Why are people cutting barrels off

[Rudymissouri]

Just curious why people are cutting their barrels down? Is it to accommodate for the length of the suppressor?
Seems it’s a fairly new thing to do.

 

[Lowg08]

I cut my 308 down for a couple reasons. Where I hunt is full of laurels and the barrel sticks up and catches all the time. Also cuts some weight and makes it more maneuverable in a tree stand and thicket.

 

[mt100gr.]

Maximum velocity is overrated and suppressors add length and weight. There really isn't much, if anything, you can't do with an 18" +/- rifle that you can with a 24-26" barrel given the same cartridge and modern bullet design at ranges that even an above average marksman has business shooting.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Weight, supressors, not much reduction in speed at hunting ranges (for most of us), and just more convenient. Cut my 308 to 18 and couldn’t see myself going back to a full length barrel for whitetail

 

[Rudymissouri]

Thank you for answering my question, makes perfect sense

 

[mtwarden]

Carrying a short (and light) rifle is really nice when traversing rough country; it's simply easier and more enjoyable than a longer (heavier) rifle.

If you search the intraweb there are a few well done examples of what velocities a rifle makes (I've seen .308 and .243, might be more) at barrel lengths from 26" to 16" in one inch intervals, the muzzle velocity obviously lowers as you reduce barrel length, but not nearly as much as one would think.

 

[Lowg08]

If you have questions about cutting yours down. My 308 was sighted in an 1.5 high at 100 and dead on 200. That was with a standard 24” barrel cut it down to 16.5 and never had to touch it. 1.5 at 100 and dead on at 200

 

[hereinaz]

Suppressors, chronographs and rangefinders.

 

[bradmacmt]

I started life as a carbine fan, including one 30-06 with an 18.5" bbl. I gravitated away from them in the late 90's. Muzzle blast is a thing. My hearing is a thing. The only way I'd go back to a barrel less than 22" is with a suppressor, in which case 18" would be ideal.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Weight, supressors, not much reduction in speed at hunting ranges (for most of us), and just more convenient. Cut my 308 to 18 and couldn’t see myself going back to a full length barrel for whitetail

This, pretty much!

A whitetail struck in the vitals with a well constructed bullet at 2600 fps will probably be just as dead as the one who took the same slug at 2900 fps.

"Magnum" shooters normally want longer (26"?/28"?) barrels to wring out all the velocity the massive powder charge can generate.
There are still ALOT of those guys out there. They're the ones wanting to make the six and eight hundred yard shots.

My dad hunted with a Marlin 336 SC. Don't remember exactly, but the barrel couldn't have been more than 16"!
Killed lots of deer with it. Myself included.

The AR craze (fad?) has brought the circle back to a shorter, more convenient handling firearm.

It's also bringing "hunting range" back to the three to four hundred yard range!
Personally, in 60 years of hunting, I have NEVER killed a deer beyond about 250 yards. Mostly because where I spent the marjority of my time hunting, that was about as far as you could see! LOL!

I currently shoot an AR with a 16" barrel. Love how short it is. Works very well in box and pop-up blinds.

In time, somebody will want a Mega-Mag rifle that will sling a 300 grain bullet out to 1500 yards and not drop over 4" and the 30" barrels will return! (facetious!)

 

[manitou1]

Maximum velocity is overrated and suppressors add length and weight. There really isn't much, if anything, you can't do with an 18" +/- rifle that you can with a 24-26" barrel given the same cartridge and modern bullet design at ranges that even an above average marksman has business shooting.

Except gain 240 fps and quite a bit of downrange energy... oh, and burn all the cartridge powder for even more efficiency.

Cutting a barrel from 26" to 18" increases recoil and adds muzzle blast tremendously... catalyzing the NEED for a suppressor.

 

[Shortschaf]

Cutting a barrel from 26" to 18" increases recoil and adds muzzle blast tremendously... catalyzing the NEED for a suppressor.

18" suppressed is tremendously less recoil and muzzle blast than bare muzzle 26"

 

[hereinaz]

Except gain 240 fps and quite a bit of downrange energy... oh, and burn all the cartridge powder for even more efficiency.

Cutting a barrel from 26" to 18" increases recoil and adds muzzle blast tremendously... catalyzing the NEED for a suppressor.

It can go the other way too.

I went from 26” and no suppressor to 21” with suppressor. So, I needed to go shorter because I had the suppressor.

Also, went to smaller caliber magnum and still have the velocity and BC.

I still have my 26” barrel for hunts I want it, and I run it with a suppressor…

 

[mt100gr.]

Except gain 240 fps and quite a bit of downrange energy... oh, and burn all the cartridge powder for even more efficiency.

Cutting a barrel from 26" to 18" increases recoil and adds muzzle blast tremendously... catalyzing the NEED for a suppressor.

As stated, the velocity is overrated.

The powder burns fine.

Tell me more about energy?

Merry Christmas!

 

[ODB]

I don't know.

The shortest barrel I have is 24" the longest 26" and my favorite, my 9,3 x 62, is 25".

Much of this is aesthetics. I can't stand stubby rifles as I think the english layout is the best - short forends and long barrels.

My brother got in to chopping barrels, I never understood it.

 

[hereinaz]

This, pretty much!

A whitetail struck in the vitals with a well constructed bullet at 2600 fps will probably be just as dead as the one who took the same slug at 2900 fps.

"Magnum" shooters normally want longer (26"?/28"?) barrels to wring out all the velocity the massive powder charge can generate.
There are still ALOT of those guys out there. They're the ones wanting to make the six and eight hundred yard shots.

My dad hunted with a Marlin 336 SC. Don't remember exactly, but the barrel couldn't have been more than 16"!
Killed lots of deer with it. Myself included.

The AR craze (fad?) has brought the circle back to a shorter, more convenient handling firearm.

It's also bringing "hunting range" back to the three to four hundred yard range!
Personally, in 60 years of hunting, I have NEVER killed a deer beyond about 250 yards. Mostly because where I spent the marjority of my time hunting, that was about as far as you could see! LOL!

I currently shoot an AR with a 16" barrel. Love how short it is. Works very well in box and pop-up blinds.

In time, somebody will want a Mega-Mag rifle that will sling a 300 grain bullet out to 1500 yards and not drop over 4" and the 30" barrels will return! (facetious!)

Expand your minds!!!

We have choices and increased knowledge. And, the costs to cut and thread are relatively low.

I am the guy with a 26” magnum with suppressor AND an AR15 SBR with 14” barrel. I would hunt with my granddad’s lever action 25-20 if I hunted out of a tree stand.

I make choices based on reality. I can kill with my rifles effectively between 40 and 1000 yards depending on the situation.

 

[Mt Al]

Agree w/the above: handier, 99% of all hunting scenarios even a few hundred fps won't matter - and the drop off is minor, lighter, suppressors, etc.

Plus if you reload, you can use a faster burning powder and get some of the fps back if you want - which I personally don't

 

[Amos Keeto]

Expand your minds!!!

We have choices and increased knowledge. And, the costs to cut and thread are relatively low.

I am the guy with a 26” magnum with suppressor AND an AR15 SBR with 14” barrel. I would hunt with my granddad’s lever action 25-20 if I hunted out of a tree stand.

I make choices based on reality. I can kill with my rifles effectively between 40 and 1000 yards depending on the situation.

Yes sir. That's why I have a safe full of guns! LOL!
What am I hunting and what do I want to use!
Personally? I don't do:
1) magnums
2) suppressors
3) SBR's
or
4) thousand yard shot
My OFS won't let me do that!
(OFS - Old Fart Syndrome)

If that's what you want to do and can do, go for it!

Agree w/the above: handier, 99% of all hunting scenarios even a few hundred fps won't matter - and the drop off is minor, lighter, suppressors, etc.

Plus if you reload, you can use a faster burning powder and get some of the fps back if you want - which I personally don't

Yes sir!
I do reload.
In my younger day, the faster I could get a bullet to move, the better I liked it! If 3000 fps was good, 3100 was better! LOL!
These days, out of my AR, I like to run 90 grain Gold Dots around 2800 fps for my 6.8mm Rem SPC.

 

[Lee_R]

As stated, the velocity is overrated.

The powder burns fine.

Tell me more about energy?

Merry Christmas!

Velocity isn't quite over rated as it's the most important component to Energy. Energy equals mass (off the bullet in this case) x velocity squared. So losses in velocity have much more impact on energy. Cutting your barrel reduces velocity typically by 50 ft/sec per inch. So by losing that velocity, the bullet energy drops more than linearly...hence the need for better bullet construction

 

[pirogue]

I saw firsthand, a couple weeks ago, why some cut the barrels, and impair velocity . Unethical, illegal road hunters are able to stand the rifle up, between thier legs, while seated in the vehicle, easing down the road.