30" vs. 28" vs. 26" barrells on 30 cal. Wby's

[mfc1245]

Dear Long Range Hunting Folks,
What is you opinions on barrell lengths for say 300 Wby Mag., 30-378 Wby Mag., and the 338-378 Wby Mag? Most of my barrells are 26", I thought that was enough. Now I'm hearing that 30" or minimum 28" is need for the last two. What do you think? Very confusing. Thanks [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

Welcome TexasTrophyHunter! Always glad to see another Texan on this site! To answer your question, here's some factors to consider:
1) Are you happy with the performance of your equipment and does it accurately meet your long range hunting needs? If the answer is yes, don't worry about what others have to do to achieve the same.
2) If you're not satisfied with the performance of your equipment, you have definitely come to the right place! This site is filled with "Professional Shooters"; who are happy to offer sage advice regarding their past experiences and solutions they have found, in overcoming performance issues.
As for me, my 26" barrel does more than I need it to do; with the load and bullet I use, and you may want to experiment with some different loads and bullet choices to achieve the success you may be looking for.
If your barrel is shot out, that's a different story. I recommend a Hart barrel.

[ 07-16-2004: Message edited by: nighthunter264winmag ]

[mfc1245]

Nighthunter264winmag, Thanks for the advice. I have a 264 win.mag. 26" winchester supergrade. I can't decide whether to shoot 100 gr. BST's or 120 gr.
Sierra Match King Hollow Point BT Moly's. Both shoot very well for me (dime). I'll be mostly shooting coyotes and deer.
Thanks, TexasTrophyHunter

[Derek M.]

First let me say that I'm not a greatly experienced long range hunter....YET. I just haven't had the opportunity come my way. However, I think you'd enjoy reading some of the "Long distance hunting and shooting" articles on Dan Lija's website:
www.riflebarrels.com

One of his stated favorite rifles is the .270 Weatherby with a 30" barrel. Mind you, this is a heavy rifle, with the 130 ballistic tip bullet.

I personally like a longer barrel. I don't mind the extra wt. or length.

I have 24-25.5" barrels on my 270's, and a 28" barrel on my 300 RUM.

I like the extra velocity with less powder. So I personally would recommend the longer barrel, but the real question you have to ask yourself is, "how much benefit for my type of hunting is a longer barrel going to give me?" Some would argue, "what's a couple of inches, no real gain there."



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[Derek M.]

I forgot something...if your barrel is indeed shot out, I've had outstanding performance with the following barrels in stainless steel:

Hart, Lilja, Broughton-Richards, Shilen, Krieger, Kostyshyn, and Pac-Nor.

My personal favorites: geez that's hard. I like the Broughton-Richards, Hart, Krieger, and Lilja all the same. I think the Pac-Nor and Shilen are equivical.

Even though these are all hand-lapped barrels, some still take a bit of shooting to become "seasoned." My Hart barrel took about 25 shots to stop fouling. I only put Barnes TSX bullets through it now and it still doesn't foul until maybe 30 rounds. My Broughton took about 4. Lilja about 10.

Another barrel to consider, if you are shopping, is from H-S Precision. It is also cut-rifled like the Krieger. The others are pull-buttoned. Plus Krieger didn't use to offer a stainless barrel smaller than the #4 countour but they do now, it's just a different grade of stainless steel that is harder...I think. Go to their website and check it out, or call Mike there.

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[Mysticplayer]

TexasTH, the question on barrel length depends on what you want to do with the rifle. A long barrel is "free" horsepower so we try and use the longest barrel for the job.

I have two types of rifles for LR hunting. One is a bench rider and weighs 35lbs. This one has a 36" barrel and launches 240gr MK very effectively at ranges exceeding 1000yds. The case is a 300RUM.

Not something I am going to carry around. I have a portable bench for this rifle.

The second is more like the Sendero or beanfield rifle. Weigh 10lbs or so. 26" barrel with a varmint taper. This one I use for setting up in clear cuts or across draws. I shoot these rifles from field positions as it is portable. Max range usually is under 800yds. Cal and cartridges are also smaller.

So your choice of barrel length and style depends so much on what you want to use it for. There are no absolutes but certainly some very good ways to go. Describe your intended use and I am sure you will get good feedback.

Jerry

[mfc1245]

One rifle is a Mark V 300 Wby. Mag. accurized with a 26" Shilen. It shoots 180 XBT's very well. It is topped with a 6-24x50 Swarovski PH with long target turrets and TDS reticle. It's intended use is for whitetails, hogs and possible Mule deer someday.

The 2nd rifle is an Accurmark 338-378 Wby. Mag. fully accurized with another 26" Shilen and topped with a Leupold 6.5-20x50 Long Range Target with Mil. Dot reticle. It drills 250 gr. X bullets at 3050 fps.
It also shoots 225 X bullets very well at 3350 fps. Its intended use is elk hunting.
Thanks