16" vs 24" .308 Win Velocity...

[Guy Miner]

Recently tested five different .308 Winchester ammo types, two handloads and three factory loads, in both my 24" Rem 700 and a 16" barreled rifle built by Gavin. I knew the 16" would do rather well. There's roughly a 200 fps difference between the two rifles with bullet weights from 125 - 175 grains:



FYI, if you're researching short-barrel rifle ballistics, take a look at the "pistol" section Hodgdon's online Data Center offers. It's intended for users of specialty pistols with 15" barrels but is real useful for folks building or buying shorter-barreled rifles as well.

Regards, Guy

 

[KinleyWater]

Good stuff as always. I've seen a couple of different websites that look at velocity versus barrel length and every data point is good for the community. Keep it up, and pass my words to Gavin as well.

 

[RL338]

25 fps per inch is what is expected. Boy a 16” barrel is a shorty. Must be built as a suppressed rifle.

 

[xphunter]

Depending on the cartridge, I say 25-35 fps per inch on average.
Good stuff!

 

[xphunter]

Recently tested five different .308 Winchester ammo types, two handloads and three factory loads, in both my 24" Rem 700 and a 16" barreled rifle built by Gavin. I knew the 16" would do rather well. There's roughly a 200 fps difference between the two rifles with bullet weights from 125 - 175 grains:

View attachment 19688

FYI, if you're researching short-barrel rifle ballistics, take a look at the "pistol" section Hodgdon's online Data Center offers. It's intended for users of specialty pistols with 15" barrels but is real useful for folks building or buying shorter-barreled rifles as well.

Regards, Guy

Short barrels work just fine

 

[DrMike]

You've verified the estimate that most of us work from (25-35 fps/inch of barrel). Fascinating stuff for us gun cranks to watch.

 

[xphunter]

My 15.75" 308 center-grip XP-100 runs the 155 grain A-Max at 2555 fps with H-4895 and Hornady brass

 

[NYDAN]

Great report, Guy. Thanks for posting.

 

[PJGunner]

Quite a few years back I ran one of my handloads for the .308 through two rifles. A Ruger M77 RSI with 18.5" barrel and a Winchester M70 with 22" barrel, The load was Winchester brass and WLR primer, 49.0 gr. W760 (Max load BTW) and the 165 gr. Speer Hot Core.

RSI: 2550 FPS average for 5 shots.
M70 2610 FPS average for 5 shots.

FWIW, that RSI is probably my favorite deer rifle with that load. I has accounted for quite a few deer from 30 feet to 250 yards. I just like the way it handles.
Paul B.

 

[JMRhino]

Pardon me for resurrecting an old thread. I'm a little late to the forum game. I've been a hunter and handloader for years but never really had much interest in the forum world until I came across this one...

I have had tremendous results with my Tikka Lite in 7-08. I had the factory barrel chopped, cera coted and threaded to 16". I have a hard time wanting to hunt with my older rifles. It inspires confidence while hunting/shooting. So pleasant to shoot. The buck was shot with the 120 TTSX and the doe with the 120 NOS BT. Both devastating in their own way.

So far may best loads have been:
1. 120 TTSX, max load CFE223, Alpha brass - 2969 FPS
2. 120 NOS BT, max load Ramshot Big Game, Alpha Brass - 2974 FPS

 

[TexasLife]

Depending on the cartridge, I say 25-35 fps per inch on average.
Good stuff!

not just cartridge, but caliber (bullet diameter) as well

 

[xphunter]

not just cartridge, but caliber (bullet diameter) as well

Most definitely. I literally was talking about the same cartridge, the same powder, the same brass, the same load, the same brand of bullet, the same weight of bullet. Everything being the same except barrel length.

 

[walkinhorseman]

I’ve always thought that a 22” barrel in a medium action 308 [Sako L-579/AII] was optimum. Ballistically a sweet spot and the rifle overall length allowed me to carry muzzle down through the timber without dragging in the snow at my paltry height.

 

[Wolfshead]

I personally like a 20” barrel like my Tikka has.
It handles almost as well as my model 94.
It give it a carbine type feel especially when hunting in the thick stuff.

 

[TexasLife]

For 308win to me anything less than 16" isn't very efficient. 18-22" for 150-168's is near perfect. I only have 1 308win with a barrel longer than 22" (26"rock river ar).

 

[xphunter]

For 308win to me anything less than 16" isn't very efficient. 18-22" for 150-168's is near perfect. I only have 1 308win with a barrel longer than 22" (26"rock river ar).

I am not so much about efficiency, but about a performance level I want out of of project the majority of the time.
Sometimes, I want a specific cartridge, just because I want that cartridge
In 308 Winchester I'm weird....I have two specialty pistols: A 15.75" single-shot Remington XP-100 with 155's at 2734 fps, and then I have the 13.5" Blaser pistol running 155's at 2625 fps.
My single-shot F-TR rifle (30" barrel with 42.0 grains of Varget) set up for 1K matches, with 200 grain bullets at 2620 fps, weighs just under 18 pounds with the JOYPOD-X attached.
The extremes are funny in terms of barrel length and weight for them being the same cartridge.
I have not shot the Blaser pistol past 500 yards, but I have shot the XP-100, past a grand a few times.

 

[JMRhino]

I am not so much about efficiency, but about a performance level I want out of of project the majority of the time.
Sometimes, I want a specific cartridge, just because I want that cartridge
In 308 Winchester I'm weird....I have two specialty pistols: A 15.75" single-shot Remington XP-100 with 155's at 2734 fps, and then I have the 13.5" Blaser pistol running 155's at 2625 fps.
My single-shot F-TR rifle (30" barrel with 42.0 grains of Varget) set up for 1K matches, with 200 grain bullets at 2620 fps, weighs just under 18 pounds with the JOYPOD-X attached.
The extremes are funny in terms of barrel length and weight for them being the same cartridge.
I have not shot the Blaser pistol past 500 yards, but I have shot the XP-100, past a grand a few times.

I think your example perfectly demonstrates the flexibility and versatility of the .308 and its offspring. I probably wouldn't choose to hunt with a 16" barrel on a rifle if it were not for adding the suppressor. Without the suppressor, my Tikka feels unbalanced and a little flighty but screw 10oz on the end of the barrel and it handles perfectly. In my opinion, I can mitigate the velocity loss that I experience due to the 16" barrel with handloads, and the loss of performance seems to have minimal or no impact to 99% of the hunting I do with respect to the range and type game. If the conditions change then so will my weapon.

 

[xphunter]

Most chamberings in both SA and LA cartridges, do well in 15-16 tubes.
Most chamberings in both SA and LA cartridges, do well in 15-16 tubes, Kill Great at the distances the majority of hunters max out at (350-400 yards).
The average distance is probably quite a bit shorter, if you actually did as poll nationwide.

Just taking data that requires the minimum impact velocity to be at 1800 fps (Some bullets are rated to work at lower speeds), you can have a idea of the cartridge/bullet/barrel length max capability would be....Little bit of oversimplification here

I have quite a bit of actual data for 14", 15", 16", 17" and 18" barrels.

My 15.75" 308 Win XP-100 ("Dirty Thirty" is it's name) with the 155 A-Max will kill great on deer and antelope out to 550 yards (Impact velocity at 550 yards is 1816.6 fps), and it shoots great past 550 yards on steel as well.

15.5" 6mm Creed with 105 A-Max is around 725 yards, if I do my part.

16" 22 Creed with 80 grain ELD-M is right at 900 yards...1799.4 fps impact velocity at 900 yards.

17" 6.5-284 with a 140 AB is 700 yards...If I shot a 140 ELD-M or a 147 M it would be further.

16.5" 300 SAUM with the 150 grain CE Raptor goes past 800 yards because of the bullet design.

My 7mm Dakota and 26 Nosler center-grip XP-100's are capable of distances further than I have listed above.

First, I need a gun that is accurate enough, and person behind the rig needs to be capable when shooting on demand from field positions.
Then it comes down to bullet selection, and the MV's I am working with for a given cartridge.

 

[longrangehunter]

Graven has really been working hard on getting into the gunsmithing business. He’s very astute, so anything he does I’m sure will be done very well! I’ve been following him for a number of years with his ultimate reloader YouTube videos.

So you had him build you a new rifle?

So why have we not seen this Guy? Let’s see it!!

 

[JMRhino]

Last hunting season (2024) was my first year trying mono’s in my 308, 7-08 and .257 WSM. While hunting with my Tikka (7-08), I would keep both my 120 TTSX and 120 NOS BT handloads in my stock bag and I would load as I desired for the hunt (same POI). The first shot on the doe (didn’t drop her but would have been lethal/big hole behind her shoulder) was with my 120 Nos BT/Big Game. She pile drives for 20 yards, stood back up and then walked toward and prepared to jump the barbed wire fence that separated the farm’s property line that leads to the thick stuff. I put a second anchoring round through her. The 2nd shot was with my Barnes 120 TTSX/CFE223 handload. I had single loaded the Nos BT (1st shot) over a mag of handloaded Barnes 120 TTSX/CFE223. The big hole behind her shoulder was the entrance with 120 Nos BT(shot #1). The second pic shows the exit hole from shot #2 (Barnes TTSX 120). I have a hard time deciding which load I prefer to hunt with. Both shots were devastating but I think that I get a little more blood trail with the Nos BT. I tend to shoot more lung shots behind the shoulder. Each shot was 175 and 200 yards respectively with a 16” suppressed barrel. Maybe I don’t have to decide. Fun times…