To chop or not to chop

Ive been thinking about chopping back the barrel on my Kimber 7mm WSM ever since I received my new replaced HRE can & after reading Tui's & lazys post I thought I'd see what you fullas think, my original gen 1 & 2 HRE cans butted right up to the for end but the new gen 3 model is over 3.5" shorter

This is now being used as an alrounder 10-600yard rifle


As it is at the moment, 22.5" barrel with 162 A-maxes doing 3000fps
Attachment 935



With new can fitted, a little long for in the scrub & quite front heavy
Attachment 936


What it would look like if I cut the barrel back to 19" plus 4" forward with the suppressor
Attachment 937

What powder you using? My saum is 3000fps with 23inch bbl, wsm should be next step up?

Not really, the difference between SAUM & WSM is only 2 or 3 grains, In the Kimber 72g of 2225 seems to shoot OK.
If I chop it how much will I lose ? 120-160 fps maybe

Looks sexy with that short barrel - Hmmm I vote go with the snip :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Philipo

Not really, the difference between SAUM & WSM is only 2 or 3 grains, In the Kimber 72g of 2225 seems to shoot OK.
If I chop it how much will I lose ? 120-160 fps maybe

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Chop it Phil, I don't think you would lose that much speed....... change to 2217 to see how it goes :D

If it loses more speed than you would like, you will still have a more useable rifle.

You can always rebarrel it, probably hasn't had enough rounds through it yet though, seeing as how you have never shot it hot...........much :ORLY:..... :D


Opps nearly forgot, the pressure at the muzzle will go up with the shorter barrel...................better ask the suppressor how it feels about that......;)

I reckon give it the snip - realistically, at worst you would lost about 150fps max maybe? Still more than enough ooomph for 0-600 yards.

Dont run powder thats to slow, you will end up with unburnt powder sitting in the can and after x amount of shots you will end up with a bigger boom than you will like.

Just got my rifle back from Mr Hardy. I asked too take off as much as possible without butting up against the stock - I didn't know the new suppressors were so short - but it looks and balance's very nice - A T3 270 with 4" gone - Hope it still works ;-) It's basically the same length as it was before it left with the suppressor on = perfect bush/paddock rifle capable out to 400-500 .. maybe.

This is a weird trend.Buy a 7MM magnum and then turn it into a .280 thats still eats 70gr of powder.It will cost money to chop and recrown, wont help resale and will leave you with a rifle thats not particularly good at anything. Going by your sig you already have a .308 .

But I suppose someone on the internet has done it so.......:D

Chop it.

sell it an get a 7mm08:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Vapour

Just got my rifle back from Mr Hardy. I asked too take off as much as possible without butting up against the stock -.

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I asked for as much off as possible to get supp butting up to stock, and got nothing off :wtfsmilie:

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Originally Posted by tui_man2

sell it an get an Edge:thumbsup:

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Fixed it for you TUI ;)

You know you want to Phil :D

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Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

Fixed it for you TUI ;)

You know you want to Phil :D

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haha or that:thumbsup:

not much point chopping a magunm down to 19" get a 7mm08 an chop it down to that the speeds wont be bugger all difference an still do the job to 600m like you want, with cheeper brass, less powder, easyer on supperssors an quiter from the 7mm08

but if you did chop it, id go to a faster powder not a slower powder for the suppressor an secondard burn in the suppressor from the unburnt powder..............my 18" 243 is harder on suppressors that a 26" 300rum with the same suppressor:whut:

Just cut the fricken thing.
You will only loose about 125.015f/sec +/- and you can always (should) ram some faster powder down it. And using the A-max up close it will prob work better a bit slower anyway, the A-max only needs a min 1400-1500 f/sec to open up so that few feet you loose is not really critical. Plus they still sell rifles, next time you might not make such a terible choice as a Kimber :angry:
Just up date your life insurance policy first, and don't tell any of the forum sooks that you are loading it hot.....they all start crying and ring the police saying there is a man attempting suicide with a firearm......:D:D:D

I wouldn't chop it philipo, you have a 308 semi that's good for your bush , that rifle is made intended for a different use.
If you ever go to sell it chopped it won't be worth shit.
If it's accuracte the way it is keep it, if it's not trade/sell it away.

I chopped my 7mm08 to 19" and get 2840fps from it, enought to cover everything out to ~500. Since the chop it has taken deer at 387 bull tahr at 316, chamois at 300, pig at 10, all dropped on the spot, I have a 7mm mag but that is a long ranger not a universal like the 7mm08.

Well I tested out the 270 this weekend - it's been chopped to 18" (-4"). Slower her down from 3015 to around 2870. But still very accurate and capable out to 400-500 if required which I never do. Also got some Trial boss loads going around 1720 fps - those are fun and much quieter

Very interesting thread when compared to the "LR is everything" sort of threads a couple of years back (over there)

People were obsessing about 50 extra fps like it was the difference between life and death and carrying 20lb 26+inch cannons in the bush :sick: now it seems to be swinging back pretty far the other way and everybody is throwing away all the powder and power you chose and paid for?

As above - surely you have a bush gun or 10? Keep it / sell it / rebarrel it - but a 18/19 inch barrel wsm just sounds silly to me. The 19 inch .243 was a bad enough flame thrower / general antisocial pig of a thing, but a short WSM would surely be horrible?

As it is = very glad I never got on the LR bandwagon (Scout now has a 7/08 little sister is about as close as it gets)

Cyclist. Stay dazed and confused. You just don't seem to get it...............................:oh u !:

Yeah I don't think I'll chop it, What I really want is a short barrel 338 fed & suppress it :cool:

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Originally Posted by Im2lazy

Cyclist. Stay dazed and confused. You just don't seem to get it...............................:oh u !:

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I think he gets it 100% actually....

Good to see you left it Philipo, no point compromising dedicated long range Magnum. And as you say, it gives you an excuse to add another rifle to the collection. :pacman: