Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Barrel for 7mm-08

Any recommendations on a barrel for a 7-08?? I thought about a Douglas chrome moly, in a 1-9” twist. It was recommended about 24” in length. Does that sound about right?? This will be put on a Howa 1500 short action and I plan to shoot about 140s out of it.

Someone educate me bc I am not the expert. I have heard everything from a #2 contour to a bull barrel to a feather weight. Also someone mentioned doing something the same as a Remington 700 contour. Any and all recommendations are welcome. Thanks guys!!

How are you going to use it?

How do you want it to handle?

Hard to not like a Bartlein 2b contour finished at something like 22"-22.5" with no more than a 1" shank. For twist anywhere from 1-8 to 1-9 should work, think the 2b's come in 1-8.7 when you find them over on Bugholes barrels.

I like #2 and #3 hart and douglas contours....your going to get all kinds of answers to this question
do you want a stainless or chrome moly barrel...may decide your maker and contour question
22,23 or 24 in length they all work....you shooting from a tree stand or shooting house

Assuming it's for a hunting rifle? It would be hard not to go with a Douglas. But I'd have no interest in a 24" barreled 7/08. Be much more interested in a 22" spout.

I have a XX on a .308 that shoots fantastic. Turn around time was < 2 weeks. Mine is on a 700 action in the factory sporter contour and is 22".

Waiting for the "But they don't handlap their barrels"

150g Interlock
168gSMK
150gInterlock
150gInterlock

That's a shooter!

I want it to handle like a normal hunting rifle…. I tend to sit in a blind. I don’t really stalk and shoot…

Nice groups but what is a 22” spout? And, a XX on a .308?? What is an XX and 22” spout.??

Shoot from a deer stand or “bench rest”. I would want chrome moly so I could have it coated. Not much difference between that and the SS, other than the chrome moly might take longer to break in…

Spout = barrel....22" barrel

XX is a grade of Douglas barrel.

Thank you for the clarification. I’m only 37 years old and I still have a lot to learn. I don’t know a whole lot.

No worries. Gotta start somewhere sometime. Here is what a factory 700 sporter contour looks like.

Measures .610 at the muzzle. Which on a general purpose hunting rifle is about perfect to me.




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do you have a stock already if not what do you plan to use

That's the easy button!

Stainless can be coated.

Right now, all I have for the stock it’s just a factory Hoge. I thought about looking at HS, precision, bell, and Carlson, or maybe avoid stock possibly…? any recommendations are welcome!!

If it's in the budget...a McMillan would be the way I'd roll as I'm a stickler for checkering on a rifle stock.

I can however live with a B&C. I'd ditch the hogue idea. Never could warm up to them.

For some great ideas and a fantastic build you might want to look at the Shaen Rifle build thread, that one nails it all the way. And if/when you are ready to rebarrel I'd send it to Shaen to do his 7MM-08 magic

Dandy little hammer Gary 👊🏻

Having shot a 7-08 for almost 20 years now, I would recommend no longer than a 22" barrel. 20" is my preference, especially for blind or treestand hunting. Any of the major barrel manufacturers will work for what you intend to do with it. McGowen, Douglas, Bartlein, Rock Hill, Wilson, Shilen, Brux, Krieger, and Hawk Hiill, just to name a few. You will have to decide what you are comfortable spending, but for a hunting gun, you honestly don't need benchrest accuracy. I am not saying that all of the barrels listed above will perform to the same level (you get what you pay for), but for a gun that most likely never going to shoot past 300 yards and those shots are going to be at deer-sized targets, a good barrel will do you just fine. No need for great.

All of the above answers are correct as well, but just keep in mind that there is nothing us gun-nuts like more than spending other people's money.

Thanks Jud.....it's been a goodin'.

A Remington sporter contour (or similar) would be fine for that application. Heavy enough to be steady without being overly portly.

When I can't decide between 22" and 24", I go 23". Always seems to work fine.

You need to be careful with your barrel contour choice because a custom contour may not fit the stock of your choice unless your custom order a stock and give them the barrel specs. If you go with a Remington Sporter contour for example, you can more easily find a stock to fit unmodified. I have used Douglas barrels in the past with good results, they will even pull your barrel and install a new one, saving you time and money with a smith. The last rebarrel I did was a Douglas, my smith ordered a blank from them chambered it himself. The only downside to a factory contour is they typically don't look as sexy as custom contour. Good luck!

I'd go stainless and factory Howa/Vanguard sporter contour to make stock fitting easy. But I'd also be cutting it back to 19" or so and putting a short/light suppressor on it, so I'd have the barrel maker spin me up a blank with a flare at my desired muzzle length so that I could use 5/8" threads.

This 700 has a Hart barrel with Rem std sporter contour, built by Bobby Hart. Timney.

I put it in a McM Hunter's Edge, glassed it unpainted, sent it back to McM for paint.

DF

I suggest a 22” barrel and do NOT go heavy on contour!

A Hart number 2 would be great for a 7mm-08 hunting rifle.

Get a #2 or 3 Hart and chop it @ 23” youll be super happy!

One nice thing about a 24" is that you can set the barrel back two inches and re-chamber after the throat is shot.

I've always thought the Remington Sporter contour was just about the perfect hunting contour for a barrel. I've also really liked a 24" or longer barrel because I like a little weight out front to help with offhand shooting. Seems to work for me.

A good stiff stock is never a bad thing and there are lots to choose from these days. If you're on a budget try to find a used B&C stock . They are pretty stiff and great stocks for the money spent. In your scenario, hunting from a stand in a dry climate a wood stock wouldn't be a bad idea an probably available for quite a bit less money than the high end glass stocks. Laminates are exceptionally stable but sometimes a bit heavier than a standard wood stock.

Good luck picking out the best ideas from this thread to build your rifle- lots of great ideas on this thread from guys with lots of experience...

If you send the action to Douglas to have a barrel fitted, it will get an "XX" grade barrel. Chamber Marking will look like the image below. I dropped this action off at Douglas on 9/27/2022. Brown truck delivered to my door yesterday 10/13/2022. 16 days total.

Good to know... Thanks

I have a 7mm-08 on a REM600 action. It is a Douglas #1 finished at 21" with a 1.25" shank. It is light, shoots well and has scored a lot of deer for me and an elk too. It is a great round. In the 20 years I have had it, I am always happy I went with 21 inches. It is handy in the thick stuff and really does not give up much speed. It is the location, not the speed (within reason) in which the bullets hits is what kills. I prefer the #1 or #2 contour and the Remington Mountain Rifle and Sporter contours. I like lighter rifles.

When you communicate details on the build you need to specify finished length, shank length, brand, contour and CM or SS. The shank length gets left off and the builder leaves it way too long IMO. Having it too long adds a lot of weight that just cannot be easily or cheaply removed.

My sons is similar other than barrel.
700 youth, McMillan hunters edge, timney, milled follower, conquest 3-9x. 140sgk’s over RL15.

He’s killed deer, Turkey and black bear with it.

Great pic.
👍

Several years ago I put a #3 Douglas XX Air gauged barrel on a Ruger 77 tang safety, finished it at 21" and put it in a McMillan stock they made for the Ruger Ultralight. One of my best friends talked me into trading it to him for another rifle. It is still his main Whitetail rifle. He has to wrestle it from his wife so he can use it. My purpose was to build the perfect Whitetail rifle and If I didn't nail it I came very very close. I would suggest a #3 finished at 21".
Good Luck,
Rick

My 7-08 wears a Fluted Lilja at 24" Bansner built Ultimate One. I mostly shoot barnes 120's or 140's out of it. I wouldn't hesitate on a Hart either have a few of them on other rifles . Never felt it was to long . Mt goat to the deer stand it's been my go to rifle.

If I was replacing my 7-08's tube, it'd be a damn light sporter and 22"

I've got two Rem M7's 7-08's with short little factory pencil barrels and they both flat shoot anything I feed them. Very light and handy. Stand or blind hunting doesn't put a premium on weight IMO so I would go with something about .575"-.600" at the muzzle and no more than 22" long. 20" would be plenty and keep the rifle pretty handy. The extra few ounces in the barrel will make it a bit nicer to shoot from the bench. Throw the manufacturers names in a hat and pick one if you don't already have a favorite. They'll all make nice barrels. I'm lucky having several barrel-makers very close to me and have used a bunch of Kreiger barrels. But I think I am going with a Hart or Brux on the next hunting rifle project.

I put a 20" stainless Shilen Match grade #1 taper barrel on my 7mm-08 and in retrospect, I would put a #2 on it keeping that same 20 or a 21" if I had to do it all over again. There is a 24" #1 taper on my 7mm RM and while that length is great for the bigger 7, it hits every tree limb climbing into my tree stand.

Here's my idea of a blind/stand rifle, but in .260Rem.

Rem M7, 20" Bartlein 2B "Profile" fluted (it's a PacNor 3groove) it's a little over .630 at the muzzle and goes 7lbs 8 ounces all up in the manners stock, with VX3HD 2.5-8x36:







It's stainless with Graphite Black Cerakote

IF I had to do it over again, I'd have the shank cut down to about 3/4" or 1". This is a 1.5" as I was worried about the balance with the 2B and light stock. I've got a Bartlein 2B sitting on the shelf now that will go onto a 700 in .300WM this spring.

Really, it just depends on what you want.

For an all around rifle, east & west, sitting or walking, short range, long range, I like a light rifle with a light barrel contour.

My favorite 7-08 is a Rem Ti with a MR contour barrel at 22"..........I have zero need & no desire for a 24" barrel.

Pick who's ever barrel you like & get a FWT or MR contour with a short shank & .560"-.600" max diameter at 22".............that barrel will weigh 2-2.25 lb.

Douglas, PacNor & others too many to mention all do a great job depending on whether you prefer CM or SS. Douglas & PacNor are still fairly reasonably priced compared to some of the more boutique-like suppliers. Your money............Bartlien is top of the heap, IMO, Rock Creek is also outstanding, just harder to get what you might want from some of them.

Again with Douglas & PacNor, you can actually get what you want.

Here's a pic of a Rem Ti 700 in 7-08.

MM

I'd go lightweight 22" myself. Perfect balance and weight for a 7mm08:


This one is a hair over 7 pounds as shown. Plenty good for any critter out to further than most can shoot.

I'd also go stainless personally.