shredder4286
New member
what exactly are the benefits of having a heavy barrel on a rifle? making it harder to overheat, better balance? obviously the disadvantage would be less ease of mobility. thanks in advance
Noob heavy barrel question
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thesheepdog
New member
Better harmonics, heat resistance and stability under sustained fire. Also adds a bit of weight to the rilfe to help reduce recoil and aid in stability. All are ++++
The only downside is extra weight.
The only downside is extra weight.
ndking1126
New member
Barrel takes longer to heat up (but takes longer to cool down once hot). Once your barrel gets hot, the group size will open up. Also the barrel is stiffer/more consistent so in theory is inherently more accurate. On that note, you still have to get the right bullet weight for the rate of twist, right velocity, good muzzle crown, etc to notice the extra potental for accuracy--a heavy barrel alone is not a gaurantee for accuracy.
Heavy barrels make rifles front heavy, although I don't know many people who consider that a positive.
Heavy barrels make rifles front heavy, although I don't know many people who consider that a positive.
shredder4286
New member
sheepdog- harmonics? i though we were talkin about guns, not guitars...
mapsjanhere
New member
The reason harmonics come into play is the speed of sound in steel. It's roughly 20,000 ft/s, so by the time your bullet reaches the muzzle, the sound of the firing has run the length of the barrel multiple times and the resonances will have set the barrel to swing with a sinusoidal wave. Your muzzle sometimes point straight (top and bottom of the wave) or at an angle (anywhere in between), and you're trying to minimize that angle. The stiffer the barrel, the lesser the maximal deviation. So a short and heavy barrel is theoretically more accurate than a long and wippy one.
thesheepdog
New member
You have much to learn.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
A heavy barrel provides more consistency of group size in long strings of fire, such as in a competition match or for prairie dog hunters who have many targets of opportunity. They're not at all necessary for regular hunting for varmints or deer.