Barrel length vs Velocity

Guy Miner · Apr 3, 2014

Interesting article, cutting the barrel of a .300 Win mag, inch by inch, to 16"

Link: http://rifleshooter.com/2013/12/300-win ... 0-win-mag/

Guy

jmad_81 · Apr 3, 2014

I know my 16" AR gives up 400fps to the nosler 24" book data.

DrMike · Apr 3, 2014

Fascinating article, Guy. It confirms some of what I've seen over the years.

muleman · Apr 3, 2014

Interesting article. My take away from the article was that shorter range hunting doesn't need or best utilize magnum cartridges; or magnums are better served by longer barrels. One aspect that wasn't discussed in the article was what I call ease of aim/balance or "shootability". Heavier and longer barrels are easier for me to shoot offhand or from a bipod. My easy carry 308 Kimber 84 is great to snap shoot at short distance but can be a challenge to group well at 400yds, it weighs 6.5lbs scoped and loaded. I guess that's why I have different tools for different jobs. If I'm headed out to hunt wood lots and Christmas tree fields for Blacktails I grab my Kimber 308 or my 1895 45-70 both are quick to the shoulder and have the range for the cover I'm still hunting. If I'm off to WY to hunt Antelope I want a flatter shooting(with high BC bullets for less drift) rifle that shoots well from a bipod. I could use my Kimber but it doesn't settle on the bipod like my 6x284 (26" heavy barrel Howa) or my M70 270Bee also with a heavy 26" barrel.
I don't own a magnum with less than a 24" barrel. The three with 24" barrels are M70 WSM featherweights/Kimber 8400s. The other magnums are 26"+.
On a side note I was comparing the ballistics between my 325wsm and my 35Whelen and they're basically the same - what comes around goes around and overlap is not overkill! :grin:
Scott

SJB358 · Apr 4, 2014

Yeah, I have a couple of 20" barreled rifles, a 18.5" Guide Rifle, a 21" barreled 35 Newton and the rest are 22" or longer. My two longest are the 25" Alaskan and 26" 264 Win Mag. I am sorta in Scott's camp, for the magnum's, the 24" barrel is about as low as I would want. I did 21" for the Newton since it was a rebore job, but if I were rebarreling it, it would have been a 24/25". Being 6/5" I don't find a longer barrel hard to manage at all. The barrel length is the least of my worries. 24" on the WSM's seems about perfect though.

Guy Miner · Apr 4, 2014

Of course YOU don't find a longer barreled rifle tough to deal with. :mrgreen:

You're like 7' 3" tall or something Sasquatch!

wildgene · Apr 4, 2014

...Dick Metcalf did a similar test (ST 9/10) where he whacked the barrels (2" increments) on .300 WM/ WSM/ RSAM/ RCM & .338 WM/ RCM/ Fed rifles. The short mags matched or outperformed the big cases in shorter barrels. You really need a longer barrel to take advantage of the larger charges of slow burning powder that actually make a magnum a "magnum"...

Scott, I'm curious about this...

"On a side note I was comparing the ballistics between my 325wsm and my 35Whelen and they're basically the same - what comes around goes around and overlap is not overkill!"

...my .325 load (220gr. SBT GameKings/ 63grs. RL-17 @2800fps) shows better terminal ballistics than a comparable .35 Whelen load, better BC/ windage/ energy/ much higher sectional density...

HOGWILD338-378 · Apr 4, 2014

http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/bu ... locity.htm

Nice article above from Dan Lilja and Weatherby claims you loose 30 to 60 fps per inch off their published ballistic data using a starting length barrel of 26 inches!

muleman · Apr 4, 2014

wildgene":1byd2qqw said:
...Dick Metcalf did a similar test (ST 9/10) where he whacked the barrels (2" increments) on .300 WM/ WSM/ RSAM/ RCM & .338 WM/ RCM/ Fed rifles. The short mags matched or outperformed the big cases in shorter barrels. You really need a longer barrel to take advantage of the larger charges of slow burning powder that actually make a magnum a "magnum"...

Scott, I'm curious about this...

"On a side note I was comparing the ballistics between my 325wsm and my 35Whelen and they're basically the same - what comes around goes around and overlap is not overkill!"

...my .325 load (220gr. SBT GameKings/ 63grs. RL-17 @2800fps) shows better terminal ballistics than a comparable .35 Whelen load, better BC/ windage/ energy/ much higher sectional density...

Wild Gene,
My comparisons done with 325wsm and Whelen were only with 200gr NABs and they are very close in my rifles. Both rifles shoot the 200gr NAB at 2850fps and with a 200yd zero they impact within 2" of each other at 400yds. The 325 has an edge on SD and velocity/energy but the Whelen has frontal mass going for it. I'm impressed with your 325's performance with the 220 gr Sierra. I've never tried that bullet in my 325 - maybe I should. Does your 325 have a 24" barrel?
Scott

wildgene · Apr 4, 2014

...yeah, 24", it's just one of the "cheap Winchesters" w/ the funky factory camo plastic stock I picked up cheap, but it seems to shoot OK (couple of 3 shot groups), & it tips over elk pretty good. The BC on that 220gr. Sierra is 0.521/ SD is 0.301, designed for 8mm Rem Mag velocities, so it's a pretty tough bullet. I just wish that damn Scotty guy would buy a .325 so Nosler would make a high BC 220gr. 8mm bullet...