I recently picked up a late 90s Winchester 70 Classic Stainless in 7mm Mag. It has a 26” barrel. I don’t really care for the handling qualities of a rifle with a barrel that long. Any real downside to chopping the barrel to 24” or even 23” aside from the expected slight loss in velocity?

IMO, a 24" 7RM is perfect. No downside.

Agree.

That's what mine is and I like it.

DF

I have a couple of each, I prefer the 24” barrel

Like many here, I've used both. However, it seems to me that any "real" difference between a 24" and a 26" barrel is so small as to not matter at all.

The 24" gun is easier to maneuver in a blind or such. The small velocity loss is more than off set by improved handling, IMO.

With high performance rounds like the 26 Nosler, I think the extra 2" is worth it, not so much in the 7RM..

DF

My Abolt II has a 24" but also has a Boss. So its basically about 27". I took the Boss off and installed the Boss CR because it was so damn loud. Then this year we added some tower stands and the Boss addition makes the rifle tuff to get in and out of tight areas so I had the local shop make me a standard thread protector so its 24" now. I just haven't shot it yet without the Boss on it to see how it would group.

I like my 24" barrel. Very easy to move around.
I also have a 26" barreled 280ai. I have no problems with it either.
Maybe in certain situations it may be an issue, but even vehicle hunting, it's been easy enough to dismount and get back inside with it riding along side of me.
Don't know about pointing it out the window ? That may get tricky to move it around, and out.

Same here. Don't much care for 26" on a carry rifle. Anything much under 24" and you risk incomplete/inconsistent powder burn, with resultant loss of accuracy, if using factory ammo. Handloaders can alleviate any such issues by using faster powder.

I don't select powder based on 24" or 26" tubes. I pick the most accurate, best performing powder regardless of barrel length.

Unburned powder is going to be there is you don't have the right load combo, regardless of barrel length.

Now, the Fire crowd is gonna get the last fps out a load, you can count on that...

DF

It's a personal preference, but a 26" barrel has never been a problem for me. Can't imagine chopping off 2" would make much of a handling difference, either, even in an enclosed stand. My first centerfire rifle had a 26" barrel, so maybe I am just used to it. And, going from 26" to 24" has minimal affect on velocity for all but the biggest cartridges. To me, 26" vs 24" seems more like gun writer fodder than anything else. But if someone prefers a 24" barrel, then that's what he should have.

JMHO

I have had both and will take the 26-inch every time. I don't find it a detriment to carry around the mountains and I think that it makes attaining the velocity that you want, just that much easier. It would make zero sense to chop off two inches of barrel. Insignificant and won't make it any handier.

You guys would whine like a dull saw blade if you had to handle my 30" barreled 30-338 for a hunt. What the hell I'm atleast 6" closer to the game I shoot than any of 24" fan boys. Yeah I like it wasn't made to be used in the brush or blind anyway. MB

Don Jr's idea of a mtn. rifle.

You guys must think alike...

Tell us more DF, nice looking Dall but that rifle looks like a trophy too. That grin says it all. MB

I have the 26" on my 7 Rem mag A-bolt and I like it.

That is Donald Trump jr.

I have a couple 26" barreled rifles. I much prefer 24". Easy to get through the thick stuff with a 24". It fits in a hard case better and is easier to get in and out of a gun case or the truck.

Yep.

He reportedly has a property in upstate NY where he reloads, shoots LR big rifles.

I don't know the details on his monster mtn rifle, but bet it weighs a bunch. Looks like a big NF scope.

It seemed to work for him.. He's a young hoss, can tote a big gun like that up and down mountains.

Not for me, not young, not a hoss....

DF

Winchester made both 24” and 26” in the classic stainless 7 mm mag - the “featherweight” and all terrain sported the 24”. On the magnums, the barrel profile was the same - just shorter. I prefer the balance of the 24”.

I had the same gun. Bought it as soon as they came back out with the controlled round feed. I just had to have one and used it on a sheep hunt in 1995. That was a mistake. The rifle was just too heavy so I sold it when I returned.

RE Don Jr ... guided vs non also impacts rifle choice. On a solo walk in sheep hunt where you have everything on your back, I suspect even a young hoss like Don Jr would go lighter ... it certainly can be done with a heavy gun; but you probably won’t do it twice.

I went bass ackwards and have a 7RM with a 23" barrel and a 280AI with a 25". I like both but the extra barrel length on the 280AI puts them very close on velocity. Within 50-80 fps depending on bullet weight and load. The 7RM handles nicely but is loud especially at indoor ranges. I would try it at 26" and see if it really is an encumbrance or not. I only notice the difference in heavy brush where a buntline pistol would be too long and in confined spaces like a vehicle or box blind and for this 2" more of barrel doesn't make that much difference. The 23" barrel rides better in a saddle scabbard.

I’ve had 7 Rem Mags with 23, 24 and 26” barrels. I only have the 23” now and prefer it for how I use it. The velocity difference was less than 100 fps between the 3 rifles with my preferred handload of 140 gr bullets over RL22.

I’ve been thinking about trying Reloader 22 in my 7 mags. It is great in a 270 Weatherby

Have been shooting both 24" & 26" barrels for years. Makes no difference to me. Can't see that the extra 2"make any difference in my hunting. For sure I would not waste the money to have my 26" 7 mag cut down to 24". . It shoots great as is. If it ain't broke don't fox it.

Thanks for the all the responses. For most hunting I do I find even a 24" barrel to be a bit too long, but still manageable. I hunt from elevated box blinds a lot and it can be really hard to get a long barrel out the window of the blind without bumping into stuff. A couple of inches of barrel can make a difference in tight quarters.

hanco,
66.0 grains of rldr22, under a 160gr AB, gives me a bit over 3k, out of a 24" barrel.
It's 1 grain over book.
Shoot most excellent.

That’s about par for 22 in the 7 Rem with a 160. Seen it a few times. Great shooting.

It's a consistent shooter too.
This was my first group with that combo at 0.030 off.
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Yep, thats exactly what i saw as well after chopping my 26" barrel to 23". The rifle was exactly like the op's. I absolutely hated the awkwardness of the longer barrel. Loved it as a 23" though.

I have the same rifle as the OP with the exception that it is chambered to the .338 Win. Mag. Recoil on that thing is flat out brutal. With a muzzle brake the barrel is now 28.5" and that damn rifle still hurts. Also, I don't much care for the Tupperware stock that came with the rifle. I'm seriously considering having it rebarreled to 7MM Rem. Mag. and maybe putting it into a McMillan stock. I've never played with the 7MM RM so it could be fun and interesting.
Paul B.

I have both 24 and 26" barreled 7mm Rem Mags. Both are shooters but I prefer the 26" due to a little less perceived blast. The 24 inch is a good all around setup and I would not want it shorter. I have shot 22 and 23 inch barrels in 7mm RM and they are fire breathing, loud dragons, LOL. Anyway, my next 7mm will also have at least 26", maybe even a bit longer.

I've had several 7mm rem mags and tubes of 24", 26" and one 27". When I finally decided to quit messing around and build my forever 7mm mag I put a 24" Bartlein 2B contour on a M70 stainless action. It's perfect and I wouldn't want it any other way. My loads are admittedly slightly stouter than most and exceed any factory ammo velocity out of a 26" barrel. I'm not much for hotrodding rifles but the 7mm rem mag is probably the most underloaded round from the factory that has ever been sold and it suffers from reloading data that's all over the map. One with a custom chamber and long throat like mine can do some pretty good things if you'll take the time to work up with a chronograph. You don't need a 26" barrel to get a significant performance improvement over factory and the 24" is SO much nicer to carry & maneuver in a blind.

Crow hunter brings up a good point. Get it throated for the bullet you will use most. On my long throated 7RM I can use 7mm Weatherby data with no problems and get similar velocities. This will make any velocity loss from a shorter barrel irrelevant. Muzzle blast will still be there. If I were putting together a 7RM I would go for a 25" barrel with the thought I could always cut it back later if I felt the need. I would not go shorter than 23". If I wanted a 22" Barrel I would go 280AI instead of the 7RM.

I would not view it as a downside over a loss of 100 fps, especially if it would fit your needs. But everything is a tradeoff, you will have more blast, but would be handier in a blind or saddle scabbard.

I used to have a 26" #3 and it seemed easier to shoot offhand with muzzle heavy balance and less movement than a short barrel.

I view a 100 fps loss in a magnum cartridge as a negative. At some point you have to ask yourself why you are running a magnum to begin with? I mean if you're just as happy with less velocity get a 280 AI instead.

I bought a used model 70 sporter new haven 7rm with 26” barrel and Tupperware stock several years ago. It had a messed up crown that is the first thing I did was have it cut to 24” and a trigger job and I love it.

Since i have added a mcmillan stock and converted to one piece bottom metal.

This is my go to rifle and feels much better to me with shorter barrel.

Fixed it.

It was right the first time.