pros and cons of barrel length between 16' and 20' other than length.
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pros and cons of barrel length between 16' and 20' other than length.
If most of your hunting is in tight bush, then short (16in) is ideal. If a mix of bush & open stuff then 18in might be a good compromise
most of the hunting i do is in tight bush but then some shots out to about 200-300m. 18" inch would be a good compromise but im looking at running a tikka who dont do 18" as far as im aware. does the 16" kick like a mule?
16 with a suppressor will take it back to about the 20 inch
16 inch barrel without a suppressor will be quite nasty on your ears
https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com...cut-down-test/
a cut and recrown are usually under $100 and can always be done later,
recoil on a shorter barrel will barely be any more but the muzzle flash and noise will go up substantially
18" with a supressor is a nice all-rounder length. My .308, is my main hunting rifle for everything and at 19" it's great, not really losing much at all in terms of velocity. In my view 308 over 20" is a waste of steel, although probably don't want to go shorter if not suppressing.
16" would be a lovely compact hunting rifle for sure.
what brand of rifle do you use? 18inch does sound like the best bet, a nice middle ground. tikka dont seam to do one but i have also been looking at the ruger american predators that come in 18" but are a more "budget" range being blued
Vortex podcast did an episode on cutting down a tikka 308 and suppressing it. Heaps of positives, very few negatives. I think they cut it down to 16" with minimal POI or velocity change.
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Pros of 16" = handier and lighter.
Cons of 16" = slightly less velocity and louder than a longer barrel.
Pros of 20"= more velocity, not as loud.
Cons of 20" = not as handy due to longer length. A little heavier.
I listened to that. A discussion on short barrels and supressors like it was new...we've been doing it in NZ for 20 years!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rn-85
Still they were correct in what they said and worth a listen.
I'm running the following;
Kimber Hunter and Savage Lightweight Hunter both 16" barrels with DPT suppressors.
Sierra Gamekings 150grn.
AR2208 46.5gr
2735 FPS.
Plenty enough grunt for 300m, cut em short and don't worry about it.
Tikka are currently doing a 16 inch barrel .308 model in stainless if you decide to go down that route.Quote:
Originally Posted by farmdeerhunter69
Had a Tikka with a 20 inch barrel in 7mm08. It was a good gun, but after I started throwing around a single shot with 16 inch barrel, the Tikka seemed so long and cumbersome. I like short rifles, what can I say?!
I've gone 12.5 inches in barrel length and getting 2500fps with a 155grn projectile, which will cover out to 250/300 1-6 scope is handy in the bush
This might come as a surprise to some.
I have a couple of 308 rifles and they have 22 inch barrels. And they work just fine.
If your looking at buying would seriously consider Bergara B14 Extreme hunter comes factory 18” fluted. Use mine from 10- 500 yards
20" much less flash if in a dimly lit area like thick bush and shooting without a suppressor on. If you aren't ready for it (one eye closed basically) you can end up with a few seconds where your eyes are in full sunlight mode due to the sudden light and you can't see f-all all of a sudden...Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisW
Got a model 70 Winchester 308. Was 22”, got it shortened to 18” and suppressor fitted. Wish I’d never done it! Handling and balance all fucked up now. Still a good rifle, just not as good as original. Also have a Bergara BA13 16” with DPT can suppressor. Handles ok, a bit too fast swinging on running shots. Noisey as hell without suppressor and a bit of a flamethrower. Easily shoots to 200 metres ok, haven’t tried on animals much further than this yet. Mostly use this one with subs.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7mmwsm
My vote
If suppressing cut to 16 inch. I am running 130ttsx at 3000 fps
If not suppressed 22 inch. Used to run 168s at 2750fps.
My 18in bergara is pushing the 165g TGK at 2650fps. Happy with mine to 500m. Any gunsmith will cut a tikka to desired length.
Seems like a lot of gun for the money and Bergara are good quality. I overlooked these as I assumed they would be heavy, but the same weight as a Tikka Lite.Quote:
Originally Posted by mattstr
I’ve got a 20” Tikka T3x .308
Super accurate and kicks less than my .243
Personally I prefer the 20” but each to their own
Supressed?Quote:
Originally Posted by Vx-Hunter
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Yeah, running a DPT shooting 150s
vx hunter, have you ever shot a 16" tho?
I do believe they are heavy than the tikka I’ve compensated by putting on a light weight Swaro. I’ve shot everything from 130gr-168 and everything has grouped very well. I’ve been nothing but impressed with this rifle and believe as far as an all rounder it’s not far from a perfect set up in my eyes. I’ve probably shot around 18 deer so far with it and it’s a pleasure to shoot.Quote:
Originally Posted by MB
I was just going off the published weights. Both 2.9kg.Quote:
Originally Posted by mattstr
Had both Bergara was heavier. Very accurate but something better came along.......as it does:D
The 308 will do everything it can do out of a 19" barrel.
My tika 22in suppressed,runs 165gr ssts at 2760ft/s.Quote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Tikka 18” suppressed, running factory superformance 150gr SST at 2820fps.
Like it a lot!
How is the barrel length measured?.
Same as a shotgun? (rod down the barrel until it touches the breach).
Yes
Pro's for 16". If suppressed, perfectly fine to shoot and will do out to 500 yards with the right ammo selection.
If not suppressed then anything in between will definitely be louder and have more muzzle blast. 16" in the bush unsuppressed will not be ideal if bush hunting.
Pretty much, if you are getting a suppressor then anything over 16" is just more length and weight for nothing, unless you are planning on shooting longer range.
My old Interarms Mk X has 22in, long enough to shoot around corners lol..ain't changing it. DPT Can fitted, super accurate with jacketed. Nice 50m groups with 204gn Walker Cast HP at .313dia doing 930 fps average with ICI Nobel 78 Shotgun powder, 6.0gn, 185gn Cast FP, same load doing 1020fps even tighter group. Quieter than a. 22LR Sub. Doesn't like 151gn Cast .308 dia at any velocity. Can makes it a longish rifle overall but balance is good. I just like it too much to mess with..carry something else if I want short and light.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7mmwsm
If both barrels are the same profile, the 16" will be stiffer than the 20", and in theory slightly more accurate, especially for thinner profile barrels. Caveat - accuracy depends on a lot of other factors, so a shorter barrel isn't a guarantee.
Adding a suppressor may also help with harmonics and usually doesn't affect accuracy, or improves it slightly.