Chop to what length?

[30338]

Daughter shot her bull at 400 yards with an 18" 06 shooting 155 scenar. It was very effective. I chop about everything to 18.

 

[01Foreman400]

I chopped my 30-06 to 16” last year. Also had 2 6.5 CM’s and a 7mm-08 chopped to 16”. I’ve got a 308, 6.5 CM and a 300 WM with 18” barrels. I have no plans on shooting past 400 yards with any of them.

 

[peaches]

To echo most others....18 is a good compromise for most standard centerfire calibers. BUT I just had a cva scout 350L cut to 16.5 and it is sweet! re The Scout with Yhm R9 is shorter than an 18 inch bolt gun sans suppressor!

 

[Ringbill27]

Well… I had my comp gun which is a Ruger American Ranch 16” barrel in 5.56 w/ a vortex 6-24 diamondback and a Banish 30 7” out after a competition. Handed it to my wife and asked is this the length you want your rifles. Looks like I’m chopping the 243win, 7mm08 and 308win (all her rifles) to 16” per boss’s orders. As for my Tikka 30-06 I may chopped to 20” or just thread it haven’t decided yet.

FYI my poor man’s comp rifle and I won one of the two classes I competed in.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Other people will probably disagree, but I would take the .30-06 to 20” and keep the .243 at 20”, or at most go to 18”.

To me, it’s fairly pointless to have a 16” .30-06. I’d just use a .308 or something similar instead.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

A 16” 30-06 would be sort of strange but since all my guns are cut to 18”, my 30-06 still out performs my 308.

My 18” 30-06 gets about 2700fps with a 180g accubond. The farthest I’ve shot an animal though with it was like 310yds. It easily my favorite gun.

 

[MTMeatHunter]

I like to cut rifles to lengths that make people look at me funny. 19.3”, 17.6”, etc.

 

[Andouille]

I really enjoy my suppressed 18" barrel 30-06 for hunting in AK. Gets 2910ish fps with 150 gr CX, and 2780ish with 178 gr bonded bullets.

 

[Ringbill27]

I really enjoy my suppressed 18" barrel 30-06 for hunting in AK. Gets 2910ish fps with 150 gr CX, and 2780ish with 178 gr bonded bullets.

How are you liking the 150cx?

 

[longrangelead]

I chopped a 243 from 20" to 16" last year to be a timber rifle. Shooting 85gr TSX's, they went from 3000 to 2800.

Also, if you use quick drop mils, you might consider doing the math beforehand so one or both line up with "average gun" numbers. Average Gun is minus 2, range minus 2 is super easy to remember.

chop accordingly to get average gun velocity with your chosen bullet/load.

my 2 cents

 

[Ringbill27]

I chopped a 243 from 20" to 16" last year to be a timber rifle. Shooting 85gr TSX's, they went from 3000 to 2800.

Also, if you use quick drop mils, you might consider doing the math beforehand so one or both line up with "average gun" numbers. Average Gun is minus 2, range minus 2 is super easy to remember.

chop accordingly to get average gun velocity with your chosen bullet/load.

my 2 cents

2800fps for the 85gr TSX seem sufficient. I doubt this rifle will ever be hunting past 150yds. Wife’s back up Minnesota whitetail rifle. It could chase coyotes one day, but I have 58gr nosler BTs for those.

As for the quick drop thing. Not going to lie is going right over my head.

 

[longrangelead]

2800fps for the 85gr TSX seem sufficient. I doubt this rifle will ever be hunting past 150yds. Wife’s back up Minnesota whitetail rifle. It could chase coyotes one day, but I have 58gr nosler BTs for those.

As for the quick drop thing. Not going to lie is going right over my head.

do you use Mils or Moa?

Will you ever need to dial beyond 300 yards?

if you use moa but are open to Mils, I'll expound on QD.

 

[Ringbill27]

do you use Mils or Moa?

Will you ever need to dial beyond 300 yards?

if you use moa but are open to Mils, I'll expound on QD.

Hunting past 300yds? No or at least not till I get out west. My first 100yd kill was with my muzzleloader this year and I’ve been hunting for 22years.

But I just starting competing to “longish range” to 500yds. I use MOA which I have a good handle on. But I noticed Mils was pretty prominent on the line.

Currently building a 6.5 Grendel for the AR class that doesn’t have a scope yet. So maybe I’ll switch to Mils. That’ll depend on the deal I find on what ever scope when the time comes.

 

[Andouille]

How are you liking the 150cx?

They shoot great, are relatively inexpensive, and were easy to work up a load for. No terminal data yet.

 

[Ringbill27]

Th

They shoot great, are relatively inexpensive, and were easy to work up a load for. No terminal data yet.

That’s where I’m at with the 168gr. My rifle was a little finicky with finding a good 150s. Switched to the 168 and I immediately found an accurate load with acceptable velocities.

 

[wildwilderness]

Sorta similar

All Round Hunting - 16" 22CM
Dangerous Game - 18" 6CM
Long Range Hunting - 20" 25CM
Long Range Competition - 22" 6.5CM

No need for long actions and 70+ grains of powder for anything except ELR. Which I have done a mile with a ULTRA MEGA MAGNUM - a S/A 6.5 PRC lol.

I wonder what a PH would think about you showing up on a Cape buffalo or Ele hunt with your 18" 6cm Dangerous Game rifle

 

[nm.otter]

Send them Ryan's giraffe clip...

 

[longrangelead]

Hunting past 300yds? No or at least not till I get out west. My first 100yd kill was with my muzzleloader this year and I’ve been hunting for 22years.

But I just starting competing to “longish range” to 500yds. I use MOA which I have a good handle on. But I noticed Mils was pretty prominent on the line.

Currently building a 6.5 Grendel for the AR class that doesn’t have a scope yet. So maybe I’ll switch to Mils. That’ll depend on the deal I find on what ever scope when the time comes.

search it here and there is lots of info on it.

I can't explain the why, just that does line up with Mils.

Good gun:
.3-.6 G1 BC, 2800-3000 fps

Average gun:
.3-.6 G1 BC, 2600-2800 fps

Bad gun:
.3-.6G1 BC, 2400-2600 fps

Quick drop use Average Gun as BASE GUN, which is range-2.

450yds -2= 2.5 Mils dial up
800yds -2= 6Mils dial up
279yds -2= .8 Mils dial up

 

[Steve300xcw]

I’m ordering two omega 300s and I have a Tikka 30-06 I’d like to chop but I’m concerned the going to 16” make effect my max range too. I always figured it would be 400yd and in rifle and it likes the 168TTSX. I believe my velocity is right around 2900. Is a 16” 30-06 a good idea?

Also have a Tikka 243win 20” I’m thinking of chopping as well. I’ve got the 95gr partition going right 3000fps. Should I be worried about going to 16”?

Both rifles will spend 95% of their life’s shooting whitetail at 100yds and in. With the 30-06 chasing elk and the 243win going for coyotes the other 5%.

I could be over thinking as most can do on here.

Thanks

I'd cut the thing down to what ever handled best and then figure out what the max range is goona be. I like 18" on a bolt gun. Though have never screwed anything to the end of the barrel...

I’m concerned the going to 16” make effect my max range too.

Both rifles will spend 95% of their life’s shooting whitetail at 100yds and in

Then who cares about the max range?

 

[Macintosh]

You said you like the 168gr TTSX. I get almost exactly 2700fps mv from barnes 3006 factory loaded ttsx from my 18” barrel 7600. At roughly 2000’DA that puts me at 2000fps impact velocity right at 400 yards. If I drop to 2650 to account for another 2” of barrel I drop below 2000fps at 375 yards. Therefore, assuming you arent handloading and maybe able to load that hotter, if you want to use that bullet and you want some wiggle room at a full 400 yards, either keep it at 18”+, or get a bit more granular with elevation, etc to make sure you’ll comfortably have enough velocity to expand that bullet.

 

[Ringbill27]

search it here and there is lots of info on it.

I can't explain the why, just that does line up with Mils.

Good gun:
.3-.6 G1 BC, 2800-3000 fps

Average gun:
.3-.6 G1 BC, 2600-2800 fps

Bad gun:
.3-.6G1 BC, 2400-2600 fps

Quick drop use Average Gun as BASE GUN, which is range-2.

450yds -2= 2.5 Mils dial up
800yds -2= 6Mils dial up
279yds -2= .8 Mils dial up

I’m going to have to do some reading.