Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 300 WSM in Shorter Barrel??

Handy notwithstanding, to me it's the noise factor. Even a .308 Win. get a bit blasty and overly noisy when the barrel gets short. My .308 is 23", my .300 Win Mag is 24". I wouldn't want a .300 Whizzum shorter than 22". With the short action and a 22" bbl, you've got a handy rifle. Everything is a compromise one way or another and that's about as far as I'm willing to go with barrel length.

IMHO.

DF

I love my 308 full size 24". The only reason I don't want a shorter 308 is that I want something capable of pushing a heavier bullet for bears. You don't see many loads published for the 220 grain RN bullets for a 308. I'm also thinking about getting a long range setup in 300WSM, so I could at least keep the components relatively similar.

My hearing is already ruined ....how about yours?

huh? what's that?

.............Isn`t your hearing ruined because you didn`t take the proper precautions?

Can`t blame that on whatever noise caused your hearing loss, nor on any rifle (short or long barrel) if that was also the case.

...........There are ways to overcome extra noise no matter where one is shooting. My three blasters haven`t caused any hearing problems.

Walker Game Ears (for field use) just to name one?

If you spend much time pulling a rifle from a saddle scabbard or a 4wheeler scabbard or out of a truck or on super steep slick/snowy hillsides, the handiness issue becomes an issue, but otherwise, not so much.

Just today, I shipped off one of my Kimber 300 WSM's along with a new Kreiger barrel, to have the barrel, threaded, chambered, fitted and my instructions are to cut & crown at 22 inches. So, in about 6 weeks I'll let you know what types of speeds I am getting with the Krieger at 22 inches, versus the factory barrel at 24 inches---having used Kreigers before, I'm willing to bet that 22 inches of Krieger will give the same seeds, with the same loads as the factory Kimber barrel gives at 24 inches.

..........And I`ll also add treking through thick brush and going up to and down from elevated stands. Don`t like it when a barrel gets hung up on branches and twigs, or constantly manuvering the darn rifle to avoid doing so. Shorter barrels can make a big difference in that regard too. In wide open country its a different story.

My left ear durm was busted by shooting a 7mm-08 from a 20" barrel out of a treestand in Altoona, PA. I got the deer but my left ear hearing is gone. I'm not gonna hunt with ear protection you do what you like.

.............OK! So your left ear drum was busted by shooting a 20" tubed 7/08? Had you been shooting a 24" tube instead of a 20" er, your left ear drum would have still ended up the same way. The shorter tube probably caused your drum to bust sooner, but eventually sooner or later, the end result would have been the same from the longer barrel too.

Just because you happen not to like wearing ear protection in the field, you can`t blame a busted ear drum on the shorter barrel.

I`m sympathetic to your hearing loss, but I also understand that it could have been avoided.

Not really blaming the ear on anything, I just don't shoot high intensity cartridges in 20" barrels anymore.

....Yeah I know! But on every thread where shorter barrels are discussed, regardless of cartridge, high intensity or not, the first complaint is the noise. Then I see posts that say,,,,,Huh?,,,,,What did you say??,,,,Can`t hear ya,,, and blah blah blah!!

And in all cases where there was hearing loss, the problem could have been avoided regardless of barrel length and the cartridge.

Can`t blame any hearing loss on shorter barrels.

I have yet to read ANY post, where someone`s hearing was adversely affected or affected in any way because of a shorter barrel, WHEN WEARING good hearing protection!

But yet, most who do lose their hearing or a portion of it, did not always wear hearing protection when firing their longer barrels.

That's my issue. A long barrel is a pain getting in a stand or dragging through dense woods.

My question re: 300WSM was really directed to a thought to have a lighter shorter rifle and a longer heavier rifle in the same caliber.

This is very true. It's not that hard to carry plugs or muffs in the field and it is definitely worth it. I would definitely wear muffs with a short barreled gun!

........Yep!...........Not difficult at all, but many feel that using hearing protection when hunting in the field is an inconvenience. A simple inconvenience, is worth preventing any potential and permanent hearing damage.

Even if a rifle barrel were 30" long, protection of some type should be worn.

I assume black bears, yes?

There's not a black bear alive that can't be taken cleanly with a 150/165 grain anything from a 308 Win carbine.

Sqeez I like your idea of a short barrel 300 WSM. I think a 20" would be about right for me. I know it will run faster than any 308/30-06 and that is pretty darn good. It would be way handy. If I was starting over and was 30 or so I might go with it.

Ever shot a 20" 300 WSM?

................My 20" tubed 375 Ruger Alaskan, isn`t exactly what you`d call a quieter rifle. And imo, it is just as noisy if not more so than is my little shorty 16.5" barreled 300 WSM carbine.

As long as the hearing protection is worn, a 20" barreled 300 WSM is not all that bad nor overbearing. Just a wittle puddycat.....