Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Barrel Length vs. Accuracy

Quick question-
Having work done on my M70 Classic in 7mm Rem. mag, factory barrel @ 26".
I'm thinking about having 2" cut off and re-crowned. I'd like it alittle more handy in the deep woods, but what do I stand to lose by this? It's a decently accurate rifle right now. And on an off subject, I've never been in-love with the checkered ring around the bolt knob, I've seen Win. customs without the checkering. Does anyone sell a stainless bolt handle like that? I assume it can be changed. I know Kampfeld does the hunter knob, but his web page says no M70's at the moment. Thanks for any info

Probably loose 60-80 fps. As long as its well crowned no loss in accuracy.

If anything shorter bbls 'whip' less so they can be more accurate. Often chopped many a gun bbls for handling and accuracy if anything improved. I would be happy with 23-24" in that gun. 22-23 in a non-mag. Used many non mag short action rounds at 21" and was very happy. FPS loss minimal and unnoticeable. Blast goes up accordingly but plugs + muffs always used regardless.

No info on knob.

but plugs + mufs................. sounded like a pretty good start to me. LOL


Canoli

Whip, but plugs, muffs and knob, all in one post! Nice

HA, guys thanks for the laughs, great sense of humor! Never realized my unintended humor but see it clearly now.

Sorry about getting you guys confused!

BTW, OP, FWIW, I chopped a 24" 338 Win Mag to 22.5 from 24 and was happy, shot and handled very well. Now with a 7 bore, expansion ratio is less, so it needs more length for bore volume and I'd not go much less than 24, but never cared for the handling of a 26" in the field, but I realize everyone fits a rifle differently.

Good luck.

Have the smith slug the barrel to make sure that where you cut off the barrel is at it's smallest groove diameter.

Blaine,

Please expand on your statement.

thanks

I don't think that there is spit worth of difference between a 24" and a 26" in the field, the difference is between your ears.

If you are deer hunting out of Box Stands, there is a difference of getting a long barrel out of the window.

I have them both in 7 Mag.

It never hurts to re-crown a factory barrel.

Keith, I do hunt out of stands, long ago had a 26" Varmint 223 that was a PAIN to shoot from my buddy's truck roaming around his farm, SO after MUCH frustration, went out and chopped it off with a pipe cutter at 22.5" and later did an 11 degree crown, and NEVER once regretted it, went from a rifle I loathed, to loved in handling. Accuracy improved if anything, and still shot 50-55 bts at 3400+ so it was a win-win for me.

If one is in open country and not maneuvering in blinds, climbers, or thich brush I agree, matters little. Blast is going up, but my 24" 700 ADL, when they used Stainless on the originals never made me want for a 26, fine as it was.

Individual hunting styles and gun fit/balance matter more than velocity differential IMHO.

Not living out west, I find 26" barrels to be nothing but a PITA in the field, and even 24" ones at times......