I may be sweating the easy stuff, but I am starting to look into an aftermarket barrel.
Thinking about getting a suppressor too. Gun would be mainly for range and some hunting use, though no long hikes, or any mountains (not that there are any around here!). Not planning on competition either.
Suppressor wise I have been thinking a SiCo HArvester or Gemtech Tracker. Seem to weigh the same and would fit my hunting or slow fire needs, but open to recs too.

Now to the question. For bullets, pretty much set on the Nosler 95g BTs, though I have some 100gr and may try 105s, but not wanting anything heavier. WT deer would be the biggest, as for larger game I have a 7mmRM.

I think 1:8 twist, but having a hard time deciding length. For suppressor use, a heavier contour is better, and finished at 20" will save some weight, but will I lose performance for shots inside 5-600yds? (longest distance at my range). So assuming equal quality, will the performance/speed of a 22" lighter contour be trumped by accuracy and maybe equal weight of a 20" heavier one? (Xcaliber barrels for Savage. Trying to decide 22" Savage Magnum vs 20" Varmint).
I have see the quotes of 25fps per 1", so 50fps will not e a deal breaker, weight and shootability may.

22"

20 was a little abusive on muzzleblast for me. I will second 22"

Ingwe, 22" Varmint?
Is it because of Muzzleblast? Coolness factor and speed achieved?
308s seem to come all the way down to 18" and 20". Does the .243 vs .308 make such a big difference in need for length in the same case? or a 308 would also perform better on a longer tube and it's just functionality?
Thanks

Give me 21-22". I also found 20" a bit blasty with the .243win.

If using a suppressor then 20", non-suppressor then 22".

1) Its long enough to burn pretty much all of the powder.

2) Its long enough to get the muzzle blast away from your face

3) Its short enough to turn around inside the cab of a pickup.....

Factory 700 243 Compact with a 20" barrel in a McM Compact.

105 Amaxes at 2935 via R-15

Not as annoying as a 20" PD rifle.....

Soooo... 21" then?

First aftermarket barrel and want to get right... seems that 22 is "rightier" unsupressed, but 20" would be blasty if unmoderated?

Did anyone see that he was going to put a can on the ind of this.

Didja notice he was worried about losing performance with a shorter barrel?

For 5-600 yds. I would go 20 " and not look back.

Run some 95 gr. Bergers instead of NBTs. Problem solved......

Last time I had mine out, I was shooting sitting w/ stix, and prone with a bipod, and I didn't find it objectionable at all...w/muffs of course.

Aalf, what us your load for the 105s?
3000 is pretty quick from a 20" barrel.

To the op, if going with a can no way I'd go over 20"

I've got a 20" barrel on my sons 700 Youth. Never noticed any negatives to it at all. It's still plenty speedy.

For the time it takes to get a silencer, I may end up shooting without the suppressor too.
Question remains, how much performance is objectively "lost"... I do realize that unless you chop the same barrel you won't know, but in general?
Is it more the blast than speed loss?

I short circuited..... ....... edited info......

Cartridges with a larger bore relative to their powder charge will deliver more of what they have to deliver from a shorter barrel. So if you want to go with a suppressor, a .308 with a shorter barrel will deliver more of what it has to give than a .243 with the same barrel length.

There's also the theoretical possibility of going with big-bore, heavy rounds with flat nose hard cast at subsonic velocities with a pistol caliber suppressor. Like 320gr slugs from a .444 Marlin cut to 16.5" with a .45 cal suppressor. Should be deadly at short ranges, but with a rainbow trajectory.If you want to keep the .308 bolt face, maybe something in the .35 caliber range, or go snowflake and find the guy who is picking up the pieces of the .375 Reaper concept. In the woods in SE TX, heavy and slow should work great on pigs and deer.

Not what you said you were thinking, but in my mind, suppressed hunting rifle is kind of a different direction than .243.

Nope! What I saw is that he was thinking about putting a can on it.

But to the subject - I shot the 243 for high-power silhouette for many years (yes, it is a little light for that game) but even a 22" barrel is a bit short in my opinion, a 24" barrel has noticeably less muzzle blast. However if you are going to put a suppressor on than a 22" barrel should be ok. You will give up a little too much velocity with a 20".

I have been able to achieve 3000 fps with a 24" but never with a 22". Also be aware that if you are going to reach 3000 it is short lived because you will be burning enough powder that within less than a 1000 rounds you will be somewhere around 2800 fps because of throat erosion and subsequent velocity drop.

drover

I went 21" and wish i had gone longer. But I also doubt I will ever put a suppressor on it

You could wind up with a fast 20" barrel or a slow 22" barrel. It happens. Barrel length IMO is personal preference, my .243 has a 24" barrel which is what I wanted. My daughter's .243 has a 20" barrel and the muzzle blast is more noticeable than on mine, of course if you get a can that point is moot.

I'd go 22" even with a can if it were me, in case I decided to forego the can occasionally.

You won't loose enough to really be concerned. Put a linear comp on it in the mean time to tame muzzle blast away from the shooter while waiting for the can, and go 20".