Barrel length for a hunting rifle

[Alan]

I am looking at rifles and can't decide between 20 inch or 22 inch barrel. Does it actually matter for deer hunting inside 300 yards? I know the ballistics are different but is it enough to care about in real hunting situations?

 

[Rimfire Fanatic]

Inside 300 yards? Well I guess that depends how much inside. Are we talking brush/trees or open prairie. I usually like as much barrel as possible, but if we are talking where I live, where it’s heavily forested and not much clearing, I would go shorter.

What caliber are you shooting? For 300 yards, I don’t suppose 20 vs 22 is going to make much of a difference.

 

[Gary]

  If I had to choose between a 20-inch or a 22-inch barrel, I'd probably go with the 20, especially if it feels more balanced. My Tikka T3x Lite, with its 20-inch barrel just handles better when I'm moving through the woods, and it still puts deer down cleanly.

 

[MisterEd]

2" is NOT going to matter and ballistics will not differ that much.

The IMPORTANT thing is loads, accuracy and consistency and I am a 'stickler' in that one should varmint hunt/plink off season with one's hunting rifle to keep in 'shape' when carrying it.

What rifles are you looking at and what caliber(s) ?