Yesterday at the range, chrony was up for loads devellopement and we 22, 24 26 300 mag all shot the same ammo over the crhony ,the biggest difference was between 22 and 24 inch .... 85 fps, betwen 24 and 26 it was almost on par maybe 7 or 8 fps difference, so i would say after 24 inchs it do not really matter, it is negligible... JP.
26" vs 24" barrel for 300 win mag
- Thread starter ryanshaw44
- Start date
As I understand this post, that was 3 different rifles? The test is meaningless if it was.
No two rifles will get the same velocity from any given load even if barrels are the same length. Differences in rifles will be more of a variable in this "test" than will differences in barrel length.
longbranch*
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Victoria,BC.
24 vs 26
For me I like 24" barrels. I've had an several .300 mags over the years including an FN Mauser .300H+H with 24", a custom P17 .300H+H with 25 1/2", Pre-64 M70 .300H+H with 26" and an FN Mauser 308Norma with 24" barrel. My latest is a 1990's Winchester Super Grade. I chose a 24" Douglas barrel in .300H+H simply as I liked the balance feel and "look" with the 24". I dont think 2"'s matters either way to be honest IMHO.
Geoff
For me I like 24" barrels. I've had an several .300 mags over the years including an FN Mauser .300H+H with 24", a custom P17 .300H+H with 25 1/2", Pre-64 M70 .300H+H with 26" and an FN Mauser 308Norma with 24" barrel. My latest is a 1990's Winchester Super Grade. I chose a 24" Douglas barrel in .300H+H simply as I liked the balance feel and "look" with the 24". I dont think 2"'s matters either way to be honest IMHO.
Geoff
I prefer the 26" tube but i can go either way. It depends on what you use it for, what powder and bullet combo you plan to use, and how far you shoot and where you hunt.
IMR4350 and a 180 gr bullet is THE .300winmag recipe, bar none. At ranges under 300 yds I don't see a practical difference between 24" and 26" tubes.
If you are using slower powder than IMR4350 then the 300winmag really start to see the benfit of the longer tube, but at "normal" hunting ranges you really won't notice any difference under 250 yards.
If you are shooting longer ranges like 250+ yards regularly, then you want the 26" for sure no matter what powder or bullet you select. You might even look at the 28" barrel, then.
If you are going to be carrying it in bush a lot, then you don't need a 300 winmag, get a 30-06.
I like the 26" barrel. I don't find it to be "too" long for general hunting or even bush hunting. The only time a longer barrel causes me grief is when it's hanging off my shoulder on a sling, and then it sticks up too high and causes problems with overhanging branches. The 24" isn't much better, though, and a 20" is what you want for that circumstance. On the other hand - a good hunter doesn't have his rifle slung when he's hunting cover anyway. Hold it in your hands like god intended when you hunt cover.
IMR4350 and a 180 gr bullet is THE .300winmag recipe, bar none. At ranges under 300 yds I don't see a practical difference between 24" and 26" tubes.
If you are using slower powder than IMR4350 then the 300winmag really start to see the benfit of the longer tube, but at "normal" hunting ranges you really won't notice any difference under 250 yards.
If you are shooting longer ranges like 250+ yards regularly, then you want the 26" for sure no matter what powder or bullet you select. You might even look at the 28" barrel, then.
If you are going to be carrying it in bush a lot, then you don't need a 300 winmag, get a 30-06.
I like the 26" barrel. I don't find it to be "too" long for general hunting or even bush hunting. The only time a longer barrel causes me grief is when it's hanging off my shoulder on a sling, and then it sticks up too high and causes problems with overhanging branches. The 24" isn't much better, though, and a 20" is what you want for that circumstance. On the other hand - a good hunter doesn't have his rifle slung when he's hunting cover anyway. Hold it in your hands like god intended when you hunt cover.
RememberTheSomme
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
X2. My magnum has such a long lead and other qualities to enable larger charges to be utilized, standard factory loads are relatively slow and max book loads are not near max in mine.
As stated without the 1" barrel chop per test firing in same barrel, the data is near useless when different rifles are compared.
A tight chamber/bore magnum with short leade, will probaly shoot as fast as my 24" barrel with only 21 or 22inches using the same test load.
I have a custom FN commercial mauser set up with a 23" Shilen lightweight contour barrel, not overly fussy on it's ammo, last range test was Federal blue box 180's at just under an inch at 100. This thing balances soooo sweet! Nice and light, great to carry and not at all harsh to shoot. (good stock and recoil pad help!) If I was stand or blind hunting with extended sitting, i might go for a longer tube, but this thing works so well.
The choice of length of barrel should be dictated by the required handling abilities of the gun and the MV you "need". If you hunt in heavy bush, shorter is better. If you need more MV (or cowbell
) go with a larger capacity case, not a longer barrel. Factory Magnums typically come with longer barrels than non-magnums because they will be used for long range work where the shooter has more time to set up, and from stands where obstructions are not typically an issue. In 30 cal (for example), 200 yd shots on deer never "need" more than what a typical 22" 308 can easily do (e.g. 2600 fps with a 180 gr bullet), so a 26" tube is just extra weight and length that can only be a detriment. If your shots are so long that you "need" 3000 fps from a 180 gr bullet (i.e. 500 yd shots on deer), then only a 300 Win Mag or greater will do, and likely with a 26" barrel.
So the essential question is - how much MV do you need, and what kind of terrain do you hunt in?
There are so many factors involved in the determination of barrel length that is optimum that you are certain to get 20 answers that all differ on this question, none of which are necessarily wrong.
I like 26" tubes on my "big" 30's, but I am willing to work with 24" or even 22", if it is on a rifle I like the feel of in my hands. The sacrifice of velocity is dependent on several factors, including powder burn rate, bullet weight, groove diameter, etc, etc.
I clipped a 300 Win mag barrel from 26" to 24" and, using the 200 Partition and H1000, I lost 88 fps with identical loads. The 180 Partition and Norma MRP only showed a loss of 35 fps.
I had a 308 Norma Mag with a 22" barrel that Norma factory loads chronographed right at 3100 fps [many years ago, Norma has since lightened their factory loads a tad]
That was what they were advertised at, but I have no idea what they would have done in a 24 or 26 inch tube. [Noise factor was impressive in the 22" tube!!]
One thing is certain. A powder that give max velocities in a long barrel will still outperform other powders, even in a shorter barrel.
Regards, Eagleye.
I like 26" tubes on my "big" 30's, but I am willing to work with 24" or even 22", if it is on a rifle I like the feel of in my hands. The sacrifice of velocity is dependent on several factors, including powder burn rate, bullet weight, groove diameter, etc, etc.
I clipped a 300 Win mag barrel from 26" to 24" and, using the 200 Partition and H1000, I lost 88 fps with identical loads. The 180 Partition and Norma MRP only showed a loss of 35 fps.
I had a 308 Norma Mag with a 22" barrel that Norma factory loads chronographed right at 3100 fps [many years ago, Norma has since lightened their factory loads a tad]
That was what they were advertised at, but I have no idea what they would have done in a 24 or 26 inch tube. [Noise factor was impressive in the 22" tube!!]
One thing is certain. A powder that give max velocities in a long barrel will still outperform other powders, even in a shorter barrel.
Regards, Eagleye.
bigborefan
Regular
- Location
- Kawartha Lakes, ON
Hi!
I've owned 8 different 300 Win Mags, plus a 24" 300 WBY and a 21" 308 Norma Mag.
The fastest, by far, was the 26" Browning A-Bolt SS (LH) in 300 Win Mag. 3200+ fps shooting 180's was consistent into 1/2" for 3 shots at 100yds. The load was a max load of RL-22, WLRM primers and either Remington or Winchester brass. With both 180's and 200's, RL-22 performed best in all 10 rifles along with WLRM primers.
The 26" 300 Win Mag outshot the 24" 300 WBY by 30 fps.
The other 300 Win Mags had 24" tubes except for one with a 23" (Douglas).
The 308 Norma was a custom job with a 21" pipe. It would do 3000 fps (max) from 180's with the right load.
All were accurate except for one 300 Win (custom barrel) that had a very long throat. Too long for the box, and accuracy was poor with spitzers but good with RN's.
That's just some facts someone might be interested in.
One other side-note: The Browning A-Bolt was as handy in the brush as in open N. Ontario clear cuts. It had great balance and was non-too-heavy at about 8.75 lbs all-up ready to go. Hold your hand in front of your face and space your thumb and finger about 4" apart... If you think that much more barrel is gonna dramatically affect your hunt negatively, then you know something I don't after 55 years of big game hunting mostly in thick forest and brushy areas!
Bob
www.bigbores.ca
I've owned 8 different 300 Win Mags, plus a 24" 300 WBY and a 21" 308 Norma Mag.
The fastest, by far, was the 26" Browning A-Bolt SS (LH) in 300 Win Mag. 3200+ fps shooting 180's was consistent into 1/2" for 3 shots at 100yds. The load was a max load of RL-22, WLRM primers and either Remington or Winchester brass. With both 180's and 200's, RL-22 performed best in all 10 rifles along with WLRM primers.
The 26" 300 Win Mag outshot the 24" 300 WBY by 30 fps.
The other 300 Win Mags had 24" tubes except for one with a 23" (Douglas).
The 308 Norma was a custom job with a 21" pipe. It would do 3000 fps (max) from 180's with the right load.
All were accurate except for one 300 Win (custom barrel) that had a very long throat. Too long for the box, and accuracy was poor with spitzers but good with RN's.
That's just some facts someone might be interested in.
One other side-note: The Browning A-Bolt was as handy in the brush as in open N. Ontario clear cuts. It had great balance and was non-too-heavy at about 8.75 lbs all-up ready to go. Hold your hand in front of your face and space your thumb and finger about 4" apart... If you think that much more barrel is gonna dramatically affect your hunt negatively, then you know something I don't after 55 years of big game hunting mostly in thick forest and brushy areas!
Bob
www.bigbores.ca
"Recent years have demonstrated that, contrary to age-old popular belief, short rifle barrels are typically more accurate than long rifle barrels. It's simple science: In a given diameter, the shorter a metal tube (barrel) is, the less dramatically it oscillates, or vibrates, and the more consistent that vibration is. less vibration means more accuracy." Joseph Von Benedikt
RememberTheSomme
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
