are "magic" velocity thresholds that must be attained. A 500 grain .470 bullet at 2150 will kill elephant with a near miss, but moving at 2149, it won't shoot through both sides of a cardboard box. Considering how crucial the 50 fps difference that the extra 2" of barrel will make is known to be, 24" barrels are a particularly irrational choice.

In the real (non-AR) world, 26" barrels on a new built gun will be easier to sell than 24" when it comes time, as 26" are very popular but almost impossible to get on a new built gun these days.

Standard performance of the .470 is 2125 fps in 31" barrels. Similar velocity in 24" barrels is attainable only with non-standard ammunition.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

MY VOTE-24"!

It's your choice. It also depends on what kind of DR's you've shot before getting your new toy. When I was much younger, I've shot 24" to 28" barreled DR's and find that depending on the gun and caliber that the 24" barrel hangs just right for the mostpart.

From my own personal experience, I have found that longer barrels are an advantage when it comes to marksmanship. And will actually enhance re-sale on vintage guns if they are longer in the bbls.

However, the recent trend is to have guns with 23-24" barrels and that's what the market demands (at this time).

I'll bet you this...Get your gun built with 26" barrels, shoot the hell out of it....Post some really good groupings and should you decide to move it, it will sell.

I just bought a nice little .470 with 24" tubes and it shoots and shoots well...But, it has noticeably more muzzle climb than my 28" bbl'd .470. although the guns weigh within a pound of each other, the 28" barreled rifle is inheriently more accurate due to its increased muzzle weight (read: a steadier hold). Also for ejector guns the longer barreled rifles open easier and swing closed a bit easier as well.

The drawback is that the longer barrels "might" be a bit of a hindrance in the thick stuff - I've never experienced any problems with mine, but have heard some credible folks complain about them snagging on dense cover. And, if you are not realtively strong and fit....The longer barrels are going to be a problem for you....This is why I suspect the shorter barrels have become popular as of late....Face it guys, we're all getting older, weaker and crankier! A smaller, easier to aim DR is going to be the trend for sometime to come.

I'd recommend you do go with what the trend is as of late if infact you want to move it in the near future, otherwise I'd personally get one with 26-27" barrels and enjoy the improved shooting.

JW

I have 24", 26" and 28" barrels on doubles. I don't have an issue with any of them but they all balance well and "feel" right. Proper balance is more important than 2" +- in length. Some current doubles I've handled have handled terribly with 24" barrels while my Jeffery 400 with 24" barrels handles and "feels" great.

I have read that longer barrels are easier to get to regulate and that has been my experience. My 470 with 28" barrels is my most accurate double.

If I was having a double built it would have 26" barrels.

Within reason, shouldn't the barrel length be dictated by the balance of the rest of the rifle?

24, or 26, or 25.271 inches. Don't think it matters much.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Within reason, shouldn't the barrel length be dictated by the balance of the rest of the rifle?

24, or 26, or 25.271 inches. Don't think it matters much.

OR...................., the balance be dictated buy the barrel length!

I have doubles with from 23.8" to 29" barrels, and all balance. So... What I think is, you state what barrel you want and the rifle is balanced accordingly! It is true that longer barrels swing more smoothly, but it has less to do with the extra weight, than it does with the longer sight radious. Like many competition shotguns the long barrels make tracking better on the moveing targets, but the shotgun barrels are very light, so it isn't the weight, but the length to the front bead.
As far as velocity goes, the difference in neglidgable, as long as the rifle is regulated properly to the load, because a Buffalo in not going to tell the difference between 2100, and 2300 fps!

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Within reason, shouldn't the barrel length be dictated by the balance of the rest of the rifle?

24, or 26, or 25.271 inches. Don't think it matters much.

OR...................., the balance be dictated buy the barrel length!

I have doubles with from 23.8" to 29" barrels, and all balance. So... What I think is, you state what barrel you want and the rifle is balanced accordingly! It is true that longer barrels swing more smoothly, but it has less to do with the extra weight, than it does with the longer sight radious. Like many competition shotguns the long barrels make tracking better on the moveing targets, but the shotgun barrels are very light, so it isn't the weight, but the length to the front bead.
As far as velocity goes, the difference in neglidgable, as long as the rifle is regulated properly to the load, because a Buffalo in not going to tell the difference between 2100, and 2300 fps!

You are probably right, but long barrels are probably a holdover from blackpowder days, and not from any aiming accuracy concerns.

I'd prefer short barrles from a handling standpoint and much more worried about whether the 2 barrles shoot straight rather than their length.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
You are probably right, but long barrels are probably a holdover from blackpowder days, and not from any aiming accuracy concerns.

I'd prefer short barrles from a handling standpoint and much more worried about whether the 2 barrles shoot straight rather than their length.

I think you are right about the hold over from black powder days! I too, prefere shorter barrels! I like 26" on most of the English rifles,back to around 1905, which are short compared to rifles made before 1905 or so,which seem to be in the 28" range. It seems today most are in the 24" range, and I think that has to do more with the modern powders than anything. As long as the barrels shoot where I point them, and reasonably close together, I'm happy!

I want 26" barrels on any double rifle, they swing and point better for me and since I like extractors they fall quicker when I open the action..

The extra 2 inches of sight radius is a plus for my old eyes.

Balance is better for me with long barrels especially for running shots.

Go with 25" barrels and you won't have to worry about it...

465H&H

if long barrels are so great and in such "demand" i wonder why all the makers supply 24" as standard??

probably because they know more than the so called authorities who like long barrels.

i'm surprised they're not advocating going back to 28" barrels with the full length rib.

that style would probably suit their mindset better. maybe even 30"

quote:

Originally posted by tomo577:
if long barrels are so great and in such "demand" i wonder why all the makers supply 24" as standard??

probably because they know more than the so called authorities who like long barrels.

i'm surprised they're not advocating going back to 28" barrels with the full length rib.

that style would probably suit their mindset better. maybe even 30"

TSK TSK TSK!..............................
Tom are you just sarcastic by nature, or did you go to school to learn how to make friends?

quote:

Originally posted by tomo577:
if long barrels are so great and in such "demand" i wonder why all the makers supply 24" as standard??

probably because they know more than the so called authorities who like long barrels.

i'm surprised they're not advocating going back to 28" barrels with the full length rib.

that style would probably suit their mindset better. maybe even 30"

There are always those like tomo best served by letting others do their thinking for them.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

If you hunt in the thick Jesse bush then the 24" barrels are quite handy.
ozhunter