Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Thoughts on short barreled hunting rifles

I am looking at a short barreled rifle for deer. I have had a bunch of rifles in my 69 years but never one w/less than 20 1/2 inches. This one in particular has an 18 1/2in barrel and I just don't have any experience w/one that short. I just have never liked them. Help. powdr

First off, most cartridges used for deer today are way more powerful than needed The loss of velocity just isn't an issue as most all rifles still retain a lot more power than needed. Some will say that the short barrel will create more muzzle blast to the shooter. I can't deny that but must say it's never been a problem to me.

If you're mountain hunting where shots are long, the shortness of the barrel usually isn't helpful because you rarely are forced to act quickly in heavy brush.

If you are woods hunting the shorter barrel can be an advantage in allowing easier movement and quicker acquisition of sights. It simply depends on your style of hunting.

I like the 20 - 22” lengths on my shorter barrel bolt rifles. Though probably could learn to like an 18”.

Lever rifles, most of mine are 20”. Though, I must admit to liking the pistol cartridges with 16” barrels.

A pump rifle, I could do 18” without issue.

Mostly depends on the intended use as to my preference.

What cartridge are you considering? A short barrel on a 30-06 or WSM wouldn't excite me but a mild little round like .250 Sav or 6.5 Grendel might. Remington never did very well by putting short barrels on powerful cartridges but the Model 7 with milder rounds has done OK.

I have two 20" barrelled rifles (.250 Sav and .308) and a 21" 8x57. The first two are Ruger Ultralights and are a bit muzzle light but I shoot okay with them. In the field I don't really notice it when shooting at game. The .308 tends to jump on the front rest at the range though due to it's lightness. I have to hold the fore end to stop it. I don't mind 20 inches on a barrel but have shied away from 18.5". I've passed up some Model 7s because of the 18.5" length. Maybe other people did too as Remington later went to 20".

Give it a go. They are great to carry in the bush and you don't lose all that much velocity. You may have to alter your shooting style on the bench but that's easy to do.

Im thinking a short 6.5 grendel.

Had 600 and Model 7 in .243 win.
Slightly annoying.
Worse was my Riger #1 RSI in that.
Noticed the blast even when I shot a deer w it
The others were just used varminting.
Had a carbine 742....it too was annoying, but cool (.30-06 ).
Shame it shot like crap

Had a TC Contender 16" in 35 rem. Neat rig, except it looked stupid. If it was a straight bull 18.5" would jave looked better.

.35 rem shorty or 6.5 grendel, would be my picks.
Know nothing about the grendel except it looks physically like a cool cartridge.

Have a G2 Contender that can handle that round and MGM makes bbls for it. Ruger RAR are not expensive so may go that route.

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.

20” is the limit imposed by my ears on 308-based rounds. Even then I get a occasional ear-beating if there’s structure nearby. Like others say, I could maybe see an 18” on a Grendel.

16" bolt gun with a silencer is hard to beat.

Blasphemy, most hunters I know say too much is never enough

18" suppressed .243 A.I. works well for me, also have a 16" .308 suppressed, that handles real well, just like the .243 A.I. more. Rio7

The shortest barrel that I have on a centerfire rifle is 17" on a Winchester 100 in 308 that somebody cut down from 22". It does have both a loud muzzle blast and, in low, dawn/dusk, light conditions, a blinding muzzle flash, but it sure is handy to maneuver through heavy cover when I still-hunt. Muzzle blast is something that you probably would notice when shooting off a bench or inside a blind, but when you're aiming at an animal you're typically concentrating on the animal and will automatically shut out all other environmental factors.

Had a 94 Trapper for many years and used it quite a bit. 16” .30-30 killed well, ears did not approve. Made a few tricky snap shots with it, to include a neck shot on an airborne buck. That said one of my other barrels is 42” and I prefer it here in the swamps.

IMHO, quibbling over a few ounces and inches of barrel is somewhat silly. Balance is a more significant factor.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I had/have a Sav.99 in 308 with 16 1/4" barrel that is a handi little devil. I killed a number of deer with it, my best still hunting was three before noon one day. My nephew was the recipient of the rifle to kill his first deer and for the last 25 years also. I wear ear protection when sighting it and never noticed the sound when killing something with it. I bought it for a C-note in the parking lot of a gun show, one of my better purchases.

I packed a Rem 600 in 223 with a 18" barrel doing control work and varmint hunting long enough to wear out the barrel still shoot it with a 20" 6x45 tube on it.

I have a little Mini Howa in 6.5G with a 20" tube that is really handi hunting coyote on the MC along with a 16" barreled 223 AR, it isn't the barrel that kills the critter it's the bullet that comes out the end of it.


A Mannlicher stocked 18" barreled Mini Mauser in 6.5G would be just a handi little rig and really pretty to boot. I wouldn't turn down one of the little Ruger 77 RSI's as a hunter.

I prefer a short barrel but all mine have mannlicher style stocks. The additional forearm weight balances better for me.

They work well also.

Might want to dig up hunting mag articles on "Scout rifles"

Not including 16” bbl ARs, my 6.8 SPC with 18” barrel is the shortest bolt gun I have and it’s a dream to hunt <200 yards with. I use it for hunting out of climbers and when rattling. It’s been dynamite for many white tails. I’m considering threading the muzzle for a can. My kids will use it shoot their first deer with. Even without the can, the recoil and blast are nonexistent.

I am of the camp that sees little advantage in short barrels on rifles. Any handiness gained by going below 22” or so exists mainly in someone’s mind. If you’re hunting in brush so thick that six inches of barrel makes a difference in how well you can get through, you’re in the wrong place. You won’t be able to see anything, much less shoot at it. I have rifles with barrels as short as 16 inches and as long as 26. Most are somewhere in the middle. I much prefer shooting the longer ones. I find even the couple of 20 inch.223’s I have to be unpleasantly loud.