20" or 24" ?

[Rye Miles #13621]

I have 2 73's, a 20" short rifle that I shoot almost always and a 24" as a backup (also a 66 carbine which is way cool too) in .44-40. I notice that when I shoot the 24" it seems to move around some causing me to...GASP...miss!!! The 20" seems to stay put a little easier as does the 66 carbine.

 

Who's using a short rifle and who's using long ones and why??? A informal poll.............Whadyall say???

 

 

Rye

 

 

[Cowboy Rick, SASS #49739L]

30

 

CR

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

If the 20 is working better for you than the 24 then stay with the 20. Very much of what we do in this game is based upon what works for the individual shooter.

 

Me, I have barrel lengths all over the place, and I seem to do equally well with all of them. I very seldom miss with the rifle, it's almost always my pistols that cost me the clean match.

 

I've got everything from 17.5 to 24 inches on a variety of different rifles. (Ask, and I'll say what they are!) I have fun with them because they work for me. Find what works for you and go with it.

[Tyrel Cody]

I have a 20" 1866 and a 24" 1873, both in 44-40; I can't tell the difference with barrel length. However; the 1866 is newer and the bore slugs at .429 whereas the 1873 is older and slugs at .427. If this is the case with yours and you are using .428 bullets in the bigger bore it might cause misses?

 

Just a thought

[Cowboy Junky]

Both seem too long for me........I like the 18's. Lot's of folks have been switching to 18's and/or cutting the 24 & 20's down......at least in the SE. It's amazing how a few inches off bbl helps the rifle swing faster.

[Mack Hacker, #60477]

To me, the 20" handles a little better, but the front sight on the 24" is a little easier to pick up with 69 year old eyes.

 

I also have a 30", but limit its use to long range events.

 

I've never tried anything shorter.

[StirrupTrouble]

Personally, I use a 20". It work better for my eyes and my transitions are a lot faster

[Middlefork Bob, SASS #53945]

I have always preferred the 24" barrel. To me it feels better it seems steadier and it was the most common barrel length of the time.

[Spittoon O Tool SASS #62053]

I have both 20 and 24 in 73's, just like you. The 20 inch has a pistol grip stock and the 24 has a straight stock. I don't if that makes the difference but I find that the straight 24 inch is a bit squirmy when compared to the pistol grip 20.

 

Spittoon

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

Rye,

Maybe if you shoot 18 inch barrel, you may be on the spot with it.

We've talked about this before. I assumed you would be selling your 24 inch one in the near future, ey.

 

Anyways, I shoot them Brush Poppers, much more easier for me to control the movement of the rifle. The 20 inch one also works for me, but personally I prefer the 18. If you're more comfortable with the 20, stay with it. JMO.

 

IMCD

 

[Colt McAllister]

Go as short as possible that works for you. With the average rifle target distance at 10 yards here in the Midwest you certainly don't need to worry about one having a better site picture than the other.

[John Barleycorn, SASS #76982]

I like the 20"

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

For a while I had a 20 inch octagonal 66 and it was spooky accurate.

I sold it due to back problems as I needed a lighter rifle.

I didn't like selling that one particular piece at all.

Ive thought about digging thru the pile of paper and trying to

buy it back......

Just stay with whatever happens to work for you.

Best

CR

[Rye Miles #13621]

Yea okay ya'll convinced me, my 73 will be at Tusco, if I don't sell it there I may put it on the Classified. For now I'll try and sell it locally first.

 

The 20" is a whole lot easier to handle and swing around.

 

Thanks all, Rye

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

16 1/2 inch Henry, 18 inch Henry, 16 1/4 inch 73 & 16 1/4 inch '66. I like short guns. Sounds like the "24 is balanced too front heavy for ya. If you shoot the 20 a whole lot better, sell the 24 and get another 20 as backup.

 

Coffinmaker

[Russ T. Sites]

I would think it would be a timing issue going from a 20 to a 24. I like my 24 would I be faster with a 20 ? Maybe but I'd have to get use to it first

[Russ T. Sites]

my 24 feels balanced fine for me but im on the tall side heres a pic oy rye timing me

[Black Angus McPherson]

I personnaly prefer the 24" barrels. The longer sight radius isn't a factor in CAS, I just like the look. Same with shotguns. I'm not a fan of the 18" or 20" barrels. They just don't look right to me. I waited until I could find a copy of Colt's 1878 with 26" barrels before I bought one. That's the only one I question my choice about because that's one heavy sumbich.

 

That said, you prefer the 20" barrel, by all means stick with it.

 

Angus

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

Hey Rusty,

 

Is he standing or sitting? Can't tell from the picture.

 

Sorry Rye, couldn't resist. LOL

[Faygo Kid, SASS # 26408]

• 

[Griff]

I shoot a 24" rifle, I like the balance better... but, the barrel is supposed to move on ya... how else are you going to get it pointed at the next target? The key to offhand shooting is to NOT to try to stop it's movement, that'll fatigue you too quickly; just make the movement small and the direction you need it.

[Go West]

I have a .357 @ 20" and a .45 @ 24". For me the 24" is steadier, easier to pick up if stationed vertically and is heavier. The longer gun can tend to over-swing due to inertia, particularly with alternating targets. If you can handle the weight, a 24" gun isn't much different for 80% of the shooters in this sport.

The important question is what do you like and/or prefer?

[Key Hay]

I shoot a 24" Marlin and a 73 in 19". The balance for both is similar since Marlin is lighter.

 

I think I shoot better with 24" because I need reading glasses. Farther away the site is the better I see it.

[Three Foot Johnson]

When I first started this game, I thought 24"ers were the way to go. Over time, I've shifted to shorter barrels. I've now got only three with 24" barrels, one 22", two 1873's I cut to just under 20 3/4" (to save the mag tube dovetail), with the remaining thirteen being between 18" and 20".

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

Several 24" Cody cut to 19". Longer forarm and special crown.

[backshootin beauford mcgee]

I shoot a 66 in a 19 inch round barrel and a marlin in a 20 inch. I want short, light and quick. There is no need with even full holy black loads to need a heavy rifle, there is zero recoil in cowboy loads.

[Grumpy Old Man]

I started with a 20" Marlin and I like it. I now shoot a 24" 73 and I like it. Rye, I think the 24" is too long for your short arms. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Hey Crossdraw and Grumpty that's okay those jokes don't bother me they go right over my head! Rye

[Harvey Mushman]

I shoot mostly 20"s ('66, '73, '92, '94) but also have a couple 24"s ('60, '94) that I shoot just as well. I do not like the feel of the 18inchers.

 

As with pistols, I prefer the longer barrels just because I like the look and feel (balance) much more (as well as the historical perspective), and I shoot them just fine (I'm 6'). If I were to improve to a top shooter, I might consider shorter barrels to cut some 10ths from my times, but I have been that competitive on a national level in a couple other sports, and I like keeping SASS a rewarding, comfortable hobby without the extra stress.

 

The look and feel of the longer barrels satisfies me more.

 

Harvey

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Both, in a .44 Marlin, '94.

LG

[Irish Red OToole, #48939]

Been using 24" 73s almost exclusively for the last many years. The longer barrel just seems to work best for me, but being a mite tall (6' 6" and into the triple century-mark, weight-wise), don't use me as a guide if you're smaller. One of my pards who's a whole lot smaller swears by the 19" carbines. So, use the one you hit better with.

[Bama Red]

I'm tickled to death with my 30" '73, but I am also a pretty big boy and I like the extra heft.

[Cowboy Rick, SASS #49739L]

I'm tickled to death with my 30" '73, but I am also a pretty big boy and I like the extra heft.

Same here. Got 2 like that in 44-40.

 

CR

[Jerkline Jesse, SASS #64073]

I started with a 66 carbine in 38, but once I tried a 66 short rifle I switched. The extra weight really helped it stay on target for multi-taps, at least when I was learning the game. I'm big enough that I can muscle a heavy gun around.

 

My other rifle, the one that starts with a 4, is a 73 in .44-40, also with a 20". I don't shoot mouse pharts in that one, and it feels like it weighs half as much as the small bore 66, so it takes a different style of shooting, to manage the recoil, but it's a lot of fun. I'd like to try a 24" sometime, and see how it compares.

[ShadowCatcher]

I have 2 73's, a 20" short rifle that I shoot almost always and a 24" as a backup (also a 66 carbine which is way cool too) in .44-40. I notice that when I shoot the 24" it seems to move around some causing me to...GASP...miss!!! The 20" seems to stay put a little easier as does the 66 carbine.

 

Who's using a short rifle and who's using long ones and why??? A informal poll.............Whadyall say???

 

 

Rye

I'm in the middle of this struggle right now.

 

I have 20" SS '92 that I've shot for almost 15 years now, and which Nate recently made into a wonder machine for me,

it works and handles wonderfully to me. Nate recently built a 24" '92 for me - and it handles very differently - and I'm

not yet sure if I like it better yet.

 

With me being 6'2" and bigger than I should be, the rifle feels more appropriate than that little carbine, but the carbine is

a fun gun I can throw around without thinking about. The longer gun means I have to slow down to go faster, and let it's

inertia take me from target to target.

 

The action on this one is not yet as smooth as the action on my older 20" gun, so I keep going back to it, which is a shame,

'cause it's the using that makes it smoother.

 

I think I'll eventually settle on the 24" gun for overall smoothness and competitive advantage, but truth be told - my 20" Rossi '92 in

SS is still my favorite rifle of all time.

 

At least until I buy a Henry.

 

Shadow Catcher