Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Considering a shorty 308, 18" or 20"?

Thinking about another custom in 308. I'm considering a #4 brux 10 twist cut at 18" or 20". I'm going just large enough contour to thread it for a can and have enough shoulder for the can to seat. Pretty sure a 4 will get me there.

I've got some ptg bottom metal for AI style mags for it and will probably just run a B&C sporter stock with the aluminum bedding block. I'm wanting to run it 18" but several people are saying to go at least 20". I don't think I'll lose more than 30-50 fps going 18 over 20 and figure it will balance a little better since a # 4 is a bit heavy for a sporter. Anyone running a shorty 308?

Bb

In a 308 or 7mm-08, build a 20" using a Brux or Bartlein #3 contour and live happily ever after.

My shortest of the several .308s, I have had over the past 49+ years of my rifle ownership was 20" in BLRs. I had 22" in a P-64-70-fwt. and MUCH preferred that length.

I have/am culling my guns to as few as I can and am down to only two .308s, a Browning-Miroku Mod. 7500-.308x12 combo gun, an O/U, of course and a custom, lightened, Classic-70 short STS Fwt. in a Micky Edge, 6-10, all up, at 22". These, for ME, are THE most useful .308s, one of the truely MOST practical, functional cartridges available, but, in any case, I would never go below 20" and would go 21" by choice in any more customs so chambered.

Just what I like, each to his own.

Just look for a used Model 70 Classic Compact SA in .308 and save yourself a lot of money. I have had one for years and except for a few minor details I cannot think of a better (IMHO) Whitetail Rifle.

Light, easy to carry, and quite accurate once you get the load figured out.

I believe the barrel is 20 inches in the featherweight design.

A fantastic little rifle, and a lot cheaper than what you are talking about.

I'm pretty much with Kute on this one.

The 308 is my favorite round, and I've had them at 18.5, 19, 20, 22 and 24".

I'd not go below 20" and frankly wouldn't do that anymore. In your shoes I'd go 21" if I wanted something a bit shorter/different than the normal 22 or 24".

Just my way...

That is not even close to what he is planning to build.

Before you decide, first check out Remington's SPS Tactical in the threaded 16.25" barrels. I bought one in .223 and loved it, so I bought a second one in .300 blackout. With your can on, it is still carbine length. And historically, I am a heavy 26" barrel kind of guy. Depending upon what you are going to use it for it might be more accurate than a longer barrel with not too much velocity loss difference. I also have a Remington .223 5R with the threaded 20" barrel, and like the 16" so much better. Besides all of the other wonderful handling attributes, driving and shooting at crows and groundhogs from inside the truck is nearly nirvana.

I've not generally had good luck with factory chambered Remington's in 308. I know some people have had some that shoot but the ones I have tried have not. The factory chambers have a lot more freebore and looser necks and throats than I'm looking for. Otherwise the sps tactical is pretty close to what I'm after. Just thinking a little lighter barrel and tighter chamber would suit me better.

Bb

Not sexy but I have 2-Savages that make 1 hole at 100 yards with aanthing you put in them. They are both 20" barrels and hit 2700 plus with 168's. One of the new Lightweight Hunters would fit the bill.

Don't go below 20"

I'm with Kute and Brad on this one. I've had 308's in 18.5, 20, and 22, and I'd definitely not go back to 18.5.

22" for me, but I could put up with 20" if circumstances pointed that way.

Nonsense. 16.5 inches gets me 2650 with lake city brass, 44.3 Varget and 168gr nosler custom competition. The Nosler 150 BT's are even faster.

I consider my little Ruger Gunsite Scout with its 18" barrel to about perfect for hunting out of a blind in Tx. And it's a friggin tack driver too. Out shoots most of my expensive custom rifles. 1/2" 5 shot 100 yard groups with 150gr Coreloks!
I've also owned several .308's with 20" barrels. Plenty of velocity in that caliber for me.

Another man wiser than me on another forum once said:

The 7.62x51 was made for a 22" 1:12" twist barrel, but at 16" you are running somewhere around 95% efficient. While you can get more velocity from a longer barrel, depending on the application, you may not need it. And don't discount that one of the reasons barrels were longer was for the extended sight radius. With optics, heavier projectiles and faster twist barrels you can achieve as much as Olin did with ball powder when they developed the round to replace the 30-06.

Now back to short guns!

A nice 14 page discussion on the very subject with a lot of nice examples:

http://forum.snipershide.com/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/76996-16-18-inch-shorty-rifles.html

I used to be a carbine nut... but I've come to value my hearing more and more, hence my preference for a 22" bbl on the 308.

Short barrels are LOUD.

I had a 700 Tactical 16.5" 308 (85538) and got 2524fps with 168gr Hornady TAP, confirmed on steel at 900yd.

I currently have a Savage with a McGowen 20" 1:8 260 barrel, and with 43.0gr H4350 and a 140gr Hornady HPBT get 2700fps. I sold a 26" Criterion 260 barrel that 42.9gr got me 2820fps, so for 20fps/inch I say its a great tradeoff.

sgtsmmiii,

That is quite a thread on short barreled rifles! Thanks for the link.

Does that mean I spend too much time on the rifle / hunting / shooting internet forums?

No problem - it's always nice to see what others are doing with the same intentions.

I have to make a correction I went and looked in my log book, the Nosler 168's are at 2620fps and the 150 BT's are at 2659fps.

I have my shorty in the snipers hide thread, built by John Beanland.

My lack of enthusiasm for short barrels on any of my rifles comes from not only nearly 56 years of shooting, but, also from what/where my particular rifles are used to do.

I am also VERY sensitive to NOISE, it really bothers me and I started shooting big guns, .338WMs, long before "muffs",etc. were available in small town BC where I lived and my wilderness work was based from. So, I want 2700ish from my 180 NP loads and I want a less noisy rifle, ergo, 22" and all is copacetic.