Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Barrel Length?

I am getting my act together and narrowing things down. Leaning 30-06 but havent ruled out a 300M. I am curious what barrel length to get. 22, 24 or 26? Shooting elk and deer in forest and open fields. Thanks.

What kind of 300M?

24" seems easy enough for the open stuff, heck even 26 if you'll be that open. 24 you should be able to manuver in all but the heaviest timber.

Anything from 20" to 24" would do well in a standard cartridge. For a magnum, you'll likely want 24" or 26". Shorter = better handling, longer = more velocity. There could be (and may well be!) pages of debate to follow about how much velocity you'll lose. I think it's safe to say, though, that the velocity loss is less with standard cartridges than with magnums.

I own rifles in 22" and 24", and the former are lots nicer to drag through the scrub when I'm trudging up & down the mountain.

As always, handle lots of rifles, & see what you like.

FC

23" in either one has done me fine.

Dober

UDUB,

I copied Mule Deer's 24" .30-'06 when I got my NULA; the #2 barrel contour keeps it light.

I have rifles with barrels from 18" to 30", and an '06 in 23" to 24" works.

jim

For a 30-06, anything between 21" -23" works best for me. Anything shorter is much too loud, and longer is of no interest or perceived benefit to me.

I'm not a fan of the .300WM as to my way of thinking, it doesn't bring enough to the table to justify the added weight, recoil, muzzle blast, etc. over the 30-06. However, if I were to go with a .300WM, a 24" barrel would be my choice.

Just my personal bias and opinion!

What ever balances is right.. if your in doubt remember its easier to cut and recrown than to rebarrel.

Myrifles all have barrels from 25" (416 Rigby) to 27.5 (257WBY) never felt the longer barrels were a hindrance, even in thick stuff and I like the extra FPS's and weight forward balance they provide. I would go 26.

...........................If you`re hunting the majority of the time in more open flat country, a 24" barrel for the `06 is very good. Most std barrel lengths for the `06 are 22s. For velocity, you`ll only gain with a longer tube or lose with a shorter tube, around 20-30 fps per inch. For hunting, given the same ranges and regardless of velocity losses, a 20" or 22" barreled `06, will still do anything that a 24" or 26" er will do.

If you`re going to mix things up and hunt in the timbers and heavier brush too, a shorter 20" or 22" barrel will do nicely while still very suitable for long range duty.

Since you mentioned a 300M as a possibility, you can use a 300M from a shorter tube. However, it will have "increased" noise or blast. Shorter bbl length will not affect accuracy, but gains better handling, manuverability, quickness while still having longer ranged capability.

As an example, I personally like extremes in preferring the shorter, very handy and quick, but very powerful rifles. I hunt big hogs in some thick brush and do so as well in open country at longer ranges. Also elk in shorter ranged thick country and in more open country at the longer ranges. So at the expense or sacrifice of more noise or blast, which I can easily handle using good field hearing protection, I enjoy my `lil 16.5" barreled 300 WSM Ruger Frontier compact, slightly bettering 26" barreled 30-06 AI ballistics from my maximum re-loads. In thick brush, timbers or forests, or wide open long range country, it doesn`t matter.

Aside from the added noise which for many would be an issue, it is not an issue for me. I have my cake while eatin it too.

While at the range one day about a year ago, I did see a (very accurate) 300 Winny with a barrel cut down to 20"..........So a shorter tubed 300 mag is very possible.

The only barrel I have over 24 is my 340 Wby. To my mind if you are going to shoot any kind of "Super Mag" a 26" barrel (some even prefer longer) just makes sense. For those cartridges the whole point would seem to be more velocity. If you're going to put up with the recoil and muzzle blast burning 85+ grains of powder it makes little sense, to me anyway, not to milk the most velocity from your load for your troubles.

Otherwise I'd say 22" for the '06 and 24" for a .300 Win or short mag. (26" if the latter is a Wby, RUM, etc)

I recently cut my 30-06 sporter (700 SPS LH) from 24" down to 20". Velocity only dropped 100 fps, from 2700 fps to 2600 fps, with a moly'd 200gr Accubond over 56gr W760.

I couldn't tell the difference in noise. I like the balance and feel of the shorter tube. Glad I did it.

Harrrumph!

FC

22" - .30-06
24" - .300 mag
These are the lengths I prefer. Others will work.

I don't feel like a 24-inch barrel is a hindrance, as I started with a 1917 Enfield with an inch cut off the 26-inch barrel, then went to a 1903 Springfield with the original 24-inch barrel. I had a .270 with a 22-inch barrel that seemed too short for that round. [I do have a couple short-barreled rifles for real brush or timber shooting in .308 (20-inch) and .358 Win 21-inch)]

My Tikka .300 Mag has a bit longer than 24-inch barrel on it and feels right.