Thread: Barrel length considerations

Originally Posted by iambatman

Kia Ora Te forum.

After you all convinced me to ditch my 6.5x55 musings and knuckle down to a .308, I have spent the last couple of months weighing up which rifle I should get

I have largely settled on a Tikka T3X Lite. I know it's a little cliché, a little light and a touch more expensive than some, but its reputation for accuracy and the great action have won me over.

As I'm still waiting on the FAL to walk into the letterbox, I took a little research trip to some outdoor stores. One I saw had a T3X carbine. I've combed through Tikka's website for a month or more and haven't seen that term used. The salesman told me it was exactly the same except it had a 16 inch barrel instead of 20.

So, based on my little bit of knowledge - always a dangerous thing - this would make the rifle shorter (duh!) and lighter. But I'm worried about what I don't know. Namely, how will the shorter barrel affect accuracy, bullet speed, loudness and felt recoil? I will be fitting a DPT suppressor which makes it near enough to a 20 inch barrel again. Though, I suppose, if I just got a standard 20 inch barrel, the suppressor would extend it to 24ish inches.

Also, is the "carbine" designation legit? Has this outfit just gunsmithed a rifle, voiding the warranty?

For context, this will be a mostly bush and clearings rifle with the occasional shot over open farmland courtesy of some friends of friends. I will not get into long range shooting: 250 to 300 meters will be the maximum on game.

Thanks in advance.

Greetings @iambatman,
I understand your reasons for considering a change from the 6.5 x 55 and think you are on the right path with the .308. I would like to make a suggestion that you don't abandon your interest in the 6.5 x 55. As you have discovered decent ammo is hard to get due to the US chronically underloading the cartridge. This is easily solved by handloading but even here it is not easy. Good load data is sparse and often contradictory, even in the same data set. US reloading dies do not match the chamber well and of course projectiles in 6.5 are hard to come by at the moment. So why do you ask am I putting in a good word for the 6.5? It is because I have found that loading for the 6.5 x 55 is very rewarding. The cartridge is easily the equal of the .308 when loaded to its potential, and I am not talking about Roman Candle loads either, but it is not for the novice. I started handloading over 50 years ago and lusted after a 6.5 x 55 for years until I got my first one about 1990. I have to say that the 6.5 has taught me more about handloading in those 30 plus years than all of my other rifles put together.
In short get your .308 or whatever you decide on but don't give up on owning a 6.5 x 55 some time in the future.
Regards Grandpamac.

Greetings, grandpamac.
I should have been clearer, I've given up on the 6.5 Swede as my first rifle. I agree with you that I am still a fan of the cartridge, particularly if I was to hand load.

I still harbour ambitions of owning, reloading and shooting a Swede. But it certainly won't be my first rifle. That will be a .308, although many are making a strong argument for the .243.

I will throw in my 5 cents worth ....
243 is a most capable cartridge.
Will do the job no question. Penetration isn't an issue. Was drilling perfect holes in 12mm steel plate with an old Parker Hale 243 using ppu soft points at 100 mtrs. Less recoil but need the longer barrel.
I currently use a lightweight 16 in tikka 308 as my bush gun with dpt suppressor.
Kicks more than 243 and on smaller goat/fallow sized animals at close bush ranges can be devastating and do lots of damage but can destroy alot of meat in the process. My 45/70 did far less meat damage funnily enough.
That's also the reason I bought my black semi 223 years ago to avoid so much close range carnage.
If you go the same route with 308 and run a dpt you will need at least one extra baffle to help tame the noise and recoil and will end up with a barrel around 20 plus inches long but if want it suppressed and solely as a bush rifle working through tough scubby shit I find the shorter barrel a godsend if suppressed. But I also have other rifles for more open hunting.
So in my opinion if you want a bush basher go shorty suppressed 308 but be prepared for a possible extra loss of meat over a 243 , depending entirely on shot placement of course but body shots will incur much more damage from my experience.
If you want a pleasant to shoot, accurate, popular (for a reason)all rounder caliber for more open shooting as well and don't mind the extra barrel length can't go wrong with 243 . In most hands probably more accurate also .