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Fx Dreamline Compact vs. Regular Length--how much accuracy do you lose?

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I have the DreamTac Compact in .22 cal and prior to purchasing it I had figured I would be limited on accuracy at longer distances. I have come to find out that I was wrong in my preconceived thinking. With pellets I am able to shoot 1.5” groups at 96 yards off a bench and on a no wind kind of day I’m sure it will group better. I think the main thing you will be sacrificing when going with the compact over full size is maximum velocity, which can translate to having the capabilities of shooting heavier pellets or even slugs. With the longer barrel you will still get great accuracy out to 100 yards and maybe further and use less air to do so. The compact, having a lower initial velocity, will start to really shed speed at that distance as well. I have posted a video to YouTube showing the 96 yard groups with the DreamTac compact for proof! In the end, you should ask your self if longer range pest control or even heavier pellets and slugs is something you intend to use it for . If so, go with the longer barrel. If not the compact will provide consistent accurate shots out to 100 yards.
 
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Accuracy depends on the harmonics of the barrel. I would think the shorter barrel is stiffer than a longer barrel and less harmonic movement. These physics are certainly applicable in the powder burner world, (look at benchrest, short and heavy barrels) and I keep reading about harmonics in airguns as well. That being said, my Impact Compact 500mm barrel is every bit as accurate as my Wildcat Sniper barrel in 700m when shooting pellets at 100yards. I havent tuned the Impact for slugs like the Wildcat was tuned and I have no intention to at this point. I do plan on buying the next gen Impact in .30 and 700mm barrel to gain the air efficiencies and stabilization of air that is inherent in a longer barrel. (Harmonics set aside :)))
 
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Barrel size does change pellet velocity, not accuracy.
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That's not really true. A shorter barrel can def. open your groups up at a distance.
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A lot of this depends on shooter skill as well. Lower velocity with a shorter barrel will cause longer pellet flight time, and will allow environmental factors a longer time to act on the pellet on its way to the target. Longer barrels can translate to more muzzle deflection (as compared to shorter barrels) if the shooter doesn't keep the gun completely still & steady during the shot cycle and follow-through.

I can say that as a shooter with truly limited skills I sometimes find it to be easier to shoot accurately with shorter barreled guns, and I continue to be amazed at the accuracy of FX's shorter barrels. OTOH sometimes there is just no substitute for the higher power (either more pellet speed or the ability to shoot a heavier pellet at an adequate speed) of a longer barreled rifle.

So of course the correct and only AGN answer to the O.P.'s question is to buy both!
 
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A short barrel has no bearing on your accuracy. The only thing that can happen is you might not have as broad of a spectrum of speed to play with at lower reg pressures when shooting heavier projectiles. In your case with a Dreamline in .25, if you go compact it can be a very accurate gun but you will never see the power the full size Dreamline can produce easily. It’s a trade off for size. I have a Compact in .22. I am leaning on the gun pretty hard to get 18gr pellets at 850fps. When I slip a 500mm barrel on it, it will shoot that same pellet 880fps in its sleep with a much lower reg setting. I like the gun smaller so I can live with the reduced velocity. A Dreamline compact in .25 is going to shine as a shorter range gun. If you plan to be a long bomber, don’t cripple yourself with a short barrel on that guns platform.
 
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Barrel length can have a bearing on accuracy. Longer barrels may have more harmonic movement and longer barrels will have contact with a pellet longer possibly allowing any gun movement to impact accuracy. With open sights, longer barrels make accurate visual alignment more precise. The tradeoff is power-longer barrels may provide more power but this is dependent on maximum possible power output balanced against barrel length.
 
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