Thompson Center Encore Classifieds
Find your Encore Barrels here!

Home » General Conversation » Gun Talk » 24" vs 26" barrel length
24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8668] Sun, 05 February 2012 13:19 Go to next message
burkeboy is currently offline  burkeboy
Messages: 69
Registered: January 2012
Location: Upstate NY
Novice Contributor
Other than the 2" difference in length, what is the real difference in the two lengths of barrel? Say for a .308 caliber

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8674 is a reply to message #8668] Sun, 05 February 2012 21:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Crubear is currently offline  Crubear
Messages: 1798
Registered: March 2010
Location: NW Georgia
Top Contributor
Forum Moderator
I think the 26 inch will be a heavy barrel without sights and the 24 will be a taper with sights. I think the general rule of thumb is 50 ft/sec per inch velocity change per inch

Honestly, I have all the barrels I want or could ever need..... wait, look, there's another!!

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8689 is a reply to message #8674] Mon, 06 February 2012 16:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
burkeboy is currently offline  burkeboy
Messages: 69
Registered: January 2012
Location: Upstate NY
Novice Contributor
I am going to buy a 308 barrel but can't decide on the 24" or the 26". I need to put optics on it so sights don't matter. According to TC catalog the guns would weigh the same. Other than that 100fps faster why would someone buy the 26" barrel?

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8690 is a reply to message #8689] Mon, 06 February 2012 16:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Doyle is currently offline  Doyle
Messages: 318
Registered: June 2011
Location: Starkville, Ms
Forum Regular
I'm in the "shorter is better up to a point" crowd. I'm not a fan of the Encore 26" barrel. In fact, I've heard of some accuracy problems with some of them due to bad harmonics.

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8691 is a reply to message #8690] Mon, 06 February 2012 16:58 Go to previous messageGo to next message
burkeboy is currently offline  burkeboy
Messages: 69
Registered: January 2012
Location: Upstate NY
Novice Contributor
I appreciate your opinon, I heard something like that but have had noone actuaaly admit it.

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8699 is a reply to message #8691] Mon, 06 February 2012 21:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
masterloader is currently offline  masterloader
Messages: 77
Registered: November 2011
Location: Iowa
Novice Contributor
The main difference between the 24 and 26 is the size of barrel. The 24 is for the hunter that only shoots couple rounds at a time. The 26 is for more target shooting. I don't know about the bad harmonics, I have a 26" 22-250 that shoots 1/2 MOA's out to 250 yards if I do my part. I also have a 26" 7mm Mag that shoots a pop can every shot out at 400-450 yards. I'm not going to say that there aren't bad barrels, but I have heard someone say something bad about every gun maker out there. So I guess it is up to the shooter to do his best and find what works for him/her. So to make it short, if you want a barrel to shoot for hunting I'd pick the 24". If you want one to target shoot more and still hunt with it, I'd pick the 26".

That is my cents worth of opinion.

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8702 is a reply to message #8699] Mon, 06 February 2012 21:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Doyle is currently offline  Doyle
Messages: 318
Registered: June 2011
Location: Starkville, Ms
Forum Regular
Burkeboy, I think you are right about the nobody admitting it part. I hear lots of rumors, but no hard facts. Masterloader's examples may well be the norm and the people calling them bad are just bad shooters or were unlucky enough to get a bad barrel. I know for me that I don't mind a long barrel at all when I'm sitting at a bench. On the other hand, when I'm trouncing through the woods I'd give anything to shave a few ounces of weight and inches of length off of anything I'm carrying.

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8708 is a reply to message #8702] Tue, 07 February 2012 00:34 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MongooseV8 is currently offline  MongooseV8
Messages: 68
Registered: January 2012
Location: Oakley, CA
Novice Contributor
A shorter barrel of the same material and diameter will be more rigid and usually more accurate. The average loss/gain in velocity for rifles is 30fps per inch. The downside to a shorter barrel is your bullet will drop bellow super sonic speed faster. The differences between the barrels you are considering are very small. Weight is going to be the biggest difference for you.

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8712 is a reply to message #8708] Tue, 07 February 2012 09:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
sam77757 is currently offline  sam77757
Messages: 85
Registered: December 2010
Location: Wytheville VA
Novice Contributor
MongooseV8 wrote on Tue, 07 February 2012 00:34
A shorter barrel of the same material and diameter will be more rigid and usually more accurate. The average loss/gain in velocity for rifles is 30fps per inch. The downside to a shorter barrel is your bullet will drop bellow super sonic speed faster. The differences between the barrels you are considering are very small. Weight is going to be the biggest difference for you.



Diamater on the 24" barrel is .725 and the diamater on the 26" barrel is .850 so there is a difference in diamater size, and weight. in my opinion and my opinion only from what i have shot and still shoot the 26" barrels have been more accurate than my 24" barrels. not saying all of them are just the few that i own have been.

Thanks

Sammy

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8713 is a reply to message #8708] Tue, 07 February 2012 10:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
oneshotonekill is currently offline  oneshotonekill
Messages: 21
Registered: August 2010
Forum Newbie
I would love to see T/C offer barrels in standard calibers with a 22 or 20 inch length. I actually like a little heavier barrel, for balance, but for general hunting where shots are 200 yards or less, I think these would be very popular.

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8715 is a reply to message #8713] Tue, 07 February 2012 10:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Crubear is currently offline  Crubear
Messages: 1798
Registered: March 2010
Location: NW Georgia
Top Contributor
Forum Moderator
The 26 inch heavy barrel is just that, heavy. If you're going to carry it long distances then the 24" tapered is a better choice. The harmonic problem isn't as much for the 26 as the 28". Like everything else it depends on the shooter, the frame, the barrel, and the technique. I had a 28" 300 Win Mag that would shoot MOA at 100yds all day long. I've had one or two barrels at 16" or less that could hit a barn at 10yds some of the time (OK, slight exaggeration), but the new owner just couldn't believe how accurate they were.

Honestly, I have all the barrels I want or could ever need..... wait, look, there's another!!

Report message to a moderator

Re: 24" vs 26" barrel length [message #8718 is a reply to message #8712] Tue, 07 February 2012 17:16 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
burkeboy is currently offline  burkeboy
Messages: 69
Registered: January 2012
Location: Upstate NY
Novice Contributor
Thanks to all for your time to educate me, I'm thinking that the barrels will far out perform what I can do with them. Now its just making up my mind.

Report message to a moderator

Previous Topic: Katahdin Encore 12 GA fit question
Next Topic: Trigger work
Goto Forum:
  

[ Syndicate this forum (XML) ] [ RSS ]

Current Time: Tue May 14 13:42:20 EDT 2024
.:: Contact :: Home ::.