Lightweight shorty

Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
1,757
Location
North Carolina
Current concept is

Tikka 300wsm

Will either cut down the factory barrel to 16.5” and thread it 1/2x28

OR

Rebarrel to I’m thinking a Brux #1 cut at 16.5” and again threaded to 1/2x28

Keeping the factory barrel would save some money, but I’m already losing a lot of velocity with the chop and I’ve hear a decent bit about tikka barrels being slow. Further if I buy a new t3x I could maybe make a bill back selling the takeoff barrel, plus the cost to thread the stock barrel could just go into a nice cut rifles barrel.

Chopping so short because I’d like a super handy little rifle for stalking around with my 10” suppressor. I like my 24” barreled LR fun but man 34” is a lot to swing through the woods.

Any thoughts on what I or you would do in my situation?
 
I would not cut a .300 WSM to 16” - I wouldn’t cut a magnum short of 22” personally - you might as well be shooting a .308 at that point.

That being said I am playing with a 20” 6.5 Creed at the moment and really like it. Not the same situation, I get that, but I like short(er) rifles...
 
If it were me I'd save the money from the gunsmithing and barrel, sell the Tikka and just buy a Barrett fieldcraft in 308 win with an 18" threaded barrel. It's a nicer rifle and I feel like you would be losing so much velocity by chopping the barrel so short on a 300 wsm that the ballistics probably wouldn't be that much different with an 18" 308. Plus what kind of wear/damage will you be imparting on your can blasting that much unburnt powder out of a 16.5" tube. Just my .02 but that's what I would do if it were my money and I was trying to achieve what you are.
 
Thanks for the input,

From what I’ve seen (but not experienced) looking around the web for ballistics tables and actual velocities with heavier bullets (180s) I’m still looking at ~200fps more in a 16 inch wsm than an 18inch 308 (2700 vs 2500). Im simply not seeing the might as well, the magnums lose a bit more but both lose velocity and the gap doesn’t seem to close with heavier bullets.

I do think if tikka barrels are actually 50-100fpa slower as I keep hearing that that does start to become more like a 308

As far as can wear there will be some I’m sure, but my can does have a welded stainless baffle core
and is rated to 30-378 wby

If Barrett would thread a 3006 at 18” I think I would do it.


Any chance someone on here has actual velocity numbers on a short wsm?
 
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Quick reference to QuickLOAD,

Comparing the 308 to the 300WSM with 180s in a 16" barrel, muzzle velocity will be in the ballpark of 2450 fps vs 2750 fps respectively.

Ballpark muzzle pressure will be about 11K psi, vs 17K psi.

So yes, the performance is higher, along with the muzzle blast. If the suppressor is built for it, should work.

For woods ranges, either should serve the purpose pretty well.
 
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