Barrel length for a benchrest rifle

[Rimfireshooter]

Is there a preferred, or recommended barrel length for a .22LR benchrest rifle? I understand for this caliber, we only need 16-18 inches for the powder in the round to fully burn. I also understand that some of the older rifles have longer barrels which would be helpful for iron sights. So, if someone is looking to purchase a custom barrel for benchrest shooting, how does one decide the best length to get? Is there any data that supports the barrel length, or only experience of the shooters and rifle builders?

Thanks to anyone who can help with this question.

 

[tim]

Well , most of what you’re asking for is the history of custom 22BR barrels, go to the forums and use the search function for enough info for your eyes to cross.
In a nutshell, custom rimfire barrel blanks are choked, i.e. they are taper lapped, tightest @ the muzzle which you mostly want to use, the gunsmiths building top flight guns rarely go below 24” with current trends closer to 26” .