308win Barrel Questions

[archanfire]

Hello all, I hope everyone is well. I'm looking at picking up a spare barrel in case things get hard to find(and pricier) over the next few months. I found a deal on a 16" 1:8twist barrel, but am wondering if it's too short or too fast of a twist to shoot factory loads and unsupressed out of. My concerns have me wondering if that's why the guy is selling it.....

Many Thanks!

 

[FEENIX]

Hello all, I hope everyone is well. I'm looking at picking up a spare barrel in case things get hard to find(and pricier) over the next few months. I found a deal on a 16" 1:8twist barrel, but am wondering if it's too short or too fast of a twist to shoot factory loads and unsupressed out of. My concerns have me wondering if that's why the guy is selling it.....

Many Thanks!

Good on you for being proactive. This boils down to personal choice and intended purpose. You can always ask the seller why he is selling it. The barrel twist is too fast for the average bullet/load for .308 Win but perfect for the long/heavy high BC bullets that require faster than 1:9", especially the monolithic bullets. My shortest barrel unsuppressed is 18" (6.5x55) without any issues. I am unsure if 16" will post any problems for you. My AR-15s/10 has a 16" barrel unsuppressed, and I am good with it. My AR-10 is equipped with a suppressor, though. Good luck!

 

[wvbearhunter]

1:8 is a pretty fast twist for 308 IMHO but 16" is ok for most short to intermediate ranges. Most factory 308 loadings will not burn all their powder in a 16" barrel so youll get some flash but its not a big deal. 1:10-1:11 are my preferred twist rates as it allows for the widest range of bullet weights

 

[Justice1327]

Maybe it was intended for a 300 blackout

 

[Haymaker]

I would pass on that one. Unless it was really cheap and you just wanted to experiment.