[Pond, James Pond]

I've understood for some time that a fat match barrel will be more accurate than a standard barrel.

I also think that I understand why. If I've got it straight, this is because the fatter match barrel will not heat up as readily as a thinner walled barrel and thus not be subjected to the small degree of warping you might get after a number of shots in quick succession.

Assuming this is correct thinking can anyone tell me the following:

With a normal barrel, what would be the greatest rate of fire per minute that you could acheive before accuracy started being adversely affected?

Secondly, does this mean that military sharp-shooters have to lug around a monstrous match-barrel if they are to keep plugging away at the enemy with any consistency of shot placement?

Aside from the military theory question, you can take my question in the contest of target shooting at various ranges.

If you need two models to compare, the take the CZ Varmint 550 (24" barrel) and the CZ American 550 (20" barrel, threaded).
In this context: What can the 25" Varmint do that the 20" American cannot?

Thanks