Thread: 308 barrel length

You will need to handload cuz it will hamstring factory ammo.

Originally Posted by Beavis

You will need to handload cuz it will hamstring factory ammo.

Big thanks Beavis

Yup, think I might stick with the 20'' barrel, more options with the factory ammo!

If you shorten to 16 inches my guess is that you would have to reload to effectively bush hunt and harvest deer at 300yrds with it. As Sooooooooooo many times 300yrds becomes 350-400

As a factory offering Hornady super performance ammo MIGHT give you suitable power and minimal projectile drop to calculate accurate projectile placement at 300yrds for red deer.

In either case you will want to know your projectiles flight curve and either hold over for the 300yarders or dial.


To answer your question- run the numbers with 20 inch and 16 inch tube velocity and see which data curves (ftlb of energy and projectiles operational fps window) you are most happy with, and which is the most realistic to use.

Now; the oft touted figure of 1000ftlbs of energy required to kill a deer should not be an absolute or final statement. It's simply a line drawn in the sand in the vague world that is external ballistics, to hint at a baseline requirement for humane harvesting regardless of shot angle or species selected, most know a .223 has 944 ftlbs of energy at the muzzle and in the hands of a skilled hunter -can harvest extremely well.

Good luck with your barrel length decision, and hopefully your barrel still likes your projectile of choice if you choose to shorten it.

big thanks for all the replies guys, looks like ill keep the 'status quo'.......

Originally Posted by Scouser

big thanks for all the replies guys, looks like ill keep the 'status quo'.......

Go to 18 inches

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Go to 18 inches

Watching this thread with interest and was about to ask you this, saum! Factory ammo will be ok to what sort of range do you reckon with 18 inch?

There are too many variables to answer that question precisely.

Lets try to answer best i can.....

If and i really mean if, your rifle likes a projectile that at 400 yrds is still in its effective FPS opening range, and is very accurate at that distance then use it.

Do some research on projectiles- Noslers ballistic tips, hornadys sst. Etc etc

You will build up some knowledge of what works at what velocity (barrel length) and then select your cartridge and caliber to suit.

Most buy a rifle then the ammo

I buy the projectile that smacks em down then get the rifle and chambering to push it out to where i want to use it.

I'm off to hunt sika now and am txting this in as i get cell reception so sorry for a lack of complexity in my reply .

Andrew

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

There are too many variables to answer that question precisely.

Lets try to answer best i can.....

If and i really mean if, your rifle likes a projectile that at 400 yrds is still in its effective FPS opening range, and is very accurate at that distance then use it.

Do some research on projectiles- Noslers ballistic tips, hornadys sst. Etc etc

You will build up some knowledge of what works at what velocity (barrel length) and then select your cartridge and caliber to suit.

Most buy a rifle then the ammo

I buy the projectile that smacks em down then get the rifle and chambering to push it out to where i want to use it.

I'm off to hunt sika now and am txting this in as i get cell reception so sorry for a lack of complexity in my reply .

Andrew

Thanks for the reply's 7mm, food for thought!!

Interesting points regarding projectile choice, currently running SST's in the T3 and thinking of going back to softpoint as all bar one have failed to exit deer at close range. Admittedly they have all been bang-flop but the whole shoulder is minced!! However that might be the price to pay as i suspect at the longer ranges the will work better with the slower velocity? So many options!

Maybe stick with the status quo, seems to be working so why change whats not broken eh.

I base my idea in the 168gr A max, due to it having an ok BC, and it is known to wound well down to quite low speed, or so I have read. Out of a friends 18" .308, we were getting 2550fps with this pill, excellent accuracy, and with 2208 no less. I reckon it's possible to get the same or better out of a 16" with a more appropriate powder.

Also how are you guys measuring barrel length? bolt face to muzzle or front of receiver to muzzle? Just measured my T3 and it's 20'' from the bolt face so I guess 'effective' length is a bit shorter than this.

On bolt action rifles , most measure from the chamber face , ie back inside the action , to the muzzle end , so if say you have measure from the recoil lug on a Rem700 to the end of the barrel , and get say 19 inches , then its actually a 20 inche tube , as the barrel threads in say 0.7 inche + .25 lug , gives you close to 1.00 inche .

Later Chris

16" will work fine, but be prepared to go 1-2 powder speeds faster
18" is pretty sweet. 2206h and have same performance almost as a 20" running 2208
The velocity loss per inch isn't linear, nor is it consistent across powders.
Chop it, speed the powder up and get almost what you had but shorter and lighter

I shoot a 16"bbl T3 308 with Hardy g4. Hand loaded 125gn accubonds are doing just under 3000fps. Very accurate and fine out to 300m odd 4" PBR. I cronographed some 150gn Remington fractory ammo at 2620fps. It will have plenty of killing power at 300m but some dial up capability or ballistic reticule would be handy.
I would say cut it and find a factory 150gn load that shoots well in it. There is plenty of choice and I don't think you will be disappointed.