Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How short would you go?

I’m buying a Tikka T3X 7-08 that I’m going to use strictly for whitetail from a blind/treestand. I’m going to put a Banish 30 suppressor on it, and want to cut/thread the barrel so it’s not unwieldy. I’m thinking 17-18” so it’s 24” with the suppressor. Does this sound like a good idea? Shots will be under 200 yards

My kids shoot a 16.25” Ruger Frontier and have done plenty of killing past 200 yards. An 18” 7-08 is a handy and deadly rifle…suppressor or not.



I am really digging the 120 NBT in the shorter rifles. Kills well and can get enough speed for point and click trajectories out past where you are talking.

I’ve pondered the same.

Only hitch I’ve run into is I don’t think (based on what I’ve read), that there’s enough meat on a T3 Lite barrel for a 5/8” thread, even when cut back some.

Someone who’s actually done it should chime in shortly.

I just got back an M77 .308 that was cut at 17”. With a 7” can, it’s pretty much at 24” now. It’s not a bad place to be. Many who chop sporters go with 9/16 threads for max strength, as rear direct thread hubs are available for $60-70 and not all barrels are able to go 5/8.

I have a T3 7-08 that I cut to 18” and threaded 5/8-24. It works flawlessly, and is perfect to run a can on. I use a Dead Air Nomad Ti, and at this length everything works perfectly. It’s slower than it was at full length. I lost a bit more speed than I expected, but honestly it still works for the distances you mentioned. With 140’s I’m averaging around 2500 fps. My favorite bullet is the 140 NBT. Great killer even at this speed. I’ve shot 120 NBT’s as well and they averaged 2625. I also think I’ve left a bit of speed on the table because Federal factory loads with the 140 NBT clocked 2640.

Hope this helps!

Sounds about right on those speeds. I have a 16.5" suppressed single shot 7-08 that is making something in the low 2600s with a 145gr Speer and H4350. It made right at 2700 in a 20" rifle.

I'd not sweat a hundred fps either way. Factory 150/165 loads in 16" AR10 rifles kill a ton of pigs every year and they are not turning up high velocities.

I like a 308 at 20" suppressed but can't see why 18" would not be ok. I use the Harvester EVO which is about 6" long.

I'm sending off a Howa 6 ARC for the chop. I pretty much go 17 inches on everything now; part of the reason is to leave an inch of 'insurance' barrel in case it gets screwed up or you need to have it rethreaded due to thread damage etc.

Have 2 Tikkas threaded with collar and there is no problem at all.

Who does your work with the collars? It seems not that many smiths will.

Jpro,

I had my last one done here. https://adcofirearms.com/shop/gunsmithing/barrel-threading-gunsmithing/add-tapered-shoulder/

Appreciate that. I wasn't sure if they were doing bolt actions.

I favor Barrel lengths of 16"-18" which typically results in an OAL of +/- 42".



Kimber Hunter, 280 AI, 17" Bbl., Dead Air Nomad 30 (7" OAL)



Left: Ar-15, 300 Hammr, Wilson Combat BBl @ 18' OAL, AB Bravo Raptor

Right: Sig Cross, 308 Win. 16" BBL, Dead Air Nomad 30.



Works great out of a blind or tripod/quadpod










Hog Panel is 34" high for perspective.

ya!

GWB

18” is my max on a non-mag. Personally, I’d trim that 7-08 to 16” and commence to slaying.

22" for me. I don't like muzzle blast, and longer holds steadier.

No blast with a can as stated.

I try to match the length of my barrels to the max range for those guns, examples I hunt bear every Spring in Canada most of the time in deep woods over bait. My primary baited bear gun is a 9.3x62 backup a 375 Ruger both sport 18 inch barrels. Sometimes I go spot and stalk where the distances can get much greater than over bait and I either use a 300 PRC or 30-06 with 22-inch barrels and a little more power on the high end of the scopes than the bait guns.

I have taken the 300 PRC out to 100 yards accurately so the 22-inch barrel is not a handicap on that gun. 1000 yards is about twice the distance I hope to ever take a shot on a large animal.

My two cents,
wade

I agree .... 20 or 22" overall is handy enough for stand hunting and still useable for other applications. One might want it shorter if they were out in close bush hunting but even then 22" works fine.

The days of chasing velocity appear to be over.

Shorter barrels with cans has made a believer out of me.

Leave the barrel alone and no can. Save the money buy some hearing protection. Your in a blind so why a can?