Lots of variables in this question.
Have you nailed down what caliber you want to use. Which barrel manufacturer? Then which bullet?
If 1000 yard shooting at paper is your goal, I'd very much suggest looking at the 6 Dasher with a fast twist. 300-800 I'd still stay with the dasher but possibly slow the twist down. From my personal experience, I use a 6 Dasher with a 26" Hart 1-10 twist. I had it built as a prairie dog rifle and throated for Hornady 87 vmax's. It will push those out at over 3200 fps and hold 5/8 at 300 yards, which is the distance I do my testing at. For comparison I have a 243 built by the same smith that is a 26" 1-12 twist that is starting to show it's age (over 1500 rds) but will still hold under 1/2" @ 100. It's sweet spot coincidentally is 3207 fps but with an additional 10 grains of powder.
If live big game is your goal, you'll need something larger and more clean kill oriented.
If you haven't read about the Houston Warehouse, I've included a link. Really a great read by pure accuracy buffs. The ideal barrel length for their purposes (benchrest 100-300 yds with the 6 PPC) was 21 3/4". I've known that for years but I also lean towards 26" barrels for the same reason that others have already stated. You can always cut some off, but it's pretty tough to glue it on.
Allen
http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/max357/houston.html
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