Guide me to choose the right barrel length.
- Thread starter Chatrbaz84
- Start date
LongBomber
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fernie, bc
If you already have a 27” proof barrel blank your options are limited. I don’t believe you can cut them down to any length you want, they require that your finished length still has the stainless tip and not cut into the carbon wrap.
LongBomber
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fernie, bc
You know when I read proof my mind automatically goes to carbon wrapped.
With a steel barrel I would worry more about balance with your setuo than actual length.
Confirm: steel barrel.
308 I heard that 22 inch , 175 smk 43.5 varget can hit the target in 1100 years.
I assume you mean yards, lol
And yes, a 175gr bullet going around 2700fps MV will go transonic at roughly 1100yards. Getting that out of a 22" barrel is doable, my 24" 308 would do 2745fps with the 175gr Berger OTM using 43.4gr of Varget. YMMV.
What you are attempting to balance here in selecting a barrel length is "handiness/portability" vs increased available muzzle velocity. So you need to determine which parameter is most important and compromise in that direction. "Handiness/portability" is self-explanatory, the shorter the barrel, the easier to store, to walk through thick brush, etc. The longer the barrel, the more available muzzle velocity you have available to you for a given bullet and powder combination. The higher your muzzle velocity, the bigger your "wind budget" is at distance (ie the less your wind hold for a given mph of wind and therefore the bigger your budget for mis-calling the wind).
Can you hit a target at 1100 yards with a .308? Sure. I've done it with a 20" .308 in a match and have hit out to 1500 yards with a 26" .308 (in a match). The thing to consider though is that it is a very low probability shot (both in terms of consistent hits and first round hit probability), especially if the target isn't gigantic. An easy way to visualize this is to run the ballistics data (in an app/solver/online) and see what the wind drift per mph is at different ranges and compare that to the width of the target you'd like to be shooting. Realistically (this means in varying weather conditions, with targets with various backstops/backdrops and on complex terrain) the .308 is an effective caliber inside 8-900 yards.
I don't shoot more than 800 yards ,
my goals are
1.extreme precision rifle
2.light weight to carry all days
3.as short as possible ( considered collapsible stock XLR already , but I would love to have it even shorter )
can 18 inch 308 barrel shoots 1000 yards?
As rugbydave said, yes, the bullet can make it out to 1000yds. The question is how well it will perform ( remaining velocity, wind drift etc) at that distance when it has a muzzle velocity appropriate to a 18" barrel. You will have to play around with a ballistics app to determine what level of performance you are willing to accept, there is no single answer to your question.
And as for your three points, generally speaking, #1 and #2/3 are difficult to achieve in the same rifle. Characteristics that make a rifle very precise, like a heavy barrel, higher muzzle velocity and weight to reduce recoil, are the opposite of making it light and short. Also, a light rifle can be harder to shoot well, and shoot a lot of, then a heavier rig.
What Alpheus said. There is no free lunch. The shorter your barrel, the worse performance will be at distance. For what it's worth, if you were dead set on 18", I'd go with a 6.5 Creedmoor instead of a .308 and you get the performance of a 26" barrel in an 18" barrel. If you're dead set on .308, weigh up what is most important to you, performance at distance or a short barrel.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
What is the barrel twist? That will have a significant impact on how you set up this rifle.
Jerry
Jerry
Last edited:
I had a purpose-built rifle made for shooting out to 600 yards+\-. My smith recommended the components and ammunition. It turned out well and I didn’t loose much in the velocity department. My rifle ended-up with a 21” Rock Creek 5R with a 11.27 twist turned down from a MTU contour to .876” diameter. It shoots factory 155 Lapua scenar’s remarkably well and 185 Scenar’s about the same. Gun is more accurate than I can shoot it.
Even the bullet weight matters. If you want to run 155 grain bullets, you can run faster burn rate powders and get good speed with a short barrel. If you want to run heavier bullets, then the powder burn rate needs to be slower and you should have a longer barrel.
As stated above, there is no free lunch.
Further to all this is the action length and chamber dimensions. Running heavy bullets seated long in a Rem 700 clone can be too long to eject. In such case its better to go with a long action.
I hope you realize that you are kind of sucking and blowing at the same time. You want a short light rifle, and you want it to be great for long range... These are competing objectives and are not found in the same rifle. If you want a short light rifle, then make a short light rifle and accept that it will be only so so for long range. Or just jump in the deep end of the pool and build a proper long range rifle.
As stated above, there is no free lunch.
Further to all this is the action length and chamber dimensions. Running heavy bullets seated long in a Rem 700 clone can be too long to eject. In such case its better to go with a long action.
I hope you realize that you are kind of sucking and blowing at the same time. You want a short light rifle, and you want it to be great for long range... These are competing objectives and are not found in the same rifle. If you want a short light rifle, then make a short light rifle and accept that it will be only so so for long range. Or just jump in the deep end of the pool and build a proper long range rifle.
No need to overthink it.
If you are not trying to set world records or be competitive on the competition circuit, there's no real reason not to go shortish (~20-22 inches).
I have a 21.75" .308, it's fully capable out to 1,200 yards with 168 SMK FGMM ammo. Would I win an FTR match with that combo? Most definitely not, but it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot with, and it's more then capable of hitting targets at distance. Makes a great trainer rifle, as the wind will bully the projectile a bit, but that adds to the fun.
If you are not trying to set world records or be competitive on the competition circuit, there's no real reason not to go shortish (~20-22 inches).
I have a 21.75" .308, it's fully capable out to 1,200 yards with 168 SMK FGMM ammo. Would I win an FTR match with that combo? Most definitely not, but it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot with, and it's more then capable of hitting targets at distance. Makes a great trainer rifle, as the wind will bully the projectile a bit, but that adds to the fun.
I agree with kthomas, no need to overthink it.
I assume you've shot at 800-1000 yards before?
Assuming you have an all steel Proof, do whatever you think you want as far as balance and aesthetics. You say carry all day as a requirement.. then go 18.5'' and be done with it. There is no holy grail as far as short, compact lightweight setup and shooting extreme distances.
The barrel length is the least of your concerns, considering there will only be a 100-150 fps difference given the lengths you've mentioned. An 18.5'' barrel will have no issues whatsoever shooting at 1000 yards if you do you part and know the ballistics of your particular setup.
I assume you've shot at 800-1000 yards before?
Assuming you have an all steel Proof, do whatever you think you want as far as balance and aesthetics. You say carry all day as a requirement.. then go 18.5'' and be done with it. There is no holy grail as far as short, compact lightweight setup and shooting extreme distances.
The barrel length is the least of your concerns, considering there will only be a 100-150 fps difference given the lengths you've mentioned. An 18.5'' barrel will have no issues whatsoever shooting at 1000 yards if you do you part and know the ballistics of your particular setup.
