Barrel Length and Accuracy

[Larry in SD]

I have had both Remington Model 700 SPS .308's with 18 1/2" & 20" Barrels.

I bought a Remington Model 700 SPS in .308 with the intent of shortening and recrowning it to 20" (which I did). I worked up loads with Hodgdon's Varget with both 150gr. & 165gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips with the 165gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips being the most accurate. Muzzle velocity averaged 2612 FPS.

At the same time a buddy had a DPMS Panther LR-308B with an 18" Bull Barrel. One day at the range he shot some of my 165gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip Ammo through his DPMS. The average velocity was 2599 FPS (or 13 FPS less than the 20" Remington).

A few years later I bought a Remington Model 700 SPS Stainless Synthetic in .308. I promptly had the barrel shortened to 18 1/2" as this was to be for my wife. I just had to try some of my 165gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip Ammo in this new .308. Average velocity was 2606 FPS.

I never had shot or chronographed a .308 other than these 3 so I have no idea as to what a 22" or 24" would actually chronograph.

However several years ago SWAT Magazine did an article on Sniper Weapons done by LAPD. In the test they had secured Remington Model 700 PSS Rifles with 26" Barrels and a quantity of Federal Premium 168gr. BTHP Match Ammo in both .308 Winchester and .300 Winchester Magnum.

If I remember the article correctly they accuracy tested each gun with the original factory barrel length and then shortened each barrel 1" at a time from 26" to 18". They did not list a velocity / barrel length chart in the article but stated that with the .308 Winchester using the ammo they tested there was virtually no difference in muzzle velocity between 26" to 18".

Not sure if would believe that one or not but from 20" to 18" in 3 different .308's the velocity of the load I tested did not produce enough difference worth taking about. For the record all 3 of the .308's I worked with would print sub MOA groups at 100 yards from the bench with the 165gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips.

As has been stated it would be easier to cut and recrown the barrel twice than wish you had left it longer. I would let the handling qualities be my guide if it were me. I really could never tell the difference between the 18 1/2" and 20" Remington Model 700 SPS's I had.

Larry

 

[dubyam]

As this is getting discussed, I have kept coming back to my Rem673 Guide Gun. It's a 22" barrel, and mine is open-sighted. It's just about ideal in balance for me, and carries easily up and down the draws and ravines and bluffs of my mountain hunting lease. I don't think you'd be unwise to start at 22", using Larry's advice, and try it, then shorten it if you don't care for the carry or balance of the rifle. I'd shorten it an inch at a time, even, and not bother to re-blue the muzzle until I was sure I was done shortening it. I would not be surprised to see it stay at 22", nor to see it shortened anywhere between there and 18. It's all going to come down to your personal preference. But Larry is wise in his assessment of the ease of shortening the barrel, and the difficulty of lengthening it.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I always shoot 165 gr bullets in the .30-06 and because of that, prefer a 22 inch barrel. However, the shorter stiffer barrels are easier to tune harmonically and get them to shoot really well. I guess that it comes down to what is important to you, or how much weight that you wish to carry with a longer, heavier barrel.

 

[HTDUCK]

The very
first rifle I bought myself was a Remington 600 Mohawk chambered in 308.
Other than some range time in the Army with an M14 chambered for 7.62 NATO I had never heard of a 308.
Dad shot a 280. My rifle was an '06.

20 and newly married I wandered into the local gun store one afternoon looking for a used .22 to plink with. I had just been promoted to E4. I made about $700 a month.
I grabbed that 600 out of the rack and had to call home and get permission to spend $179.00 to buy it.

I wasn't a rifle reloader at the time.
Keeping myself stocked with .357 pistol ammo took all my spare time and money.
I bought a couple of boxes of Remington 150 Corelokts.
Had to wait a month to scrounge the money for rings and bases.
Dad sent me a 30 year old Redfield 4x in the mail.

I killed everything I shot at with that rifle for the next 10 years.
The short 18.5 inch barrel was stiff but incredibly accurate.
Nothing ever shot more than MOA. Factory or hand loads.
Hand loading for it started my obsession.

That stubby, stiff barrel shoots so well I have head shot deer out to 250 yards w it from a solid rest.

Now if I could just get it back from my son.....

 

[Guy Miner]

Neat topic. I've been watching it for a bit.

For a hunting rifle, I often prefer a 20 - 22" barrel. Prime example is the .30-06 Model of 1917 that I had cut from 26" down to 21" - since then my youngest son has piled up a couple of bears with it and a couple of whitetail bucks as well. Makes for a handy rifle, though the large 1917 action keeps it from ever being a true lightweight. Our standard H4350 load has a 165 moving at 2750 fps.







With the .308 Win, at one point we had three of 'em kicking around:
Browning BLR, 20"
Rem 700 "Green Machine" 24"
Win 70 match rifle with a 30"

All were/are excellent for their purposes. On SWAT we've also got a 20" Rem 700 "LTR" (Light Tactical Rifle) and it's a dandy with that short, stiff, fluted barrel. No problem on targets even out at 600 yards. A buddy has one of those LTR's as his only hunting rifle and regularly tags elk, bear & mule deer with it.

I don't know that I'd be real eager to drop down to a 16" or 18" barrel, simply because of moving the muzzle blast that much closer to me. I am comfortable with a 20" - 22" barrel. As has been pointed out a few times, you can turn a 22" barrel into a 20" or even an 18" if you want. Can't go back and make an existing barrel longer though... Not easily!

Enjoy your new rifle. I like the idea of a short, handy bolt-action rifle. You bet!

Guy

 

[Elkman]

My most accurate barrel at this time is on my Remington Tactical, at 20 ". The next is one is on my post 64, Model 70. For me 20 inches is as short as I want to go, 26 is to long. But for very "long" range rifles 26 would be my minimum.

 

[BeeTee]

My 16.5" barrelled 308 Ruger Scout does real well with Nosler 165BTs. It's a fun little rifle capable of taking anything in North America.

I've read quite a bit about shooting cast lead bullets in rifles. One consistent theme is the greater need for form before the shot and follow-through after, due to the slower velocities and longer barrel time. I haven't shot cast bullets in rifles for a long time, but I can't help but wonder if the same applies when jacketed bullets to some degree, i.e. short barrels mean less barrel time and less shooter influence on group dispersion.

 

[martineta]

I had an encore 308 win barrel made by MGM that is 10.5 inches. 150 grain Nos BT's loaded up with 44 grains of varget with my suppressor screwed on, its not much louder that a 22 hornet. I like the short barrel so much, I have ponied up the $200 to do a legal SBR. Its gonna be way more fun that the pistol set up. Subsonic loaded with trailboss, its quiet as a mouse fart. Already laid out a couple of deer in the VA woods.

 

[tjen]

If it were me building a nice woods rifle for handling in 308win. I would be a 700 SA with a a standard counter barrel 21" long ( a#2 in a Shilen) and it would most likely wear a VXIII 1.5-5. A VXIII 1.75-6 is a great and over looked scope as well for woods type hunting. Mine wears a VXIII 1.5-5 and I can hit a hanging clay pigeon all day long at 200 yards with it. Say 5" dia.

This based on my 700 Classic 358win with its 20.5" barrel. It balances prefect is short and light as I would want it. Being a 358 bore in stead of 308 it is a #3 contour not a #2. But there is alot of metal removed to make a 358 bore and proved the right choice for my woods rifle (5-250 yards).

My point mentioning my 18.5" barreled 336 is I have a very short rifle and wish it had a 20" barrel.

 

[baltz526]

I think I would go 21" and use the 2.8x8 leupold VX3. A little barrel weight is not a bad thing when shooting free hand at moving targets. 150gr velocity will be in the 2750fps + area, using several different powders.

 

[cloverleaf]

DUH! Reading Guy's posts made me think of something. Ruger #1's give you a longer barrel with a shorter comparative overall length (usually- anyway). If you got a couple 700's to swap you could get yourself a short, handy #1. But maybe thats not way you want to go. CL