22-250 barrel length

I recently acquired a 26 inch heavy varmint barrel, chambered 22-250. I'm thinking of screwing it into my Striker and checking the accuracy before cutting it down. Has anyone calculated the optimum barrel length for the 22-250? Please share your experience with this caliber, in a hand gun.

With a slow taper, nearly 1 inch dia, heavy barrel, the sine wave/harmonics should not be much of a factor, especially at a shorter length. I was thinking not shorter than 17 inches, so I can still use it in my Axis, or one of my 10's. I just didn't want to leave any performance on the table. I'm sure somebody here will take me to school.

Thanks
Paul in Floriduh

Watching. I have a 19" 22-250 I "repurposed" that started life as a Rem 40x barrel in .222. Haven't fired it yet.

Bumpity Bump Bump,

Has anybody given this question enough thought or brought forth some wisdom/experience to post an answer? I cut the barrel in question to 17.5 inches so I could use it on long guns as well as my striker. I lost a bit over 600 FPS (federal factory loads) from the original (to me) 25.2 inches, but accuracy dropped to sub MOA with handloads in my striker, target crown, Vias varmint brake.

Still would like to know if anybody has any data, subjective, scientific or anecdotal, concerning optimum barrel length/weight for the 22-250 or share any formula's you have.

Thanks
Paul in da swamp

Optimum for what? Velocity? Accuracy? Cutting it down will just make it slower while likely improving the accuracy up to a point. Cutting it down to 17" will leave quite a bit of performance on the table. I would imagine you will lose ~600 fps.

You'll lose ~ 1% mv per inch.
joe b. in Floridia

I'm surprised that mv decreased 600 fps. I have 2 22-250 bbls I cut to 16.5" to use in my striker and m10. The mv loss was ~ 1%/inch for 40, 53 and 68 gr bullets. Your loss is ~ 2% per inch.
joe b.

Yes, that was a non scientific question. When I cut the barrel I have, I had only shot factory (federal) loads in it. I didn't really miss the velocity because the accuracy improved so much. I'm now working up hand loads for accuracy in hopes of gaining back the velocity lost while maintaining the found accuracy. I'll mostly use 68 Gr. Nosler bullets, so I guess what I'm really looking for is some short cut to loads (powders) that work really well in shorter barrels, I plan to hunt white tail's in Michigan this year and want to use the striker. Thanks, Paul.

PS I just got back to Florida today from planting 4 small fields, of winter wheat, at the camp in Hillman, to help the deer thru the winter.