Thread: Do you really need a long barrel? Chop it or not?

A few of us got together the other day when doing a reloading day in the man cave and started talking about barrel length.
This it intended for normal hunting not really for longer range beyond +300m.
With the new powders, dail up scopes and reticles out now, do you need a long or standard length barrels?
I think in most cases everyone wants accuracy over velocity, and for the reloader chopping the barrel a few inches velocity can be gained back a bit in using a different power or load. Even for the new hunters how many are going to start shooting 300m-400m or more, for the newbee hunter 200m is a long way to zero a rifle.

So I my situation and the way I hunt now is my average shooting distance is 20m-60m so I use a 12" barrel but can still shoot out to 300m if need be with the help of a rangefinder and Ballistics app using a 300 Blackout.

And on my long range rig average shots are around 200m-400m and reach out to 800m on deer if the conditions allow with a 21" barrel 270win. When funds allow will rebarrel it to a 16" but different caliber and still do the same velocity and energy. From what I know now if I just got into hunting I would choose a 308 or 7mm-08 suppressed 15"-16" barrel.

Got a few mates average hunters shoot between 2 and 5 deer a year with standard factory 308win and 7mm-08 22" and 24" barrels with suppressors adding extra length and weight. There average shooting distance is 60m-160m with a long shot being 200m-300m. I said to them right at the start when they first got the guns chop em down you don't need a long barrel to shoot 300m the deer won't notice the difference in velocity. Now they say there 22", 24" and even 20" barrels are too long and clumbersome to carry in thicker bush, also they say it harder to shoot off handand and wished they chopped them down to 16" or 18". And the boy said if they want to shoot farther they would get a magnum with a standard barrel.

It's The guys at the Shops are saying to them that you need a long barrel for max bullet speed to kill deer, longer is better because they use 14" AR15s with 30 shoot magazines at night with thermal scopes? Yeah right?

I can understand if shoot on the top and longer ranges beyond 300m you need the extra barrel length and velocity but for the average hunter do you need it? What say you?

I've just got my first short barrel gun 12.5" so far I havnt had to shoot over 300m in the places I've been and 40-60m is usually what distance is the norm havnt tried this one one yet but at those distances I'd say it won't be much different to my longer barrelled ones

Same thing with scopes people generally have to much magnification on them then what is needed

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

2-10 'scope.

16"-20" barrel chambered in one of the 308 based cases.

Muffler.

Carbon stock...equals...

Modern marvel.


I've got 5 hunting rifles for all seasons and reasons and the longest barrel is 21" .223, 243, 6.5X55, 7-08, 300SAUM.

Originally Posted by Tahr

2-10 'scope.

16"-20" barrel chambered in one of the 308 based cases.

Muffler.

Carbon stock...equals...

Modern marvel.


I've got 5 hunting rifles for all seasons and reasons and the longest barrel is 21" .223, 243, 6.5X55, 7-08, 300SAUM.

Still got your 270 WSM A7 Thar?

Originally Posted by Sidney

Still got your 270 WSM A7 Thar?

Its at the Dr's now getting a 20" 300SAUM barrel put onto it.
I will still have the .270wsm barrel if I ever want to convert back, but doubt it.

Simple answer, get two rifles one short for the tight bush and another for the open tops

I bush hunt mostly but also stalk clearings and do the tops so I have a dedicated bush rifle( open sighted 20" 30-30), a General purpose 308(24" about to be 20" suppressed) and lastly a tops rifle(well once I've re barrelled it).

If i started out again I'd go 18/20" 308 generic stainless rifle with a 2-10 scope and suppressed.
Can't recall the last time I took my scopes off the lowest magnification. So yes I definitely believe people go for too big a scope but that changes with experience(even if ya don't get a deer every time you can still learn from it).

I hunt bush and have just chopped my 308 to 14inch the can takes it just over 18inch so is perfect for me

Chopped my 10/22 to 12 inches and hasn't actually changed much. Guess it depends on the quality of the rifle you start wih though

Originally Posted by 223nut

Chopped my 10/22 to 12 inches and hasn't actually changed much. Guess it depends on the quality of the rifle you start wih though

The biggest factor is the caliber. A 22 doesn't have much powder to burn so you could go with a 6" barrel and be OK. Even magnum calibers only lose velocity with shorter barrels so unless that matters to you chop away.

Originally Posted by MassiveAttack

The biggest factor is the caliber. A 22 doesn't have much powder to burn so you could go with a 6" barrel and be OK. Even magnum calibers only lose velocity with shorter barrels so unless that matters to you chop away.

Depending on the caliber and powder.

My main hunting rifle shows almost 200fps gain with the powder it likes in a 25inch barrel, I doubt the gain would even be noticeable in say a 16''

What does velocity matter? well lots and nothing. If a projectile is impacting in the velocity range(at the ranges and muzzle velocities shot at) it works well in then great everything works well but just having a projectile that will work at the expected distances and hence impact velocities while a good start is not all there is to think about.

Don't get me wrong I am all for a compact rifle in the bush but what a lot miss when doing the calcs on velocity and energy at range from their "bush pig" is windage.

Trying to send a relatively slow 30cal bullet with a piss poor bc over longish distances is like throwing an inflated balloon with a pebble in it at your sister on the other end of the section with a 90 mph cross wind .

You may have the theoretical bc and impact velocity for the projectile to work and the theoretical ft pounds (if you believe in that) at range with a short bush pig but windage is your enemy and by hell does a big slow blunt bullet drift.

Fine if you are well practised/know your drifts/and can accurately estimate wind speeds/direction and correction.
Plenty of guys on here can and do do the above but I cannot, i simply do not shoot enough and neither do most hunters, I can use an app and dial my drop accurately,shoot enough to shoot accurately enough for medium ranges but start lobbing balloons in the wind and its all over.

And that is where a few hundreds of feet per second make all the difference....especially for non expert shooters when the range gets out there and it doesn't even have to be very far.

my 375 has 16 inch barrel, with suppressor fitted makes it 20. Its much handier than my SAUM which is 30 inches with suppressor fitted (Bare barrel is 26)

ballestics are similar to a short barrel 308 with a bit more poke at the business end

Originally Posted by mikee

my 375 has 16 inch barrel, with suppressor fitted makes it 20. Its much handier than my SAUM which is 30 inches with suppressor fitted (Bare barrel is 26)

ballestics are similar to a short barrel 308 with a bit more poke at the business end

Your last comment is a little understated I think

I tend to hunt smaller groups and varmints from a vehicle. For that the short barrel is brilliant. If I'm on the hills walking then a long barrel is better for the walking stick.