Thread: .308 win, barrel length vs bullet weight

I have the latest copy of NZ Guns & Hunting in front of me, apparently the last printed issue ever!

It has an article entitled "Accuracy is all About Consistency" by Evan Honore. In this article, Honore, who sounds pretty experienced and with the .308 Win in particular, states "you need a 22-inch or longer barrel to shoot 165gr" [bullets in a .308]. Later he says "A 22-inch .308 barrel can shoot 165gr projectiles maximum, whereas a 24-inch barrel can shoot 180g" and goes on to say that the common 20-inch barrels are limited to 150g projectile max.

He doesn't really explain what he means by "shoot" nor does he give what his expectations are. I'd have to say the pictures of groups in the article are very impressive, mostly pics of groups with holes touching. So perhaps the above is based on expectations of that type of accuracy? But I've never of anyone else arguing such a critical relationship between barrel length and bullet weight.

I've owned a few .308s and have mostly used 165gr bullets (hornday SPs and SSTs mostly). A sako with a 20" barrel would put them into 25mm groups at 100m and a Howa with a 19" barrel that groups 165gr bullets into an average of around 18mm at 100m with the SP bullets - in my book that is good enough accuracy and clearly at odds with what Honore has written.

Mind you, I've never tried 180gr bullets and its been over a decade since I shoot either a deer or a target more than 100m away... so perhaps I'm not testing things hard enough to know my bullet/barrel length combo doesn't work..??

I'm sure the author is basing his statements on experience but I feel he is not giving enough info in the article to enable me to judge how he has come to his conclusions.

Now, many of you will run shorter barrels than I do, and wondering about how you get on with various weight bullets in your .308?