14" 308 loading for hunting?

[emerson]

Has anyone experimented with different powders and bullet weights to maximize performance without unneeded muzzle blast? Fast powder and light bullets, or slower powder and heavy bullets for a 45-70esc trajectory?

Note: A short barrel hunting rifle is legal if the barrel is produced from a blank by a licensed manufacturer and LOA remains NR legal. No, not cheap, only a few manufacturers around in Canada.

 

[Phantom Power]

If you're going to have a barrel that short you'll need a powder on the faster side to try and keep the velocity loss as manageable as possible I'd think. A slower powder just won't be able to burn completely in a 14" tube.

 

[phishroy]

have a look at the faster burning powders, also may want to consider trail boss for plinking loads.
can also look at H335. let us know how it goes?

 

[AlexF]

Just use the same loads as handgun hunters use, 308 in a less than 14" barrel is nothing new.
You can find pages of load for 308 Win SSP (Single Shot Pistol) in:

• Sierra Reloading Manual #5 pages 339-345
• Nosler Reloading Guide #6 pages 646-650
• Lyman Reloading Handbook pages 429-430.

Alex

 

[rnbra-shooter]

If you're going to have a barrel that short you'll need a powder on the faster side to try and keep the velocity loss as manageable as possible I'd think. A slower powder just won't be able to burn completely in a 14" tube.

Slower burning rifle powders, when used in loads that generate normal full pressure, will be completely burned well before 14" of bullet travel.

 

[2bad4u2]

Note: A short barrel hunting rifle is legal if the barrel is produced from a blank by a licensed manufacturer and LOA remains NR legal. No, not cheap, only a few manufacturers around in Canada.

That's not entirely true. On what basis of law did you arrive at this conclusion?

 

[mmattockx]

That's not entirely true. On what basis of law did you arrive at this conclusion?

What part of it is not true? Manual action centerfires have no barrel length restrictions if the barrel was manufactured at the short length and as long as the rifle is over the minimum OAL of 660mm it will be non-restricted.


Mark

 

[SKScanuck]

What part of it is not true? Manual action centerfires have no barrel length restrictions if the barrel was manufactured at the short length and as long as the rifle is over the minimum OAL of 660mm it will be non-restricted.

I think he only missed the "not semi-auto" part that you picked up on.

 

[2bad4u2]

What part of it is not true? Manual action centerfires have no barrel length restrictions if the barrel was manufactured at the short length and as long as the rifle is over the minimum OAL of 660mm it will be non-restricted.


Mark

I'm well aware of this. I have (2) rifles with short barrels made from barrel blanks. I'm questioning his assertion that you need a licensed manufacturer to create a finished short barrel from a blank.

 

[emerson]

That's not entirely true. On what basis of law did you arrive at this conclusion?

I think he only missed the "not semi-auto" part that you picked up on.

I'm well aware of this. I have (2) rifles with short barrels made from barrel blanks. I'm questioning his assertion that you need a licensed manufacturer to create a finished short barrel from a blank.

It's not a semi auto so thats not something that applies to me
at this point. I don't have the training or tools to turn
a blank into a usable barrel. If you have knowledge to
contribute, please do. It is not helpful to treat me like a
under performing student while withholding the facts that
you are asking me to provide. There are many things I don't
know and even make mistakes.

 

[emerson]

Just use the same loads as handgun hunters use, 308 in a less than 14" barrel is nothing new.
You can find pages of load for 308 Win SSP (Single Shot Pistol) in:

• Sierra Reloading Manual #5 pages 339-345
• Nosler Reloading Guide #6 pages 646-650
• Lyman Reloading Handbook pages 429-430.

Alex

Slower burning rifle powders, when used in loads that generate normal full pressure, will be completely burned well before 14" of bullet travel.

Good points. Thanks. I hadn't thought of the 308 pistol
loads.

 

[emerson]

I'm well aware of this. I have (2) rifles with short barrels made from barrel blanks. I'm questioning his assertion that you need a licensed manufacturer to create a finished short barrel from a blank.

Is a blank a barrel in the legal sense? Or is it only a piece
of metal until finished? It was my understanding that the
making of a short barrel was the legal hurdle to be overcome.
The installation isn't a legal issue unless the firearm changes
class, right?

 

[nanuk]

I recently read someone's communication with the RCMP Firearms section where it seems that the Manufacture part is deemed to be "As long as the barrel is not FINISHED, so also never installed permanently"

ie/ I buy a barrel blank, that is short chambered, and prethreaded. It is NOT finished, and has never been installed. You can finish it how you like.

the only thing they would like to see is a receipt from the supplier, I suppose, to make sure it wasn't a FINISHED barrel, and the "Manufacturing" process was complete

That was my Takeaway from that conversation

There appears to be no restrictions on WHO can do this

but before I do it, I'm going to do some more reading, and asking questions

 

[Suputin]

The biggest problem with the law is once again that it was written by people who haven't got a clue what they were legislating. The RCMP are trying to make sense of a law that doesn't make sense so we end up with ridiculous rules such as this one.

The act of making a barrel always involves cutting that barrel to length.