The 350 Legend has over twice the effective range of the .357. it was designed as a 250-yard rifle capable of taking Mule Deer, Cougars, and Mountain Sheep. You forgot one, the 1895 .405 Winchester. The reason a lot of 22lr barrels are 22 to 26 inches is because the added sight radius and balancing is worth the extra weight of the longer barrels. -The recoil of the 45 Colt is much less than that of the .357 Magnum, making it more That means more muzzle energy and momentum than the .357 with a bigger hole, and with similar trajectory. However, for precision rifle shooting (PRS) 24 to 26 inch barrels will generate higher muzzle velocities. Remember, the point is not to keep things at the lowest minimum, but to keep things reliable. Knowing the weird laws above can help clarify a bit why some of the barrel lengths below have become so popular. Its an ideal cartridge for states with straight-wall cartridge allowances. see more at [ 1] However, for 2019, Marlin reintroduced the .444 in the Model 1895 rifle; and, as straight-wall cartridges go, this is a good one. A pistol can have any barrel length under 16 inches, and will often be between 3 and 16 inches. comparing similar 180-grain bullets, it has more initial energy and more expected velocity in 16-inch barrels. The best barrel length for 17 HMR is 18 inches to achieve the best velocity per barrel length. I really wish someone should make a 357 Maximum lever action. The barrel is also threaded in case you want to add a suppressor or a muzzle brake of some kind to tame the recoil even more. Longer barrels tend to be more accurate, but make the firearm heavier, while shorter barrels are more portable, but wont be as accurate at longer distances. Many 17 HMR barrels will be 20 to 22 inches, but an 18 barrel has been known to shoot just as well. Eight major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed. Enter the 350 Legend. They're fun, handy, and can be very practical. Mostly a longer version of the .44 Magnum, the .444 Marlin uses a 0.429-caliber bullet. Not a bad idea for younger hunters with a smaller frame. If you are aiming at the center and your bullet drops 4 inches below the point of aim, you just barely nicked the vitals. 12.5 barrels in 7.6239 are very popular for speed, time on target, and close quarters scenarios. Several states that used to allow only shotguns for deer hunting are now permitting straight-wall rifle cartridges. The best barrel length for dove, pheasant, quail, and bird hunting is 28 because hunting bird is rarely a close encounter scenario. However, these barrel lengths are not recommended for shots past 200 yards. In fact a majority of firearm related confrontations are at less than 50 yards. I tend to be a bit old school and would probably go with the .45-70 Govt. You should never shoot a deer at a distance you havent practiced at because you dont know just how the bullet will perform out of Your Specific Rifle. Now, the .450 Bushmaster is seeing a grand resurgence, and its all because of the straight-wall cartridge allowances. It should be a hit in states previously allowing only shotguns. The American Rifle also comes with a generous recoil pad to help with that. There is a point of diminishing accuracy returns with barrel length. Latest: Pitchinwedge 3 minutes ago Fishing Chit Chat Thai curry fish cakes Latest: Cactus Chris 7 minutes ago Fishing and Hunting Cooking Recipes garmin gt52hw Latest: thesaltyhooker 7 minutes ago Classifieds Node Pay First The .357 Mag falls quite short of that. -The recoil of the 45 Colt is much less than that of the .357 Magnum, making it more This is a 150gr copper bullet with a ballistic coefficient G1 of .320 at 2450fps from my 20" barreled rifle with very little recoil, an honest 300+ yard deer round. Its unethical to shoot an animal if you know its not a sure shot. Of course, its compatibility with the AR-15 is tempting to a lot of deer hunters who were previously regulated to shotguns. Its essentially the same as .357 Magnumon steroidswhich means itll stretch out the range to about 100 or 150 yards (roughly the same as the .450 Bushmaster). The speeds are also there. The 450 buffalo bore hard cast hits anything living and they wont be. Theres nothing wrong with hunting deer with a .357 Mag, just realize that although its a pretty potent pistol round, in a rifle, its still less potent and honestly, less effective on deer than a .223. .350 Legend is 55,000 and headspaces on that tiny piece of metal we call case mouth. Advantages of the 45 Colt: -The 45 Colt has a larger bullet diameter than the .357 Magnum, which means it can create a larger wound channel. Most 12 gauge shotguns are sold with 26 or 28 barrels, however, the velocity difference between a 22 and 30 barrel is negligible. A lot of people like to add a suppressor especially since the intended use is probably indoors. The speeds are also there. For .450 Bushmaster and .444 Marlin, youre looking at $41 to $49 per box, and .45-70 Govt. The best barrel length for a 357 Sig is 4 inches because the round was designed to be used in shorter barrels. It will shoot a bit flatter than the .45-70 Government or .444 Marlin. It can handle bullets that are more aerodynamic. Some larger calibers with slower burning powder will do better with 28-32 barrels. For close quarters or indoors, its really personal preference to sacrifice the muzzle velocity for ease of use and concealability. When youre taking shots at just a couple hundred yards, 20 to 22 inch or 18 inch suppressed barrels are considered optimal for 6.5 Creedmoor. Same parameters as above, gets around 2200 fps from the max case and around 2300 fps from a 350L case. The best barrel length for a 12 gauge slug is 20 for 2 and 3/4 shells and 24 for some 3 shells to achieve maximum velocity. Andget thisit can be fired in any .375 Winchester rifle or any .38-55 designed to be used with smokeless powder. Hornady's 165-grain FTX Customs are doing 2,200-fps and are hitting with 1,773-foot pounds of energy. WebThe 350 Legend is arguably over twice as effective on deer-sized game than a rifle chambered in .357 Magnum. Check out this post which is one of the most popular of all time. The 350 Legend has a slightly higher Ballistic Coefficient which means it takes longer to slow down than the 44 Mag. The most popular carbine barrel lengths are 9 inches, 11.5 inches, or 16 inches depending on caliber used. Personally I prefer to conceal my 3.5 inch barrel 9mm single stack in my waistband. Winchester released the .350 Legend at the 2019 SHOT Show. If you liked this article, youll probably be interested in this one too! COPYRIGHT 2023, WOMG. Some people like to get a 14.5 barrel and weld on a muzzle device making the entire barrel length 16 compliant. The best barrel length for a 338 Lapua is 26 for plenty of accuracy and power out to 500-700 yards. The 350 is a great round for deer hunting, and shooters seldom report needing to use a muzzle brake on a 350 Legend rifle. The best barrel length for a 50 Beowulf is 16 for the greatest velocity vs. length. Sorry, no opinion on extraction other than I never had a problem with .223. The .357 Mag has enough energy to reliably take a deer at 75 yards with heavy ammo. The 350 can absolutely put the whammy on a big deer at 250 yards, you just need to be a good shot, know your distance, and know your guns ballistics. That means more muzzle energy and momentum than the .357 with a bigger hole, and with similar trajectory. This rifle is the "compact" version. The .350 Legend is no better. I'm not exactly a diehard with pistol-caliber carbines but I definitely enjoy them. The tang safety is easy to access and operate. However, if deer hunting in a previously shotgun-only state were all I ever planned to ever do, a new Ruger or Mossberg in .450 Bushmaster might be the way to go; and the .350 Legend has a great deal of appeal, given its external ballistics, lesser recoil and subsonic capabilities. The .350 Legend loads that normally reach 2,200 to 2,300 feet per second manage between 1,500 and 1,800 fps out of the Model 350s 7.5-inch barrel. Hornadys 170-grain American Whitetail soft-point load, for example, managed 1,551 feet per second out of the Model 350 as compared to 2,200 feet per second from a rifle barrel. see more at [ 1] However, many shooters prefer the portability of the 20 barrel since it doesnt sacrifice much in terms of distance and velocity. WebAssuming you can handle each equally well, A .357 Mag has more energy, better penetration and with the proper bullet better expansion. Many owners of a 357 snub nose will swear by the 3 inch barrel. It would be easily duplicated with the Winchester 350 legend. Introduced in 1978, Winchesters .375 was designed specifically for its Model 94 lever-action rifle. Common Causes and What Can be Done to Prevent It, Why a Glock Will Stovepipe: Failure to Eject Issues Resolved, Which Revolver Is Most Powerful? I give a lower figure as a more practical minimum energy. Barrel lengths longer than 5 inches are generally less likely to be open carried or concealed. The Best Barrel Length for 350 Legend AR Pistol This is a revolver round that, from a rifle, will push a 270-grain bullet to similar velocities of around 1,800 fps. You will still get more velocity out of longer barrels, as expected, just not as much of an increase. see more at [ 1] Compared to to .357 Magnum hunting loads, the 350 Legend tends to be faster, more powerful, and deliver straighter trajectories. A .45-70 is 2.105". One new winner* is announced every week! Same parameters as above, gets around 2200 fps from the max case and around 2300 fps from a 350L case. After all, with modern loads, you can do just about anything with this old warhorse. The best barrel length for 6.5 Grendel for hunting is an 18 or 20 inch barrel. If you sit the 350 Legend side by side with a 5.56 round, you'll notice they are roughly the same length. Both rounds can reliably take deer out to 250 yards. The 350 Legend also uses the same .346 bore and .355 groove dimensions as 357 Mag and 357 Max. A revolver has no safetys to manipulate during a VERY high stress situation such as a bear attack and not all 1911s have ambidextrous controls should your gun hand be injured. Change over to a 200 gr bullet, keep the 0.385" seating depth and QL predictions go from around 1770 fps for the magnum case, around 2100 for the max case and around 2170 fps for the 350L case. It was also partly because few rifle manufacturers got behind the cartridge. Although some people prefer 10 or 12 inch barrels, the shorter barrels may require a faster twist rate to stabilize the bullet, where as the longer barrels dont. You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers. Shooters that plan on using only iron sights often opt for a 20 or longer barrel on a 357 Magnum rifle because the increased sight radius gives the rifle greater accuracy at farther distances. WebThe 350 Legend is arguably over twice as effective on deer-sized game than a rifle chambered in .357 Magnum. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. And actually, I've always maintained that if I had to choose a .357 Magnum or a .44 in a rifle, I'd choose .357 every-time. Sure .44 hits hard, but that's a lot to do with the mass of the bullet over how fast it's going. 150-grain ammo is good to about 200 yards before slowing down too much. Cartridges such as the .45-70 Government and .44-40 Winchesterboth circa 1873were common long-gun chamberings. Anything above a 20 barrel in 5.56 isnt much of an improvement. He has earned black belts in four martial arts and is a certified Krav Maga instructor. Another popular barrel length for long range using 6.5 Creedmoor is the 24 barrel. In other words, its not as aerodynamic and it sheds energy faster. For the most part, the straight-wall cartridge has been obsolete for more than 100 years. Interesting length choice as that is the case length of a 460 S&W, which the law at one point read "traditional straight wall pistol cartridge." Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. That shouldnt be much of a surprise. At introduction, it received a lot of fanfare but soon faded into, well, near oblivion. The best barrel length for 6mm ARC is 18 inches for a rifle with good velocity that is still relatively easy to transport. The 44 mag was designed for hunting and self-defense purposes for big game, not This rifle is a tack driver that will get the job done on that big buck this season. Any barrel length above 18 will not significantly improve velocity. Most commonly Short barreled rifles have barrel lengths between 7 and 16 inches with the most popular barrel length being 11.5 inches or 9 inches depending on caliber used. Increasing the barrel length to a 34 barrel or more may gain the round an extra 200 fps and is ideal for those wanting to reach past 1000 yards. The 350 Legend is a fascinating cartridge. A good place to start looking for barrels is Here at OpticsPlanet. It really depends which round you plan on using in the AR pistol. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. I will use the cheap fmj for small game and coyotes, and a good 180-grain load for deer hunting. It makes a good middle ground hunting rifle in my opinion. The best barrel length for a 350 Legend AR pistol is 10.5 inches. The 350 is a great round for deer hunting, and shooters seldom report needing to use a muzzle brake on a 350 Legend rifle. Lengths smaller than the Federal requirement must either meet the legal pistol definition or be registered as an NFA short barreled rifle (SBR). Barrels shorter than 16 have significantly more recoil and are usually avoided. The cartridge cases were long and short but without shoulders. In fact some shooters report less performance out of 26 or longer 5.56 barrels. The 350 Legend is faster, more powerful, and can be used in more guns than the .357 Magnum. The best barrel length for a 357 Magnum revolver is 8 and 3/8 inches because that length allows for decent velocity combined with portability. The velocity gains approach full rifle levels, and this .350 Legend seems to take that a little further still. The nominal rim diameter is identical as well, but the 350 Legend does not use the 5.56 as its parent case like the 300 Blackout. Barrels longer than 22 show no real improvement over the 18-20 barrels. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'guntradition_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_5',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guntradition_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Does that surprise you? The best barrel length for duck hunting is 28 because duck shots tend to be at a good distance. WebThe 350 Legend is essentially a long pistol round using pistol powder so 16 tends to be optimal. Even the most ballistically inept hunterssuch as those who will not accept or understand the advantages of the 6.5 Creedmoorare savvy enough to understand that just about any rifle cartridge has more reach and precision than a shotgun slug. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. If hunting at ranges less than 300 yards then a shorter barrel between 16-20 will work better. I have a contender pistol in 357 maximum and love it, but if the 350 legend had been available when I bought it I might have gone that route. Firearms companies soon realized there was a real market for a low recoil straight wall option capable of a higher muzzle velocity than the other straight wall options out there. This is exactly why the .350 Legend exists. The best barrel length for a 6.5 Grendel Pistol or SBR is 14.5 inches. Change over to a 200 gr bullet, keep the 0.385" seating depth and QL predictions go from around 1770 fps for the magnum case, around 2100 for the max case and around 2170 fps for the 350L case. Originally loaded with black powder, the .38-55 is about as extinct as a cartridge can be, but ironically, several companies load ammunition for it. In short, your barrel has to be 16 or longer and the entire length of the rifle must be at least 26 to be a rifle. Latest: Pitchinwedge 3 minutes ago Fishing Chit Chat Thai curry fish cakes Latest: Cactus Chris 7 minutes ago Fishing and Hunting Cooking Recipes garmin gt52hw Latest: thesaltyhooker 7 minutes ago Classifieds Node Pay First The low bullet mass is Neckbone Armory also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. The .450 Bushmaster was designed specifically for the AR-15. However, if using indoors or in close quarters, the difference between 3 and 5 inches is hard to notice. Hi my name is Neckbone and I started this site because I love firearms and shooting sports. This sounds very similar to an SBR because it essentially is except the SBR has a stock instead of a brace. You may gain another 50 fps with a 26 barrel but most shooters dont opt for the longer barrel. 10mm AUTO vs .357 Mag, Jordan Buck is an outdoor writer, a man of faith, and a family man. The 180-grain bullet will have more energy and penetration. Im talking the 147 grain, Winchester ammo. The M4 I used in the Army had a 14.5 inch barrel and that was considered a good compromise between accuracy and maneuverability of the weapon. Winchester designed the cartridge from the ground up. In fact, Ive used that load to take two African buffalo. The reason has nothing to do with modern ballistics: Its all about the law. At that point, it is equal to a 40 S&W in a short pistol. Many shooters opt for a 16 barrel if they dont plan on shooting past 500 yards or theyll prefer a 26 barrel for mile shots or long range shooting. If the pistol is going to be suppressed, 7 or 8 inches of barrel length tends to work best, while shooters who prefer a little more range may opt for a 10 to 14 inch barrel. Enter the 350 Legend. Most 6.5 Grendel barrels shoot well with a 1:8 twist rate. Ive talked about the 180-grain bullets, but there are other bullets. If you hunt in one of the states now allowing straight-wall rifle cartridges for deer, it might be a good idea to pick up a new rifle. Best 6.5 Creedmoor Barrel Length for Hunting, Best Barrel Length for 6.5 Creedmoor Long Range, Best Barrel Length for 6.5 Grendel Long Range, Best Barrel Length for 6.5 Grendel Hunting, Best Barrel Length for 6.5 Grendel Pistol/SBR, The Best Barrel Length for 350 Legend AR Pistol, Best Barrel Length for A 9mm Pistol AR/PCC/Carbine/SBR, Best Barrel Length for 357 Magnum Revolver, Best Barrel Length for 300 Blackout Pistol, Best Barrel Length for A Hunting Revolver, Best Barrel Length for Dove/Pheasant/Quail/Bird Hunting, Why is My Glock Not Accurate: Common Reasons and How to Fix, Why Does My Glock Shoot Low and to the Left? The 350 Legend will shoot deer much farther and has better bullets available. The velocity gains approach full rifle levels, and this .350 Legend seems to take that a little further still. If you were thinking tactical applications, the 357 mag will not penetrate basic level 3A armor; not even penetrator rounds. In closer quarters situations an even shorter barrel is advantageous, and when under 100 yards, the accuracy loss isnt noticeable at all. These requirements may vary for different jurisdictions. The best barrel length for a 5.56 for home defense is 10.5 inches, however, 11.5 and 12.5 inch barrels are also popular for this use. Anything above a 26 barrel for 6.5 Grendel doesnt make much sense statistically. The .350 Legend loads that normally reach 2,200 to 2,300 feet per second manage between 1,500 and 1,800 fps out of the Model 350s 7.5-inch barrel. Any barrel length under 6 inches will suffer greater muzzle velocity loss, however, that loss is considered acceptable when concealment is a factor. Lets talk about that for a second. The rifle comes fitted with a picatinny rail for optics straight out of the box. At those distances, both are at the minimum energy threshold for deer of 750 ft/lbs. This cartridge has become extremely popular for older hunters and youth hunters for that reason. Ballistics are a wonderful thing, because they provide legitimate/scientific data to support estimations of cartridge effectiveness. Ill go with 1,100 fps as a middle ground. While deer hunters have adjusted to this kind of hunting, many of us have been left green with envy at the hunters who could use centerfire rifles to reach out to longer ranges. The 350 Legend also uses the same .346 bore and .355 groove dimensions as 357 Mag and 357 Max. The 350 Legend will shoot deer much farther and has better bullets available. comparing similar 180-grain bullets, it has more initial energy and more expected velocity in 16-inch barrels. If the firearm wont be suppressed and the goal is more distance shooting, then a 14.5 inch barrel is better suited for a 5.56 SBR. Even though a 20 barrel is best for long distance, really consider if thats all you want to use that rifle for. The lever actions are considered hunting fud guns by the Left so a very good choice. If that happens, the .350 Legend will, in truth, be little more than a legend. The 44 Magnum has 100-yards less effective range than a 350 Legend. That means more muzzle energy and momentum than the .357 with a bigger hole, and with similar trajectory. Both can handle good, 180-grain hunting bullets, but the 350 can handle them much better. But the self-contained centerfire cartridge advanced into the 20th century, and cartridge cases shaped like those of the .30-30 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield became the norm. It makes a lot of sense in those scenarios, but some shooters would opt for the 357 Sig in that case. He serves as contributing editor for several magazines, including NRAs American Rieman and Shooting Illustrated, Varmint Hunter, and Combat Handgunner, and is the editor for Gun Digests Cartridges of the World 13th Edition. Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited. Copyright 1996-2023 AR15.COM LLC. Hornady's 165-grain FTX Customs are doing 2,200-fps and are hitting with 1,773-foot pounds of energy. However the best barrel length for maximum velocity is 15 with the 45 ACP. the 170-grain bullets penetrate more and perform very closely to the 180 grain 350 legend ammo. While no modern rifles are chambered for the .375 Winchester, you can find them on the used market, and Winchester still offers a 200-grain Power Point load at 2,200 fps. This was partly because it was introduced at about the time of the AR-15 craze that hit the United States (at that time, everyone wanted an AR in .223 Remington). Advantages of the 45 Colt: -The 45 Colt has a larger bullet diameter than the .357 Magnum, which means it can create a larger wound channel. The best barrel length for the 7mm Rem Mag is 26 for maximum velocity and powder burn. A box of .357 Mag. After all, the military chose the 14.5 inch barrel for the 5.56 round for a reason. is more comparable to the .350 Legend, but youre losing power and velocity. .357 good 44mag better. A lot of people like to take a few inches off their barrel length because of the added weight and length to the overall weapon that a suppressor adds. if you add to that the fact that you may have accidentally aimed 2 inches low (happens all the time), that means a gut-shot deer. The 350 Legend SAAMI bullet diameter is specified at .357-.003. Therefore, bullets exit the muzzle at approximately .355 when fired from any of those three cartridges. *Must have a registered ARFCOM account to win. For .450 Bushmaster and .444 Marlin, youre looking at $41 to $49 per box, and .45-70 Govt. This is a 150gr copper bullet with a ballistic coefficient G1 of .320 at 2450fps from my 20" barreled rifle with very little recoil, an honest 300+ yard deer round. How To eFile Using ATF eForms: Instructions and Examples. Your family is worth it. .350 Legend is 55,000 and headspaces on that tiny piece of metal we call case mouth. The best barrel length for a 9mm handgun is 5 inches. I like the traditional .357 magnum. So, to get back to the initial question here, the .357 Mag can certainly work fine for you under the right scenarios. You do lose some accuracy at distances over 300 yards when compared to an 18 inch barrel, for example. This is a revolver round that, from a rifle, will push a 270-grain bullet to similar velocities of around 1,800 fps. Barrel lengths between 24 and 28 are also popular for the round. Winchester designed the cartridge from the ground up. For that matter, hunters in other states might find it appealing, specifically because, like the .300 Blackout, its also subsonic-capable. now, that in a 35 caliber bullet, even without expansion it will do some damage. The best barrel length for a 410 shotgun is 20 to achieve great velocity and accuracy. Since I live in Lewiston, Idaho, I get the opportunity to use that rifle. AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types. Bullet selection might swing me toward the Max I would be getting an MGM barrel. If you want a bolt action or AR15, or if your going to buy factory ammo, then 350 legend then 350 legend is it. Everything I said up there about the .357 holds just as true for the .44 Magnum. Theres a wide array of factory loads to choose from and, like the .357 Magnum, it will deliver better accuracy than slug guns. A 24 barrel will add an extra 120 fps compared to 16 but is not considered enough extra velocity to warrant the added barrel length. It should be clear what the .350 Legend brings to the table. However, barrels as short as 22 can be used to hunt bird successfully. Besides, that is one of the most popular barrel lengths anyway. Both cartridges can be practical for hunting midsized, and some large game. In states like Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, and Indiana, we've been regulated to using shotguns, muzzleloaders, or handguns only for decades now. For reference, a 450 Bushmaster has a case length of 1.7" and a 350 Legend is 1.71". I consider both cartridges to be very similar ballisticaly. The 350 Legend is a fascinating cartridge. The 350 Legend will shoot deer much farther and has better bullets available. the biggest difference for me is that there is cheap fmj ammo available for the 350. That puts the .357 back on the board. maxed out.. it looks like Buffalo Boar Heavy 158gr 357 out of an 18" shows 2153fps. However, barrels as short as 22-24 are often used to hunt duck successfully. It is a true joy to shoot, and you'll be more accurate because of it. Its essentially nothing more than a shortened version of the much older (1876) .38-55 Winchester thats loaded to a much higher pressure. A shorter barrel will give the firearm more recoil and more flash from unspent gun powder but the trade off for more maneuverability is considered to be well worth it. The 350 Legend is 80 percent more powerful than a .357 Magnum and is effective on deer twice as far away. if you look at a 180-grain bullet for both the 350 and .357, you will see that the .350 has a flat blunt nose, while the 350 is longer and pointed. A rifle is subject to the NFA only if the rifle has a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length. Ironically, its once again becoming popular. In a single shot I would be happy with either. 24-26 barrels are also popular for the 280 AI, however, anything below 24 and you lose too much velocity and wont be making the most of the round. The 158-grain bullets have less drop at 100 yards because they are going about 200 fps more at the muzzle, but it has less penetration at 100 yards because the bullet has a lower sectional density and ballistic coefficient. Sure, you can just adjust for bullet drop. In fact, I only got one because of that. It would be easily duplicated with the Winchester 350 legend. Many hunters will opt to add a suppressor to an 18 6.5 Creedmoor rifle or just go with a 20 inch rifle for hunting. The 30/30 has a slightly higher ballistic coefficient, so it should penetrate about 5 percent more. I wasnt impressed, I think the difference was like 100 to 200 ft/sec. The best barrel length for 5.56 for long range shooting is 20 inches. The best barrel length for a 270 WIN is 22-24 for the optimal ratio of length vs velocity. So this section will mostly cover the best barrel lengths for hunting popular birds and game.