I'm having a 7mm rem built for my next trip to CO. wondering if I could get some opinions of the "best" barrel length and contour. Currently have a 28in proof carbon blank in a sendero contour but it seems like it may be a little long for backpacking. Thanks In advance
Barrel length for western hunting
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Rick Richard
Well-Known Member
I like 26 in magnums.
Huntnful
Well-Known Member
I had a .28 nosler built with a 26" + a 3 port muzzle break last year. I packed it all over on 5 out of state trips. All backcountry through the mountains. Never once thought it was too much of a burden. I just ordered a 300 Norma and went with the same 26" but with a 5 port break. The shorter barrels of course seem appealing, don't get me wrong, but I think mostly in the smaller calibers. Maybe a 20" 6.5 PRC one day just for fun, but the short barrel just straight up isnt necessary unless you're busting brush in Alaska or something.
I think I really comes down to your cartridge, bullet choice, minimum expansion velocity of that bullet at the range you are comfortable taking shots. Do you need a 28" magnum barrel to push at 3200fps when 2800 would do the same work? Are you going to add 8" onto the end with a suppressor? I'm with @SO I HUNT on the 18". I rebarreled my old savage into a 6.5-06 and was going to do 18" and somehow during the threading and chambering never actually grabbed a tape and ended up with a 20". If it wasn't more effort than I wanted right now, I would take it off and chop 2" tomorrow.
dok7mm
Well-Known Member
26" #3 or 3b Bartlein
sierracharlie338
Well-Known Member
For a magnum I'd go no shorter than 24 personally.
Thank you everyone, when I started out ordering parts I hadn't thought much about a suppressor. I guess I was mainly focused on being able to move a 165-175 bullet as fast as possible. Just wanted to see if anyone had any real world experience with the 28 in barrel and if it was to long to pack comfortably or not.
I'm usually a 26 inch guy plus a break on magnums.
I'm reading about a lot of guys getting good velocity from shorter barrels. Add to that a good long range heavy vld doesn't need blazing velocity for performance out say 600 yards.
I'm planning a 20 inch 7 saum and per berger a 180 vld at 2650 is good for about 600 yards at sea level. Add about 100 yards or so at 5000 feet asl.
A 300 short mag variant at 22 inches running a 230 would be hard to beat imo.
I'm reading about a lot of guys getting good velocity from shorter barrels. Add to that a good long range heavy vld doesn't need blazing velocity for performance out say 600 yards.
I'm planning a 20 inch 7 saum and per berger a 180 vld at 2650 is good for about 600 yards at sea level. Add about 100 yards or so at 5000 feet asl.
A 300 short mag variant at 22 inches running a 230 would be hard to beat imo.
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I think the 7SAUM is a tough one to beat for get it all done western hunting. Works better with the shorter barrel than the 7Mag
Huntnful
Well-Known Member
For reference, I'm running the 180 Berger at 3200fps out of the 28 nosler with a 26" 1-8 twist
. Lots of powder though. 87.2gr of N570
