My first centerfire (aside from a surplus .303 that I didn’t actually shoot) was a Remington 600 .308, a terrible choice in those pre-earplug days. Noisy, and the balance sucked. Since that one, I’ve not owned one shorter than 20”. Noise aside, balance is important to me, and a really short one might need a little more heft in the barrel to compensate.
The Grendel is a great idea, short barrel or not. Mine wears a youth stock, which can be lengthened in a trice with a Limbsaver slip-on pad. It has a 22” barrel, and is plenty short enough for me in cover or in a tree. Only reason I’d go with one shorter than 20” now would be for suppressed use, or an AR-ish piece like my Mini-14, which might get used in really tight quarters indoors.
