If the long barrel is the best to address the original specifications to the Creed then by no means give up barrel length to bring out the zip capable. I am a .264 Win Mag lover. I don't care about the downfalls of a cartridge. I care about its optimum performance with the optimum barrel length. If I have a cartridge in a short barrel (like the .223 in an M4) I am feeling I am in the twilight zone and need a gas check.

I have a .264 Featherweight with a 22" barrel and I say to the negative hype about barrel shortness "show me a .270 or something that will shoot as hard as this .264 in its 22" barrel USING A 22" Barrel and I will start to listen to you.

On the other hand having the hot cartridge like the .264 in a 22" and 26" (me) I say the .264 is among the deadliest accurate among contenders similar. Just make sure the barrel lengths of the competition are the same lengths as 22 and 26 for my two lovely 70s; one from 1962 and the other from 2012 Fabrique Nationale.