Barrel Length On 300 WSM

[drwindmill]

I having a 300 WSM built and currently I am planning a 24" barrel, but could be easily talked into 26". Just looking for some opinions on this matter. I already use 17, but for heavies I would be using 7828 and that is where I think the 26 would be better.

 

[Jud96]

I having a 300 WSM built and currently I am planning a 24" barrel, but could be easily talked into 26". Just looking for some opinions on this matter. I already use 17, but for heavies I would be using 7828 and that is where I think the 26 would be better.

Go with the 26" barrel. Will push those bullets a little quicker and would work better with the slow 7828 powder.

 

[MHO]

+ 1 on the 26.

 

[gunaddict]

I went with a 25" barrel on my new Benchmark barrel.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I would use as long a barrel as I could live with, depending what kind of shooting/hunting I was doing. That's to get the extra 50 fps or so with a couple more inches of tube. If velocity is not a high priority, a 24" barrel is easier to hunt with for sure. Longer barrels are also more susceptible to whip and considering a heavier contour (which would add weight) is something to think about.

I found RL17 to produce very good velocity with 210 Bergers in my 300 WSM.

 

[drwindmill]

I went with a 25" barrel on my new Benchmark barrel.

What do you think you gained by going with the 25" barrel?

 

[MudRunner2005]

Go with the 26" barrel. Will push those bullets a little quicker and would work better with the slow 7828 powder.

I don't own a short-mag, but as a rule of thumb, the only rie I will own with anything less than a 26" barrel, is a .308 Win. Everything else is 26" or more.

Just my personal rule of thumb...

I would also go with a 10" twist, that way you can stabilize anything in the .30 caliber you might choose to shoot. But if you never plan to go heavier than a Berger 210 VLD, the 5R 11.25" twist is working awesome in my 24" .308 Win. with the Berger 210 VLD's. I can put 5 inside a dime @ 100 yards with my pet load, as long as I do my part.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I would use as long a barrel as I could live with, depending what kind of shooting/hunting I was doing. That's to get the extra 50 fps or so with a couple more inches of tube. If velocity is not a high priority, a 24" barrel is easier to hunt with for sure. Longer barrels are also more susceptible to whip and considering a heavier contour (which would add weight) is something to think about.

I found RL17 to produce very good velocity with 210 Bergers in my 300 WSM.

Mark is correct, contour is everything. If going longer, the heavier (thicker) the barrel, the less susceptable to barrel-whip (harmonics) it will be.

I recommend a 26" Rem Varmint/Sendero contour barrel if you can live with the weight of it. It should make a fine LR rig.