Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 30-06 20" barrel

Damn...that rifle would have only been about 33" end to end (given a normal LOP). I imagine it was so handy you could have twirled it like a baton.

Looking at a Ruger 77 RSI 30-06 18 1/2 in.barrel

I had a 270 with an 18" barrel, kind of a hair straightener.

My 7600 is loud. I would agree with tzone in that it isn't excessive but it borders on obnoxious.

I passed on a Ruger ultra light in 270 Winchester with a gorgeous wood stock, because it had such a short barrel. I used to have a Remington 600 in 6.5 Remington magnum and I just couldn't see enjoying the short Ruger 270 one bit more than I enjoyed the 6.5mg. Even with hearing protection the ball of fire and the blast from that short barrel gave me a flinch that took a long time to get over.

A 20" 30-06 is a very handy rifle, but by comparison, a 18 1/2" 308 doesn't leave much on the table for most tasks the '06 would be called upon to do, and with factory loads likely no difference at all.

308 and Carbine are like lemon and lime.

One can find a RAR Compact in stainless so configured.

With all the talk I decided to chopped the Sears model 53 30-06 barrel to 20" and the outcome was great. Hacksaw, file, round grinding stone, and a brass screw. Very please with the results. I loaded up my favorite hunting ammo with Barnes 168 TSX, Lapua brass, CCI-200 primer, and 57.0grs H4350.Not the fastest, but accurate.

1-Load was .050" off. Speed ( 2705, 2710, 2699)

2-Load was .090" off. Speed ( 2650, 2660, 2658). These I had laying around from previous 06.




.050 off - 1" group.


.090" off - 5/8" group

meant to say i really like the sako . i also have a rem 700 mtn rifle, 22" barrel 30-06; 6.5 pounds, attractive, light, handy.

I've had 30-06's with 18.5, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24" bbl's. Personally anymore, I'd not go below 21"... It does make a difference on the ears.

21-23" for me with the 30-06, and 20" is the absolute minimum I'd recommend, but I wouldn't want one for myself.

Here's a 21" bbl'd 30-06"

trail you are going to love that rifle. a game getter.

I have a Ruger SS Hawkeye UL in 30-06 with a 20" barrel. When I bought it, I was looking for a 308 but found a smoking deal on this one in 30-06. Its never leaving my stable..........

I don't find it to be any louder than longer barrel models. I do find it very, very handy. I get within 125 ft/sec of previous 24" barrel 30-06's I've had. My current loads net me 308 win vels from a 24" gun. I get 2850 with 150's and 2650 with 180's. I can get another 50 ft/sec on those vels but my gun shoots better at 2850/2650. Last year I found a 180 Horn IL load and will likely just use that one forever from deer to bear. At the end of the day, its just a bullet flinger - but in a short handy package that is very shootable.

I have one as well in the old boat paddle stock. I want to be buried with that rifle!

22" on a 30-06 has about the same noise to me as a 20" 308. I wouldn't want more blast myself.

The velocity difference between a 24" barrel and a 20" barrel is about -100fps. If that bothers anyone Hornaday Superperformance ammo will make up the velocity difference.

I don't like muzzle blast. 22" minimum for me, with 24" perfectly fine. I can walk around looking for grouse all day with a 28" 20 gauge 870, so I don't think a 24" rifle is that much of a bother. Holds steadier, more comfy to shoot.

LMAO... Consider yourself blessed..

I purchased a M70 in .30-06 that came with the factory 24" barrel. I dropped it into a McMillan Hunter's Edge Compact and had Redneck chop the barrel back to 20". With Talley LWs and a VX-III 2.5-8x36 the weight comes to 7.5lbs and is right lively in the hand. I was crunched for time so didn't do much load development for the 2013-2014 hunting season--I just threw some Hornady 165gr IL's together with some IMR 4350. There was no change in accuracy. Speed was only about 2700fps but the deer didn't complain.

Still have the rifle...but I had IT&D rebarrel it last summer to a 6.5x55. I had him match the contour and length and I have NO regrets.

I do plan on picking up another .30-06 at some point and I plan on creating an exact duplicate to the one I had rebarreled. IF id did anything differently I may go with a 22" Featherweight contour but I am still on the fence about that one.