Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters barrel length for 308 and family

If you like to tinker, buy a used Model 7 in 7mm-08 and play with the standard 140-gr loads and the 120-g Ballistic Tip. If that doesn't give you what you want, swap out the barrel for a take-off 700 barrel in its heavier contour, and whack it off to 21 inches. You are still under 6.5 lbs before the scope, 2,700-ish for the 140s and 2,900 fps for the 120-gr.

Keep the scope simple, 6x33 or so, and it will be light and sleek.
If you are seriously going to be climbing in mountains where you might bang up the scope, mount it in Tally QD rings (or Warne) so you can remove it and put it in a case or/and rucksack.

You are still well under $1,000 after messing around with it.

Bullet/load is more critical than 4" of barrel, or 100 fps of MV.

A 20" 308 launching a 190 gr VLD at 2600 fps will smoke a 26" 308 shooting 168 FGMM.

I lost less than 100 fps when I reduced my 308 from 26" to 20.5". Averaged about 13 fps per inch. That was with warm handloads (about 60K lbs-psi per Quickload velocity/pressure calc).

As far as I'm concerned there is no "standard" bullet weight for the 308, or anything else. You pick a bullet that fits your needs and move on. You just have to know a little bit about the bullets that are out there.

The bottom line is you will lose about 25 to 35 FPS with each inch you cut of of most any caliber..It varies but the bottom line is you lose some velocity..To some this is all important to others it is not even a consideration..I am pretty much int he later camp on this as the loss of velocity never bothered me much at all within reason.

What does bother me is that I can shoot better with a long tube say 26 inches, especially off hand or when I am out of breath from a long run up hill..This can be offset some by using a bit heavier barrel that puts the weight out front as opposed the the center balancing point that is often harolded as the only way to go...I, on the other hand, like a barrel heavy rifle for anykind of field shooting.

I agree with you about there being no "standard" bullet weight for 308 or anything else- I merely used 168FGMM as an example because most 308 shooters can relate specifically to it- and to reduce a variable from the equation. Lee24 your idea is basically what I want to do, and then based on those findings have another 308 built. As I love to tinker. However as I mentioned earlier, sitting in Afghanistan I don't curently have the option, hence this thread. What I do have time to do is shoot plenty of 7.62nato (118LR) at various ranges after I carried the thing up and down some fairly signifigant mountains. All this makes me yearn for my personal rifles, and makes me note the deficiencies of my rig, and think about how to build a better mouse trap. Thanks for the input.

....................The only way someone/anyone can possibly blow their ears out with a shorter barrel, is by not wearing any hearing protection either at the range or when hunting. If that happens, the shorter tubes are not to blame. Instead, the shooter who chooses not to wear any hearing protection in the first place has only himself to blame.

"Regardless" of barrel length and given enough time, anyone will still permanently damage their hearing after firing enough hi powered centerfires without ear protection.

Theres soo many variables no one can say "that wont work".

Case in point, my friend has a take down sniper rifle with a 16" barrel. It will shoot 168 Fed GMM to 1k with 42 minutes elevation, @ 300asl, and no keyholeing. It should not be able to do this but it does.

Another case from another friend. Tried the load MontanaMarine recommended with Rl17 and 200gr bullets in an 18 barreled rifle with a 1/8 twist designed specifically for shooting sub sonic/suppresed. He got around 2540 fps with that load and barrel, plenty to get to 1k with that bullet.

I think youd be good to go with an 18" barrel and handloading the right powder/bullet combo.

Good hunting over there and WY6.

JimD.