.308 Bush Gun Barrel Lenght Question.

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North60

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Looking at a short barrel bush gun in .308, and trying to decide between 16” or 18” barrel. I’ve narrowed it down to either Ruger Scout / Ranch / Predator . Just need to hear some feedback on pros and cons if any on the two lengths available.
Thanks
 
I think 18" is plenty short for a short barrel bush rifle in .308
Going down to 16" doesn't save much weight and will certainly increase the noise level for the shooter and adversely effect the rifle balance in my opinion.
 
kc34 said:
I think 18" is plenty short for a short barrel bush rifle in .308
Going down to 16" doesn't save much weight and will certainly increase the noise level for the shooter and adversely effect the rifle balance in my opinion.
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I’m kinda leaning towards the 18” for the reasons you mentioned.
 
Hard to beat the 20" barrel length that has been proven so handy in the brush on several different makes and models over the past 100+ years...
Such as the Winchester Model 94's, Marlin lever actions, Savage Model 99's, Browning BLR's, etc. as well as many different bolt action carbines and full length stocked models that have been made.

You still get, short, light and handy, well balanced rifle, while not losing more of the 308's velocity and energy by going shorter, burning more of the powder in the barrel vs a larger muzzle blast/flash that will obscure your target in the dark brush and less lighted hunting conditions, which will be made worse on dark targets such as moose or bears, and as mentioned above, more noise closer to you the shooter that will affect your hearing. You will also lighten the rifle and increase felt recoil.
 
I built a 14" barrel for my Savage. According to Quickload, the muzzle pressure is around 13,000 psi with most loads which is similar to a 24" 7mm Rem Mag. I like the stubby barrel :). 16" will be perfectly fine.
 
I just got a Ruger Scout today with an 18.5" barrel and I'm already in love with it. Handles and feels nice, balance is perfectly over the front action screw. Heading out to the range tomorrow to try it out.
 
16 GSR for me

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I have had .308 Carbines in barrel lengths from 16" - 20"... IMO, 18" is the best balance of compact handling versus feel and performance. 18" is short enough to sling over one shoulder and duck branches without catching the muzzle, you can swing in tight spaces without hanging up, but you also still get good balance and enough velocity to make longer shots if necessary... it makes the rifle more versatile... it probably also will maintain a little more value and appeal for the general market over a 16" barrelled version if you ever end up selling it. I have had 16" barrelled .308 rifles in the M77 MKII Compact and M77 MKII Frontier rifles, and while they are handy, they seemed unnecessarily short when put into use in the woods. A 20" carbine is an option that you probably find satisfactory for handling, with better performance for longer shots... but if you are busting a lot of thick brush where you do a lot of ducking, I would fall back to 18". What platform are you building your carbine on... or are you just cutting back a rifle? If you are bobbing, you are limited to 18" anyway.
 
It should be whatever you shoot best with. Try several out, the results may surprise you. Got a friend who lugs around an almost 10lb gun simply because he is out to do a very specific thing - shoot. And he wants to ensure his shot counts and its the best shot he is able to make. And that best shot is in that 10lb gun. Not one he bought just because it was 2 or 3lbs lighter but his groups open way up with. Of course, he could practice more with the lighter gun, but that is for a different conversation.

Height and physical fitness also apply here. Someone who is 6'6'' will find a 20'' barrel the same as a guy is 5'5'' finds a 16'' barrel (maybe even better) so that plays a role as well.
 
hoytcanon said:
I have had .308 Carbines in barrel lengths from 16" - 20"... IMO, 18" is the best balance of compact handling versus feel and performance. 18" is short enough to sling over one shoulder and duck branches without catching the muzzle, you can swing in tight spaces without hanging up, but you also still get good balance and enough velocity to make longer shots if necessary... it makes the rifle more versatile... it probably also will maintain a little more value and appeal for the general market over a 16" barrelled version if you ever end up selling it. I have had 16" barrelled .308 rifles in the M77 MKII Compact and M77 MKII Frontier rifles, and while they are handy, they seemed unnecessarily short when put into use in the woods. A 20" carbine is an option that you probably find satisfactory for handling, with better performance for longer shots... but if you are busting a lot of thick brush where you do a lot of ducking, I would fall back to 18". What platform are you building your carbine on... or are you just cutting back a rifle? If you are bobbing, you are limited to 18" anyway.
Click to expand...

I was originally leaning towards the Ruger Scout but have decided either the Ruger Ranch 16" or The Ruger Predator 18", with the difference in cost between these and the Scout I will be able to put a decent scope / sling / and ammo Pkg for the same or less $. I think I'm leaning towards the Predator 18" as they now come with the AI-style Magazine, so i can also have some fun at the range. I have a Ranch in .223 and I think they are great working guns for the price and I'm not concerned about scratches or getting a little roughed up in the bush.Although most shots will be less than 150 yards I think the 18" will be better if The opportunity arises for a longer shot ( in my comfort range)
 
16" or shorter imo, bush gun doesn't need to make long distance shots so I would rather a shorter OAL for fast snag free handling in the the brush
 
A rifle is only as useful as the sum of its parts, so there is more to improving usefulness than simply adjusting the length of the barrel. Barrel contour should be considered along with the weight of the stock to optimize balance so that quick handling, target acquisition, and holding are not adversely affected. A well balanced 26" barreled rifle is superior to a poorly balanced carbine. This can be proven by handling an early K98 Mauser, which had a reputation of being a well balanced, accurate rifle that was easy to shoot well despite it's unfortunate sights. Climbing a mountain in search of goats is the province of very light rifles, but actual marksmanship is easier with a rifle of nominal weight. I have a .308 target rifle that weights in the neighborhood of 20 pounds; it can shoot the eyes out of a flee at a half mile, but it is all but impossible to shoot this thing effectively from unsupported positions, and hit anything within any reasonable time constraint. Therefore it is only really useful for shooting flees at a half mile from a stable platform. Then again I had a Weatherby MK V Ultralight in .25-06, which despite its desirability as a goat rifle, and despite a longish 24" barrel, had such a light barrel contour that the rifle was slow to get on target, and except when fired from a very solid supported position, was impossible to hold on target. My 22" .375 Ultra is quicker handling, quicker to get on target, and is faster to break the shot, because once it settles on target, it doesn't bounce around very much. If a very short barrel length alone becomes the overwhelming consideration when choosing a rifle, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment.
 
Where I hunt in central Ontario, I find a bolt action with a 20" barrel just about perfect for the mix of bush and meadow I hunt. I've got a couple semis with 18.5" barrels also but those are used when I'm dogging and the cartridges they're chambered in, a 44 mag and 7.62x39 mean they're not too obnoxious when fired through those short barrels.
 
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