300win barrel length

[fatjake]

I've searched. Found a bit of info but like a good discussion

#3 bartlein
300win

Will be adding a muzzle brake.

How long would YOU cut it before the brake and why. Keep in mind this will be a hunting rifle

 

[Country Bumpkin]

I'm not one of the many experts on the forum, so I'll just tell you my experience with my 300 WM. I have a Bartlein 3B that's been fluted. It was cut at 25" and has a brake that adds just over 2". I'm getting 2,985 fps with berger 190's and 80.5 gr of h1000. In my opinion this is satisfactory velocity without undue barrel length. Amazingly, with an overal 27"+ barrel I still get that last inch hung up on branches when I think that I'm ducking just low enough. I guess it's true what they say, an inch makes all the difference in the world. HAhahaha.

 

[Rick Richard]

Not that more performance with another inch of barrel. Also, if too long then it is very difficult to find a case to fit for transporting.

 

[Rich Coyle]

fatjake,

The .375 wildcat has a 28" medium barrel with a brake and is in a case. The 6.5mm wildcat has a 27" light barrel with a brake and is in a case. The 6.5 Creedmoor has a 26" heavy barrel with a brake and is in a case. I like the barrel as long as I can get it.

When I was younger the twelve pound .375 was my carry rifle. I intentially watched one season to see how often it caught on a twig or branch. During that deer season test I didn't take any un-normal routes to try to avoid brush on Oregon's coast where I lived at the time. It hit something one time.

Last year I borrowed a Kimber 84 .308 with an 18" barrel with a factory brake so it was at most 20" long. Can you believe it caught on a branch? I was not testing at the time, just living and loving hunting.

 

[Ragnarnar]

Do you already have the bartlein #3? If not, I'd go with a heavier profile, or see if bartlein will trade you.

The issue becomes the threading at the end for your can or brake. A 3 won't have much meat on it at 26"+. You run the risk of trumpeting the muzzle if the brake gets torqued on too much or the pressure behind the bullet doing the same thing.

Maybe the 3B? I think that's equivalent to most others #5. I've heard from multiple people in the know that's about the smallest they go for a magnum contour with threading

Best

 

[Barrelnut]

I would keep it at 24". Then with brake it would be about 26". Rifles over 26" just don't swing well to get on game. They just seem slow and aren't quick to handle at all. Even a 24" barrel is much better than a 26" barrel in this aspect. So maybe you could remove the brake and add a thread protector for even quicker handling in certain situations.

Speed loss might be 50 or so FPS between a 24" and 26" barrel. That will never be noticed at medium distances, say inside 700 yards. Plus, differences in BC of bullets chosen would have a bigger effect than that anyways.

The 24" barrel would be stiffer in the lighter contour and may help accuracy or at least be easier to tune with less barrel whip. It would also be a bit lighter AND would probably resolve the possible issues brought up by Rahnarnar.

Good luck.

 

[dmj]

I have several 300 wm. My wife says my goal is to own every 300 made. Anyway the barrel length ranges from 24 to 26 inches before brake. I have a lot of 180 grain nosler ballistic tip bullets. I have quite a few of them loaded up and all are loaded the same or at least as close to the same as I'm capable of loading them. They are used to get the rifles on paper, barrel break in. This load in all rifles cornographs between 3000 and 3050 fps in everyone of these rifles. With a number 3 barrel I would probably lean towards the 24 inch mark. Little more meat for the brake, handle some better, little stiffer, fits down in packs a little better, slightly lighter and not going to lose much performance. But in the long run this is your rifle and you need to do what you want to make it your dream rifle. Good luck and above all else have fun and be safe.

 

[el matador]

I agree with everyone else, 24-26" is about right. I would go one of two ways: For a moderate range all-around hunting rifle I'd cut it at 24" and shoot 180-190 grain bullets. I would go this route if I didn't anticipate shots beyond 750 yards. The other way to go would be a 26" tube with 208, 212, or 215 grain bullets. This build would be better for the long shots but a bit heavier/bulkier.

Either way you're almost splitting hairs here. The 300 Win is a great performer in many different configurations.

 

[SouthTXBowhunter]

It would depend somewhat on where I hunted and the type of terrain I regularly navigated. Trying to decerne the 'optimal' length is impossible as a western mountain hunter is going to need a very different rifle than someone hunting here in the South Texas brush country or the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest. I have a 26" tube on my 300wm and I run a 7" suppressor on it. If I were building one I might cut it back an inch but then, how much difference does an inch make?? [insert any number of crass jokes here!] LMAO!! Seriously, though, I just don't think an inch or two is really going to make a rifle more comfortable or easy to carry. The 300wm is just not suited to short barrels. If you want a compact rifle (which I love) in .30 then get a .308 that's perfectly suited to 16"-20" barrels. If you want to shoot a magnum cartridge, with all that powder to burn, wrap your head around a longer barrel and get the longest one you think you can stand.

As somebody else pointed out, I would recommend going with a Bartlein #4 (or bigger) rather than a 3b, if you're going to thread the muzzle.

 

[ohiohunter]

I decided on a 25" barrel, IF I were in the ops shoes I'd run a 24" in the above mentioned contours for the suppressor. I don't think you'd lose much running 180gr pills through a 24" barrel vs a 26". Plenty of 24" 300wm out there, plenty!

You could always drop the WM and build 30-06, at least you can get Lapua brass and then decide 24 or 22" barrel