308 barrel length

rjv140

im interested in getting a 308 with a stainless barrel and synthetic stock im thinking about the weatherby vanguard with the 24 inch barrel. My main question is does this caliber shoot better with the 24 inch barrel or would simply a 22 inch like the ruger be better. Lets hear what you guys think.
Thanks

tmault5

barrel lenght for the greatest part has little to do with the accuracy of the rifle, it may cause a small gain or loss in velosity.both are good rifles so pick which ever feels best to you

MFI

I have two Model 7's in .308. SS/Syn 20" barrel and a wood/blu 18 1/2 barrel. These guns shoot great and perform well out to 150 yards. If you want a tack driver buy something with a heavy barrel. If you want a hunting rifle for 100 yds and in in brush woods conditions. Go with the Model 7.

nononsense

rjv140,

Don't construe this as being picked on, it's not.

If you are referring to the .308 Win., then you are asking about a cartridge not a caliber. The term caliber refers to either the bore/groove diameter of a firearm's barrel or the outside diameter of a bullet or bullets. Asking about the .308 caliber could be asking about cartridges from the .30 Carbine all the way up to the .300 Remington Ultra Mag. I presume that you are asking about the .308 Winchester cartridge.

"...does this caliber shoot better..."

In one word, NO. But...

This depends on what you need the cartridge to do as far as performance is concerned and how nitpicky you want to be. A lot of the answers to this question can be relative to the use that you have in mind.

Longer barrels will provide more velocity and better efficiency of powder burning than the shorter barrels. Longer barrels move the report of the shot further away from the shooter and can reduce the muzzle flash by allowing the plasma to cool more before exiting the muzzle. Longer barrels increase the sight radius when using open sights.

Shorter barrels will lose a little velocity by comparison to longer barrels. The current reference used in discussions is averaged out to approximately 25 fps. per inch of barrel. This can and will vary based on the cartridge/bullet/powder combination.

Shorter barrels move the report and the resulting shock wave closer to the shooter and have the potential to increase the muzzle flash based on the load. Obviously the sight radius is shorter with the open sights.

Does any of this matter? It depends on what you intend for the use. It can matter but in most of the common cases, it won't mean much to the average shooter. The performance of the .308 Win. will certainly be appropriate in barrels from 20" to 24" without a doubt. In fact, it's kind of like splitting hairs, there just isn't a real BIG difference. Some shooters get very picky about the length of their barrels simply because of the terrain where they hunt. It is no fun to shoulder and carry a bolt action rifle with a 26" barrel in the thick woods.

The difference between the 22" barrel and the 24" barrel for most of us in negligible, too small to make any difference. Pick the rifle that suits you and your uses then work on the getting the best loads possible for what you want to do.

Best.

Texas Hunter

I have a similiar experience as MFI.
I own a Remington 600 Mohawk with an 18.5 inch barrel in .308 that can shoot less than a one inch group at 100 yds. using Remington corelock 150's and even at 200 yds. will stay at 2-2.5 inch groups.
I am currently waiting for the delivery of a 700 Remington in .308 with a 22 inch barrel and cant wait to see if it shoots as well.
If you are using the rifle for general hunting i myself prefer the short end of the stick for ease of use.

mike

jdyer

Keep hunting with the Mohawk; it'll shoot better than the 700. My only advice - get an adjustable trigger for the Mohawk.

JustC

I have a 21" tube on a 308 and get 2700+/-fps MV with 168gr pills, so as long as your rifle is relatively accurate, you may wish to use the shorter tube and enjoy the handling characteristics.

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

lowelc

rjv140

I have to agree with nononse. Personal preference should be given to the mobility of the rifle. I have found that the 22" barrel is easy to handle and with the right powder can get everything a 308 Win has to offer.

plains scout

I have the Weatherby Predator in 308 and it is a fairly accurate rifle. Synthetic stock. Not sure about the bbl length, but feel it would have little to do with accuracy.

I also have an old S&W long gun in 308 which is really a Howa and it is the MOST accurate rifle I own primarily due the the reloading work up I have done. I am sure the Predator will be accurate as all get out as soon as I work up a load for it.

Remember, optics and the shooter have a great deal to do with accuracy.





My friend is one... who takes me for what I am.
Henry David Thoreau

"If you do not allow yourself to find a positive way to get through the difficult times, you will become bitter. If you stay bitter, you do not get better." -- Joan Brock

Hunter375

A .308 win. will perform just fine in a 20" or 22" barrel. Only the big "magnums" really need the extra length, since they are burning far more powder. The SA cartridges achieve a fairly complete burn in a 22" barrel. The accuracy difference between 22" and 24" or 26" is nil. 22" tubes are less likely to hang up on tree branches, etc. and generally make for handier rifles. When we chose a rifle for my sister, we opted for the 22" Ruger over the 26" Remington for exactly this reason. We were still able to get over 3000 FPS with a 150 gr. BTSP, despite the shorter barrel (her rifle is a .280 Rem.) So unless you are going to get a .300 Win Mag., .300 RUM, etc., 22" will be fine.

Save the seals-club a liberal instead.