Thread: 7mm08 barrel shortening

Hi all, I’ve just been out on my first ever hunt (Blue Mountains) and I have a Sauer 100 7mm08 with a 22” barrel. Having been in the bush I think a shorter barrel will make things slightly easier in the thick stuff. Any thoughts on whether I should look at shortening or not bother?
Thanks

Originally Posted by LycanLord

Hi all, I’ve just been out on my first ever hunt (Blue Mountains) and I have a Sauer 100 7mm08 with a 22” barrel. Having been in the bush I think a shorter barrel will make things slightly easier in the thick stuff. Any thoughts on whether I should look at shortening or not bother?
Thanks

Do you use a surpressor.
If you do yip chop it

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Agree with chopping if your current set up is 22 inch and the supressor, if no suppressor then you gain nothing unless you chop more than 4 inch as most suppressor are 4 inch forward of muzzle

Hamish

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Not sure why there is a tend to cut barrels shorter. Even with a suppressor a 20" barrel makes a very handy any quick to point rifle. No suppressor and anything under about 22'" starts dramatically increasing muzzle blast. I spent my early years bush hunting with a 22" barrelled 30-06 and never once wished for shorter barrel because it was to to long for quick shots. Without a suppressor a short barrel also tends to turn the balance of the rifle to shit. So basically agree with HNTMD and 25/08 IMP.

How short could you take a 7mm08? I was inspired by @Wingman’s mini howa chassis rifles but am left handed and howa don’t make LH rifles apparently. Would a 12 or 13’ be ridiculous?

Originally Posted by camenzie

How short could you take a 7mm08? I was inspired by @Wingman’s mini howa chassis rifles but am left handed and howa don’t make LH rifles apparently. Would a 12 or 13’ be ridiculous?

buy a winchester 94 in 7mm waters...cause thats in effect what your making it into.... thats a 30/30 case necked down to 7mm.
my bush rifle is .270 win and barrel is 21" long and it wears a suppressor too....and its ideal,forsure a really short and light rifle is nicer to carry,but that 300-350 yard shot...yeah the longer barrel has its uses.... AND slow down in the bush and it matters bugger all.spent first 10 years hunting with single .12ga with 28" barrel...never thought it was too long LOL.

My 708 is 16” and very pointy

If it has a suppressor then yes, if not then no

If you are scrabbling around in shit thick enough to be noticing it being too long for often enough then dock it. If not, learn to carry it in a manner that doesn't get caught up as easy.

Personally I have everything as short as I can but I also don't care if it drops my max range from say 400 to 300 as I can't see more than a hundy through the bush where I hunt mostly anyway.

Being where you are I'd knock it to 19/20" and suppress and it will be best of both worlds

first ever hunt........ DONT change stuff till youve used it enough to decide if you need to...or you will be chasing your tail and flushing good coin down the drain

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah it’s 22” plus a suppressor. Good point about first hunt and getting out more before deciding what works for me. On the plus side, I got a deer on the second day thanks to the instructor getting me into a great spot.

Defiantly.
Ran my tikka 7mm08 as a 18inch bushpig with the 162gr eld-m.
Worked a treat on fallow and goats out to 600meters

Originally Posted by lau lau

Defiantly.
Ran my tikka 7mm08 as a 18inch bushpig with the 162gr eld-m.
Worked a treat on fallow and goats out to 600meters

I second this got my howa at 18" suppressed running hot reloads heaps of energy out to 500m and makes it well balanced and good on the ears

Yep my model 7 was 18" when I got it.

Cut to 16" and never looked back

Originally Posted by LycanLord

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah it’s 22” plus a suppressor. Good point about first hunt and getting out more before deciding what works for me. On the plus side, I got a deer on the second day thanks to the instructor getting me into a great spot.

Yeap, 26+ inches in the Bush is getting out there, long enough to be unwieldy. Chop it back to 18 or so, great compromise between handling and velocity.