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Springfield M1A Shooters - Scope and Shooting in General

A shorter barrel is stiffer and has less flex otherwise known as barrel harmonics. Therefore , all other factors being equal , a short barrel should be more accurate than a long barrel.
At least for any reasonable range where you don't need the fastest possible velocity to combat wind drift or extreme bullet drop.

18 inch barrel 308 should give you excellent tight groups out to at least 600 yards and satisfactory performance to ring big steel plates at 1000.
Not true.
 
Benchrest rifle barrels are crazy thick ---what are they: one and a half inches diameter, custom made out of solid bar stock ?
When the barrel of the gun is as thick as your wrist it could be 2 feet long and still give good accuracy but when you're talking about a sporter taper barrel and a finished rifle that is a reasonable weight for carrying out in the field while hunting , shorter is much stiffer, and stiffer is better.

Also, even a long barrel that's got a good amount of whip in it or flexibility can still be tuned to match the right load, so that the barrel will always be whipping in the same direction to the same degree as the bullet exits the muzzle.
With the correct handloads, developed over many years of experimentation with dozens of different bullets, cases, powder charges, etc. you can get consistency and therefore good grouping even with a whole bunch of barrel flexing.

But it would be easier for you to find that perfect handload and get excellent groups if your sporter-profile barrel were 18 inches instead of 24 inches.
 
Benchrest rifle barrels are crazy thick ---what are they: one and a half inches diameter, custom made out of solid bar stock ?
When the barrel of the gun is as thick as your wrist it could be 2 feet long and still give good accuracy but when you're talking about a sporter taper barrel and a finished rifle that is a reasonable weight for carrying out in the field while hunting , shorter is much stiffer, and stiffer is better.

Also, even a long barrel that's got a good amount of whip in it or flexibility can still be tuned to match the right load, so that the barrel will always be whipping in the same direction to the same degree as the bullet exits the muzzle.
With the correct handloads, developed over many years of experimentation with dozens of different bullets, cases, powder charges, etc. you can get consistency and therefore good grouping even with a whole bunch of barrel flexing.

But it would be easier for you to find that perfect handload and get excellent groups if your sporter-profile barrel were 18 inches instead of 24 inches.
Lol. You're special. You have so many misconceptions that I don't even know where to start.
 
I'm no expert, but barrel length will determine velocity, right? Allowing wind, atmosphere to disturb the shot. I've been told 22" is a perfect barrel length for the 7.62x51. Also, an M1a should do fine with iron sights out to 600, mine will. A 300 yard zero, then dial what you want, pretty simple. Scopes are nice,but not needed on the M1a. A set of Crager SS's look good on a car, but don't make it faster. Go nekked , go long. JMO.
 
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