I've got one of the little Ruger compact MKII's in 223 with the 16.5" barrel and ~12" LOP, excellent truck gun. The rifle really fits my Mom and I was thinking about getting her one as a surprise. She already has a 223, so I've been looking at 243's and 7/08's. The muzzle blast on my 223 is pretty noticeable, does anyone here know how bad either of the larger calibers would be compared to the 223? I can load the 7/08 down to suit her, but I'm not looking for a flamethrower.

Thanks.

Based on my experience with 18.5" 243 and 308's, I'd be betting on a flamethrower with a 16.5" spout. I prefer 20", give or take an inch, when using the 7mm-08 or 308.

I agree. find a used ultralite with the 20 inch barrel.

I bought a used Savage once because it has an IOR scope on it and the package was priced less than scope was worth.
It was a 300win mag with a varmint contour barrel chopped to 16 inches.
Its still sitting in my closet if anyone wants to make an offer.

Thanks, I appreciate the responses.

I had a 308 Savage Scout cut to 17". It looked like a 202 Flash when you touched it off, IE a BALL of fire.

I had one of the compact Laminates in .308. It was LOUD.

For some reason the campfire motto is shorter is better. I cannot see any barrel shorter than 22" on a big game rifle.

BOOM...RING...WHAT?

20" is not too much of a boomer when burning 40-45gr of powder, but I'd not want it with more case capacity. My father has a 20" 350RM and is running 60+ grains of TAC. He claims it is a lot louder than our 20" guns in 7mm-08 and 308.

For me, things do not get "loud" until you go shorter than 18"...

I could easily rock a 20" on a BG rifle...

Eargensplittenloudenboomer #2 , what.

Gunner

I have a 20" 223 and it is too loud. My 204, 22-250AI, and soon to be 6.5-06 all have 24" tubes. The 7mm-08 is no speed demon to begin with.

My 16.5" is plenty loud, but it's just so handy to toss around the pickup or cab of a tractor. Went coyote hunting one night with a friend, after I shot his response was something along the lines of "What the h*ll was that?".

CFVA, sounds like you already have the answer you need. Nothing wrong with a short bbl if it is strictly a hunting rifle and you want it to be handy. A shot once in a while at critters will be OK....maybe not fun, but OK.

If the thing is intended to be shot a lot for hunting, practice, or fun, go with with a heavier rifle with a longer bbl.

my wife's Ruger compact with a 16 1/2 inch barrel works fine, a little load.

.............CFVA,,,,,,,Whether a 16.5" barrel length, an 18", a 19" or a 20" barrel length it is still gonna be loud. Ear protection should always be worn on the range and in the field regardless of tube length.

Because your Ruger compact fits your mom well, it appears that you have already evaluated what would the best rifle OAL which your mom can best handle. If a 20" to 24" barreled rifle (40" to 44"-45" of OAL) with a longer LOP is something she won`t be happy with where comfort, manuverability and handling are concerned, then any additional noise levels could be a moot point with her.

From my experience and as you are aware of as well, the Ruger compact @ 35.5" OAL is excellent handling and is an ideal carry around rifle/truck gun. I have owned a Ruger Frontier MK2 for 6 years.

But as with anything including compact rifles too there are trade-offs. While your mom may gain the ideal OA rifle length that best suits her with a Ruger compact, she will also need to deal with some higher noise levels. Has she fired yours yet? If not, then she can and should without you exposing the surprise. If she feels ok firing your 223, then go for the 7/08 Ruger compact.

My hearing is still excellent after all these years because I have always have worn good protection even when hunting whether it be convenient or inconvenient.

If it`s any consolation where extra noise is concerned, here is a link showing the identical Ruger Frontier as mine with the same chambering. Compared to mine, the 7/08 should be a puddycat.

www.gunblast.com/Ruger_FrontierRifle.htm

I like the 20" length for a short & handy rifle. I just bought a Browning X-Bolt Micro-Hunter in 7mm-08, 20".

i have 7mm-08s in 18" and 20". i like them both.

I've got the Ruger compact in .308 and it is kinda noisy and does pop the shoulder a little more but I wouldn't trade it for nothin. It's a shooting little SOB

I have the exact rifle you are asking about in 7-08 Rem. I LOVE it! It is an absolutely fantastic little rifle. I do not consider it to be any louder than most any other hunting rifle I've shot. It certainly is much quieter than my .264 Win Mag. ;-)

I've never thought it to be an excessive flamethrower either.

Interestingly, my chronograph shows that the drop to the 16.5" barrel only lost me just barely over 3% of the velocity figures given in the manual.

I'm with JPro on 20"s being a magic number, but like Toad says, I like both, or in this case (All 3!!!).

All 35 Remingtons. Strangely the little 600 doesn't seem any louder than the Model 7. The action on the 7600 is so long it compensates for the 16.5" barrel.

Top: 20", Middle 18 1/2", Bottom 16.5".







I know.... it's a sickness. (Actually 3 daughters, 3 SIL's, 3 grandchillin, with another on the way.)

DMc

20" is where I would look, give or take an inch or two.

They balance well and are a good compromise of length/noise/velocity.


Any 06' case with a muzzle break will really leave your ears a ringin'. Like getting slapped with two phone books. My 708 is not too loud, but my ears do ring afterwards for a short while.

That's what I was looking for, thanks!

She's shot my 223 plenty, and never really complained about it much - aside from the time she shot a coyote from her covered carport. If the 7/08 is in the same general noise range, it won't be a problem. Otherwise, I'll look for a 20" barrel and see how it fits her. Kind of a tossup between the Compact and the old tang safety Ultralights, whichever pops up cheapest in an interesting caliber I reckon.

You might consider the various youth models available in different brands. I will comment on the Howa, which I have in .243 Winchester. The Youth models will have a shorter LOP, typically a 20" barrel, and usually top out in 7-08.

The Howa seems to be more than accurate enough, and the only thing I felt needed replacing was the trigger. The standard trigger was usable, but the Timney was an improvement. The weight of the rifle is nice, not the lightest, but certainly not the heaviest.

Having shot several different Thompson Encore rifle cartridge chambered 16.25" barreled short rifles and pistols I can say that there is a very significant muzzle blast that comes with shooting them.

I think you're crazy to shoot ANY centerfire rifle or pistol without quality hearing protection in place for every single shot...

The cumulative damage to one's hearing over a lifetime of hunting and shooting is nothing to take lightly.

I've found that the reduced velocity that comes with a shortened barrel such as a rifle with 16.25" barrel (any shorter and it's illegal to possess without a special federal permit)is more than worth it because these rifles almost always shoot more accurately since a huge portion of accuracy problems are caused by barrel whip.

Barrel whip is greatly reduced as barrels become shorter and 16.25" is quite a nice sweet spot.

I have several carbines with 20" barrels that I'd LOVE to shorten to either 18" or 16.25" but don't want to lessen their sale or trade value in the future if I decide (once again) to change my cartridge focus...

$bob$

LDH - It's funny you should mention the thought of the shorter barrels being more accurate. I've got two other 223's, one with a 22" barrel and the other is either 20" or 22". The 16.5" rifle is the only one which is particular about handloads, a half grain either way will take it from a .6" rifle to a 2"+ rifle. It's been bedded but I left the forearm pressure at the advice of a friend who has some Ruger experience.

My Ruger RSI 77 Stainless 7mm-08 has the 18 1/2 in. barrel
It is a little louder than my std 30-06.
AMRA