Paul S. I need to splash magpies and crows. 1 think 1100 meters/s (3600 fps) is ok. I have T/C Contender .223. It works not because craters to primers already with 45grs bullets in this speed. I need 22-250 gun. I have two .308. One custom barreled with T (tight) chamber and one with thin barrel C.I.P. chamber. It is Voere 98 Mauser. This thin barrel off and to my friend for his military 98 Mauser. I take my old note book. There is PMC 55gr load in correct speed. Gun with sawn barrel is Ruger. I am not so petty-mindet. Need only feeling what lenght of barrel is correct. 23" must to bee ok. Also VihtaVuori testing barrel has the same measure.Ruger has 14" rifling. I think to shoot also heaver bullets. So my barrel has 12" rifling. Gun smith makes from Sako blank T- chambered heavy barrel nothing needs to magezin. Voere Mauser 22-250 T is very accuraten also with Speer 62 gr FMJ-BT bullets Idon´t have yet heaver. Was that ansver for You. No, it was not. Sorry. Kauko PS If somebady is thinkig the best lenght for his 22-250, he can cut 26" to 23".

Good article on the topic, with a chard for dfferent caliber's/barrel lengths. Very useful for averaging your rifles muzzle velocity with a factory load from the factory stated muzzle velocity and what length test barrel that was used vs your own.

LoadAmmo.com

I agree that in most cases a 26" barrel is too much. I like a 24" inch barrel on my medium bore rifles .30 to .35 caliber but I don't shoot magnums. I am looking at a 257 Roberts and thinking that a 22 inch would be ok but I may start with a 24" barrel just to see if it shoots well.
I like the "feel" of the 24" barrel on my guns. It seems to balance better than the shorter barrels with my heavy guns. My medium bores weigh 10 pounds empty. Some of that is the barrel but it is balanced with an oil finished stock that is no light-weight either. I much prefer a heavy gun because I am sensitive to recoil and the weight helps a lot.
Like anything else it is all personal choice and what you like. I don't have my guns for others to shoot - I have them so they are comfortable for me to shoot.

Paul-"comfortable for me to shoot". It is most important. - I was shooting with my T/C G2 .357 maximum 14"-barrel. There was a fellow with his T/C Contender .357 magnum 10"-barrel. Velocity with his load in 10"-magnum was 1720 fps and my 14" maximum it was 1835. I was also shooting my silencer loads: 158gr copper bladet cast bullets; 5,4gr N-32C-VihtaVuori powder. Without silencer 3/4"- 50 yards. With silencer 3". It was no good result. The voice is like sheet steel quit "bläts" In my language". K.