how short of a barrel is too short .308 mountain rifle

[N2TRKYS]

I'd say go for it! I have a 20" barrel and love the length. Also getting right at 2800 fps with a 165 accubond if you're worried about velocity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That would be perfect. What rifle do you have?

 

[he_lives]

That would be perfect. What rifle do you have?

It's a Remington 700 tactical and Im using varget behind the 165 accubond.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Blaw]

Great info guys! thanks for all of it, its nice when a convo stays on topic LOL

 

[Blaw]

My experience is that short barrels amplify your imperfect shooting techniques, a 12 lb rifle with a bad trigger pull will have better results than a 6 lb with the same pull, but it is just as accurate as you are.

On the heavier bullets, I shot 150 gr with my model 7 for many years, accepting 1"+ groups as fine for a small rifle. Someone gave me a box of Federal red box 180 gr partitions, I went to shoot them so I could reload, after a couple 1/2" groups I decided 150 gr were not that great! Heavy bullets a def worth the time to see if your gun likes them

its interesting you say that, I was getting horrible groups with 150gr SST's but same rifle with 165 interlock BTSP im easily sub MOA, thinking I may have to try some 180's

 

[Blaw]

It's a Remington 700 tactical and Im using varget behind the 165 accubond.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

how much varget are you using? I use 44.4 on 165 interlock BTSP and I get around 2650fps

 

[Fire_9]

My experience is that short barrels amplify your imperfect shooting techniques, a 12 lb rifle with a bad trigger pull will have better results than a 6 lb with the same pull, but it is just as accurate as you are.

I'm calling BS on your short barrel theory. You're comparing apples to oranges when you compare a 6 lb rifle to a 12 lb rifle no matter how long the barrel is. The 12 lb rifle will be more accurate because of the added weight, not the added barrel length. A heavy rifle is definitely easier to shoot than a lighter rifle and it has nothing to do with barrel length. People don't like to admit it but accuracy usually gets better with a shorter barrel...

 

[EastMT]

I'm calling BS on your short barrel theory. You're comparing apples to oranges when you compare a 6 lb rifle to a 12 lb rifle no matter how long the barrel is. The 12 lb rifle will be more accurate because of the added weight, not the added barrel length. A heavy rifle is definitely easier to shoot than a lighter rifle and it has nothing to do with barrel length. People don't like to admit it but accuracy usually gets better with a shorter barrel...

Ummmm, you are arguing my point, that's what I just said, cutting the barrel to reduce weight=amplifying your imperfections, not the rifles. Nowhere did I say short rifles are less accurate, but short barrels are harder to hold steady on target.

I have a 223 pro hunter, 12", 28" pro hunter, same frame, same trigger, same ammo, same twist, same bipod, short vs long. Different results because shorter/lighter is harder to hold steady, slight movement is amplified to the extreme in this case, but still relevant. The 12" barrel is capable of small groups as proven in a clamp, but I can't match the same groups as the 28" when I'm in chair, if I added the weight to match the 28", I still couldn't match the groups.

Every action equal reaction theory? Every oz you remove increases any movement of yours at trigger pull, 6lb vs 7 lb or 6 vs 12, if your technique is off, you will think the lighter shorter rifle is less accurate due to your results.

I've seen it many times, and pissed a few buddies off by clover leafing their mountain rifles. I shoot a 5.25 lb 325 WSM with 200 gr partitions, this one being the hardest I've shot to not jerk the trigger in anticipation.

Everyone knows that the stiffer short barrels create superb accuracy, proven many times over, but most times inaccuracy in short rifles is credited to the rifle not the shooter.

 

[Fire_9]

Ok I'm on board with you now. I thought you were saying the short barrel made the rifle inaccurate. Carry on...

 

[luke moffat]

But what about a short bull barrel vs. a long sporter barrel.

 

[EastMT]

But what about a short bull barrel vs. a long sporter barrel.

And then there's Luke's 4lb'er, whole diff level..........I'm looking for a really bad shooting kimber 308 for a project like that. I log on and drool at that thing every so often

 

[luke moffat]

HAHA article on that project is currently in editors (Justin's) hands should be coming out soon.

Its a 300-400 yard gun tops so the fact that it puts 3 right at 1" is plenty for me.



What did you do to get your 325 WSM down to 5.25 pounds? My 18" browning TI is about 5.5 pounds.

 

[EastMT]

My Browning 325 is 5lb 4 oz from factory, 6/13 with leupold rings, 2-7x33 on it, but it's packs a good wallop at that weight, I'm not even trying to get lighter

 

[Rolando]

I'm getting 2500 fps with a 165 AB out of my 16" .308. It's in an AR platform, but I have no complaints. It shoots very well.

 

[Blaw]

how the heck are you guys getting them so light? my tikka lite is at 6lbs no scope, with scope and rings im at 6lbs 13ozish

any tips how I can drop a few more OZ would be appreciated.

as said before I have factory stock, leupold vx3 2-7x3,8 talley extra low rings, bolt fluted I know I can get an aftermarket stock but they are sooooo expensive and I need a kifaru pack prior to that

 

[EastMT]

The Browning TI comes factory in low 5's. His kimber is a pretty amazing feat in low 4's with scope on it.

Mine is 6/13 fully loaded, I forgot to add that, so around 6.5 empty with 2-7 on it

 

[luke moffat]

Wow what rings are you running on that thing? Most 2-7X33 leupolds are 10 oz. That puts you at 5 pounds 14 oz.....meaning the rings themselves are nearly 8 oz?

I believe it was 5 pounds 6 oz empty....but 5 pounds 13 oz with a 2-7X28 leupold on it. Granted the scope on mine is 2 oz lighter than the 2-7X33 version, but confused how your rifle starts out 2 oz lighter with a full 23" barrel yet ends up roughly 11 oz heavier when the main difference is a 2 oz heavier scope.

 

[EastMT]

Well I do have a $0.99 kitchen scale......they are the factory Browning TI, all I could find at the time that were in stock.

 

[luke moffat]

Well I do have a $0.99 kitchen scale......they are the factory Browning TI, all I could find at the time that were in stock.

Yup looks like the same rifle as the one I have pictured above...just that mine is cut back to 18"

 

[luke moffat]

how the heck are you guys getting them so light? my tikka lite is at 6lbs no scope, with scope and rings im at 6lbs 13ozish

any tips how I can drop a few more OZ would be appreciated.

as said before I have factory stock, leupold vx3 2-7x3,8 talley extra low rings, bolt fluted I know I can get an aftermarket stock but they are sooooo expensive and I need a kifaru pack prior to that

Tikka is a great rifle and I would only be looking to cut down your rifle if you are wanting it to be handier. The weight savings is less than 1 oz per inch of barrel cut off.

 

[Yellowknife]

Tikka is a great rifle and I would only be looking to cut down your rifle if you are wanting it to be handier. The weight savings is less than 1 oz per inch of barrel cut off.

For what it's worth, I just had my non-fluted Tikka cut to 18.5" (and threaded for a suppressor). Going from 22.3" to 18.5" I lost 4.4 oz on a .308 bore barrel. But on a Tikka anyway, it looks really unbalanced with the relatively long forearm and a short barrel. Not something I would do for normal carry.

And since somebody will ask, with a Wildcat stock and the cut barrel I was at 5.5 lbs naked. 7.25 lbs with scope and suppressor screwed on.

On the topic of conversation, I've owned and still use several short barreled rifles from 18.5 to 21". 20" is really as short as I like. 18.5" is doable, but tougher to shoot well and barks pretty hard. Physics says that an object (barrel) with more mass further from the pivot point has higher moment of inertia, and is going to be more resistant to movement. I've found that to be generally true.