.54 cal barrel length.

[PineyCreek]

What would be a minimum .54 cal. barrel length with a load of 100 grains of triple f behind a 350 gr. REAL bullet, shooting at a range of 50-75 yards?

 

[Rat]

Might have to get a 40" barrel, and cut it down an inch at a time, while shooting it over a chronograph, to see where velocity really starts dropping off.

I suppose one could cut the barrel down to eight inches, and still kill a deer at 75 yards.

I suppose the minimum really depends on how much muzzle flash and blast you are willing to endure. Again, a pistol barrel would propel such a load out to 75 yards.

I personally prefer barrels of at least 30", and can see no purpose in going shorter than that, but I suppose/guess/think/surmise a 26" would be reasonable for the load described above.

Keep in mind that velocity drops off gradually as a barrel gets shorter, and then at some point begins to drop off (more) rapidly. But it never drops off all at once at some certain number of inches.

Hope that helped!!!

 

[PineyCreek]

Thanks Rat, I appreciate the thoughts. Just finished a .54 cal pistol I can play around with at 50 yards. Piney Creek

 

[Rat]

Okay...thought you were talking about a rifle?

But...100 grains in a pistol? o:

I have a .50" Plains Pistol that I shoot up to 70-75 grains with a ball, and 60 grains with a 240 grain bullet, but that's the limit for me, as far as still being able to hold on to the pistol. However, it's quite accurate with those loads, and shoots the slug and the ball to the same POI. Sometimes I wish it was a .54", but I think the 240 grain slug over 60 grains of 3f will do anything that I would ask of a pistol to do.

So, are you thinking of building a short barreled rifle?

 

[Grenadier1758]

If all you have is a barrel (with no indication of twist rate or intended use), then any length will do.

Please provide us with information about style of stock architecture you are contemplating and what specific needs or uses will you be putting that rifle to use otherwise silly responses are all you are likely to get.

 

[Griz44Mag]

My Lyman Plains pistol is a 6", 54 - shoots quite nicely out to 50 yards.

 

[longcruise]

Looking at all of your parameters, the length of the barrel is probably irrelevant.

 

[PineyCreek]

I apologize, should have been more detailed. I was talking about a rifle in the original thread. Didn't occur at the time to compare performance to my just completed pistol.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

What would be a minimum .54 cal. barrel length with a load of 100 grains of triple f behind a 350 gr. REAL bullet, shooting at a range of 50-75 yards

twenty-four inches [24"] with a 1:48 twist
You might be wasting powder, but you did say 3Fg. I'd guess that with that heavy a projectile, you will get it all burned inside the barrel, but it will still be burning as the bullet exits with a 24" barrel. Which if you shoot at just after full sunset..., might give you a nice fireball.
BP burns pretty fast, so a longer barrel you will get additional velocity from the expanding heated gas. I think that with a 36" barrel that 80 grains will do ya. The .45-70 government cartridge launching a 405 grain projectile from slightly less than a 34" barrel did well against bison, though cartridges with more powder were more favored for that..., but remember they also were going out as much as 3X as your stated distance too.

LD

 

[Rat]

Dave's answer is best, all things considered, but we still don't know what that slug is supposed to do at 75 yards. ?? We don't know what all the considerations are.

Deer? That load with a 20" barrel, or even ten inch, would kill a deer. Elk? Moose? That might be a bit of a gamble. Possibility of Grizz attack? I'd want at least a 30" barrel. With that load, velocity will certainly increase, or decrease as you lengthen or shorten the barrel.

I suppose with any load, some powder is wasted. 50 grains in a 50" barrel, maybe not. Even a 40" barrel will waste some powder, with other than really light loads, but reducing the charge is not going to increase velocity. Did that make sense? Increasing the load will increase velocity, but won't be in a linear relationship with powder wasted, or unburnt.

If there was a "target" velocity to reach, we could then say what the minimum length barrel would be, to reach that velocity, with that load. Otherwise, me thinks we are in muddy waters.

I wouldn't ask why one wanted a barrel as short as possible, because if that floats one's boat, that's all the reason one needs. However, seems to me that a barrel under 30" sacrifices a lot of balance and handling, in return for a little less weight. ?? Certainly won't be more "handy", unless one plans to strap it on one's back, and climb trees and steep rock faces. If the vegetation is so thick that one cannot swing a 30" barrel, one is going to have to get about ten yards from the game to even see it, or get a clear shot.

Okay, perhaps this has been beat to death. Good luck on your project, would like to see it when you are done.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Well I too have a personal opinion, and mine is based upon the terrain I hunt in coupled with my physical abilities.
On my elk hunts, the growth is somewhat thick and a long barrel is cumbersome. There are open areas, and looks can be deceiving in my pictures as it appears open, but elk don’t frequent those areas. Elk like thick and dark, and this is where you got to hunt them. As I said in my journal, 25 yards and never seen a rack to be able to judge legal or not on opening morning. Lots of factors involved. My muscle loss makes a somewhat light gun heavy, and quickly! Especially when hiking the hills or valleys, or when lifting legs high to clear or crawl over and under deadfall. I found my GPH heavy after awhile and wished I had my .54 Plains rifle instead. It is a restocked Renegade barrel, tang and trigger with all aftermarket sand cast steel parts added. That little 26” .54 cal 1” barrel would have been much better, and the .530 rb over 90gr Pyro P would have had the same results on my bull.
Just my thoughts.
Walk