Boy that's a loaded question... all kinds of opinions with it also.

Do you want to go fast? The armchair techs will tell you 16.5" is optimum - it slows after that - the few hundred tests I've done contradict that.  Others will say that 24" gives you the best of both velocity and ES. 
Several of the ODG's claimed 28" was best.  It's my opinion and it's only been with a few cases of ammo, I concur.  I have more than just a few 22's with 30" barrels that out-shine most of the shorter ones, especially at 200 and beyond. 

What's your intent?
GT

I'm with Greg on this length topic. The shortest I own is an original Rolling Block with a 22" barrel and 8" of bloop tube. It shoots great, but not quite like the many I have with 30" barrels. Most of mine are either 28" or 30", but my latest with a Pope barrel is a 32"! I haven't had it to the range yet to test ammo as I've been finishing up the work the last gunsmith didn't complete. Anxious to compare this very long barrel to the others I own!
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Unless you are competing in the Olympics and everyone else is pulling out all the stops the difference in locktime/barrel time is not going to change your abilities just using it as a crutch for poor hold and follow through. Your score may shift a little but after that you are not improving your skills. The epitome of .22 many think is the Winchester 52C which is a 28" and they are typically extremely accurate and not particularly finicky on ammo manufacturer. My competition .22 Schuetzen is 30" and to heavy for me now so I changed to a 28" on a 44.5 with SHilen ratchet rifling and it is an excellent combination. My recommendation is to go with the most aesthetically pleasing and weight/balance for yourself. Then practice and work on your skills rather than chasing a few points by straying to far from the church (ie. like the modern Trap guns with underbarrels, high ribs, release triggers...).

IMHO,
Charles

'06,
I know you shoot enough OH to get an idea of what works, most of the time.  Practice matters more than anything else right?   
I have a build that I shot last season and I tried a shorter barrel on it thinking that maybe the rifles I've been building are too heavy and the barrels are too long.  One in particular has caused me no end of fits, I just finished another barrel for it, 4" longer, and a couple pounds heavier, it holds better, feels better, etc. etc.  The theory of the dog wagging the tail vs the tail wagging the dog comes to mind.   
A couple of the matches I compete in won't allow gun and barrel switching, from bench to offhand, just sights and bolt on gear so I'm working on the process.
Just food for thought.
GT

My wife and I compete with CPA 44-1/2's equipped with scopes.  The competition doesn't permit palm rests.
We started with 26" and had them both shortened to 20". 
It did help with offhand scores and didn't diminish shooting from sticks.
If we were shooting peeps, I think the reduced sight radius would be a handicap, but with scopes it doesn't matter.
We call ourselves the "Carbine Team" 

That's a great link AJ! Enjoyed reading it. Seems like that very long 46" vs. the peak velocity 16" isn't enough loss for me to want to cut down any of my 28"-32" .22 barrels.

AJ wrote on Dec 5^th, 2025 at 3:14pm:


25 fps might make a difference at extreme distances, but as long as all the ammo is from one batch shouldn't be a concern. I shoot mostly target .22RF or standard velocity in mine. I've shot them at 300 yds. often, and occasionally played around trying our 500 yd. gong that's 18" round. Impossible to hear hits, but with fresh white paint I can see spatters with my Swarovski spotting scope.

30 inches is best for me.