I think ot is pretty well believed that a rifle should balance near the front screw or recoil lug, or between them....some personal preference in this area for sure. Best thing is to play around with several rifles paying attention to how handy they feel...

I have found that the stocks on factory rifles are about an inch too short for me, and it is easy to get more barrel length than you need. A 20-22 inch barrel on a fairly light rifle is much easier to work with than a medium weight rifle with a 24" barrel...and that is assuming they both balance right, make the long one nose heavy, and it turns into junk in a side by side comparison...too bad more people don't take the time to find out what they like with an open mind.

It sounds like you are on the never ending quest for the perfect rifle, welcome to the fun.