308 win barrel length

[TC338]

What length barrel would you guys recommend for a hunting 308? I'm thinking of rebarreling my factory 308. Shots for this rifle could reach 600 yards or so, if the ballistics are there. Planning on staying with a #3 or 3B from bartlein.

 

[MudRunner2005]

20-26" is fine. My current .308 Win is 24"...But I had a custom 20" .308 that would shoot excellent at long range.

 

[Gunpoor]

This is just my personal opinion and I will defend it but others may not agree. I don't think a 308Win needs a barrel longer than 24" and if I were building one I would probably have it cut to 22". Any velocity gains beyond these lengths will be very minimal. I also think for a long range shooter a short/stout barrel will give less barrel harmonic flex than a longer one, and therefore will tend to be less picky concerning ammunition.

 

[TC338]

20-26" is fine. My current .308 Win is 24"...But I had a custom 20" .308 that would shoot excellent at long range.

What was your difference in MV between the two?

 

[MudRunner2005]

What was your difference in MV between the two?

The 20" got stolen from me back in 2008, and I haven't seen it since...Assuming either the cops found it and never reported it (cause they caught the thief, and the cops in that city were pretty corrupt back then), or it's long-gone by now. I sure miss that rifle...Still hoping one day Lassie will find its way home. It was my first custom I had built when I was 16 by a friend & gunsmith who has since retired, so I cannot have another one built JUST like it. But I could get really close, and I might do so one day just to have another one like it.

Anyway, back to reality... I didn't have a chrono back then, so I have no idea. I used to do my clicks by trial and error and make 100 yard markers on the turret click indicators with white fingernail paint. You might get a good laugh at my redneck engineering, but hey, it worked, you just had to make sure you marked your 100 yard a different color so you know where to come back to. It worked great for low-viz hunting situations like early morning or late evening as the sun's dropping.

But if I had to guess, I would say maybe +/- 100-150 fps difference.

I will say this though... That 20" heavy barrel was super-handy for toting through the woods or using from a shooting house and tree stand.

 

[jpd676]

I'd say 20-24 also. I have a Remington LTR with a 20" barrel and it is very handy in the woods. I shoot a 208 amax in it at 2400fps. It has worked well at longer ranges.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

If you are going to carry it, 20-24.

If you are going to sit a hide or be close to the truck, 22-26.

Remember, the F-Class shooters use 30" barrels, you don't need that much. Velocity will change 25fps for each inch longer or shorter.

Most of my manuals, Nosler, Hogdons, Sierra and a couple more use 24" teset barrels.

 

[Grumulkin]

The optimal length would be the shortest length where all the propellent was burned and where increasing velocity didn't make the extra length/weight of the barrel worth it. Here's an article dealing with the 308 Winchester.

Optimal 308 Winchester Barrel Length

 

[Deleted member 46119]

The optimal length would be the shortest length where all the propellent was burned and where increasing velocity didn't make the extra length/weight of the barrel worth it. Here's an article dealing with the 308 Winchester.

Optimal 308 Winchester Barrel Length

That is true as well. With standardized munitions, standardized barrel length works.

The flexibility of the 308 is more than just what bullets it can sling.

Short barrel, works great. Easy to handle. Velocity good.
Long barrel, works great. Improved velocity. Not as easy to handle.

Of course there is also starting at 26" and taking it down until you are happy.