Barrel length question

[DRock]

OP , that rifles inc 300 Roy you had was cutting edge back then , no doubt it would be Coveted by many this day , but we evolve and that's ok too , your answers are sound ,as are Many answers given back as usual ,good luck keep it fun ! Cheers !

By all means its a tremendous rifle but I just haven't fallen in love with it. Funny how some rifles you just mesh with and others do not have that same connection? Honestly, I think its because Im into shooting everything with suppressors right now and this one has a thin longer barrel not ideal for a suppressor so I overlook it. Ill probably look at selling it to make space for a Proof Rifle if anyone is interested. Been fired ~10 times.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

Shorter the better

 

[NeedForSpeed]

I can say Fierce rifles are EXCELLENT quality and value. Customer service is not on par with their rifles but definitely a very good product and value.

The only difference you get from Fury to Edge is the Edge has fluted bolt and barrel and a special coating on the bolt where the Fury is just a polished bolt.These should not affect the accuracy guarantee of .5MOA at all. Just reduce the price-point of the rifle a bit.

The Titanium action vs steel actions saves not quite a half a pound. Just a more expensive option. I have two CT Edges and one Carbon Edge and definitely not a huge difference but it is noticeable. My purpose for the titanium was to offset suppressor weight. Recoils is very manageable with the Fierce muzzle break. I shoot all of these rifles suppressed so recoil is not an issue. I have shot the 300WSM CT Edge with a 180gr handload without a break or suppressor off of bags for initial load development and while it wasn't overbearing, it was about the max I want out of recoil in a hunting rifle.

The CT Edge is spendy but the next step is a PROOF Research rifle and then you're getting in the $6000 range. I think my next rifle will be the Proof Terminus or Summit?

ZERO chambering issues with the 300WSM.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. How much does the Fierce brake diminish recoil? I've seen the Fat Bastard and a few other brakes that supposedly reduced recoil by about 50 percent

 

[DRock]

I have not shot it for a couple years with the break but I remember thinking the recoil was pretty minimal for a lightweight mag. Might be safer to say 40% reduction than 50 but still a significant improvement.

 

[chilli42]

How easy is it to shorten a threaded 26 in carbon wrapped stainless barrel to 24 inches and re thread the tip? Is it typically an expensive proposition?

Can't be done ... well it can but it would be crazy expensive and unreliable. If 2' matter that much better buy a new barrel.

 

[dsteve931]

WEATHERBY 300 MAG - WOOD STOCK U WILL NEVER NEED ANYTHING ELSE

 

[NeedForSpeed]

WEATHERBY 300 MAG - WOOD STOCK U WILL NEVER NEED ANYTHING ELSE

Maybe a brake??

 

[KurtB]

I think you mention that you have only been shooting and hunting for 18 months or so. Desired initial long range shooting out to 500 yards, not sure what the longest range is you have access to is. My suggestion would be:

Buy 2 rifles.
First on being a good quality 22 rimfire or 223 Remington, good scope that dials reliably and say 2000 rounds of ammo for it. Shoot the rimfire alot out to 100-150 yards dialing the scope along the way to learn more about that. Or the 223 out to 500 yards.

Second rig would be a 6.5 Creedmoor and same scope as above. Ton of options in the $500-$1500 range. Buy some Berger ammunition with 135 berger bullets loaded into Lapua brass. Fireform and learn drops with those first 100 to 200 factory rounds. Then start reloading that cartridge.

Do that for a few years, get very proficient in field positions from 200-500 yards. If things are going great and you develop no bad habits from the light recoiling shooting you are doing, go ahead and upsize to your choice of 300 magnums.

Nothing replaces spent primers and if being honest, most new shooters aren't gong to shoot 2,000 rounds of 300 win magnum. Just wanted to toss out an alternate opinion, YMMV.

 

[NeedForSpeed]

I think you mention that you have only been shooting and hunting for 18 months or so. Desired initial long range shooting out to 500 yards, not sure what the longest range is you have access to is. My suggestion would be:

Buy 2 rifles.
First on being a good quality 22 rimfire or 223 Remington, good scope that dials reliably and say 2000 rounds of ammo for it. Shoot the rimfire alot out to 100-150 yards dialing the scope along the way to learn more about that. Or the 223 out to 500 yards.

Second rig would be a 6.5 Creedmoor and same scope as above. Ton of options in the $500-$1500 range. Buy some Berger ammunition with 135 berger bullets loaded into Lapua brass. Fireform and learn drops with those first 100 to 200 factory rounds. Then start reloading that cartridge.

Do that for a few years, get very proficient in field positions from 200-500 yards. If things are going great and you develop no bad habits from the light recoiling shooting you are doing, go ahead and upsize to your choice of 300 magnums.

Nothing replaces spent primers and if being honest, most new shooters aren't gong to shoot 2,000 rounds of 300 win magnum. Just wanted to toss out an alternate opinion, YMMV.

Appreciate your suggestions but Im getting old and the slow train left the station. I have a 243 winchester, a 257 weatherby mark 5 mag, two 6.5 Creedmoor rifles- a Seekins Pro Hunter and a Custom Ruger Precision with Proof barrel, a Weatherby Mark 5 chambered in 270 Win, a Weatherby Mark 5 in 30-06, an LWRC AR chambered in 300 blackout,a Browning BAR in 30-06, a 300 mag Weatherby Mark 5, and now a Fierce Carbon Fury chambered in 300 Win Mag. Ive been shooting quite a bit and reloading for nearly a year now.
I understand your rationale Too bad no one told me two years ago My first rifle was a Weatherby Mark 5 in 270 mag. Looking back, there were probably better choices!! But Ive probably advanced past friends that have shot for many many years

 

[One Hole]

I've been shooting a Borden Alpine Mag in 300WSM for over 10 years for deer, elk and black bear. It has a 22 inch #3 Hart barrel with a Borden 2" blended brake. It is lightweight, quick to point and very accurate. My prior rifle was a Weatherby Accumark in 300 wtby with a 26 inch barrel plus a 2 - 3 inch brake. I shot this rifle for over 15 years but wanted something smaller and lighter since most of my hunting now is in dense forest of north idaho. I cannot think of a realistic hunting situation where I would rather have the longer, heavier Weatherby. The Borden is considerably more accurate but should be expected from a full custom rifle.

Short action calibers have shorter powder columns and therefore require less barrel length for optimal powder and burn. Additionally a short action saves weight in the heavy metal receiver and bolt parts.

To get back to your question, once you have carried a short, lightweight rifle it's really hard to go back to a long, heavy one. There may be slight ballistic advantage with 300 Win Mag vs 300 WSM with heavy bullets at very long range but I'll take the handling advantages of the WSM every day.

Shoot Straight!

 

[NeedForSpeed]

I've been shooting a Borden Alpine Mag in 300WSM for over 10 years for deer, elk and black bear. It has a 22 inch #3 Hart barrel with a Borden 2" blended brake. It is lightweight, quick to point and very accurate. My prior rifle was a Weatherby Accumark in 300 wtby with a 26 inch barrel plus a 2 - 3 inch brake. I shot this rifle for over 15 years but wanted something smaller and lighter since most of my hunting now is in dense forest of north idaho. I cannot think of a realistic hunting situation where I would rather have the longer, heavier Weatherby. The Borden is considerably more accurate but should be expected from a full custom rifle.

Short action calibers have shorter powder columns and therefore require less barrel length for optimal powder and burn. Additionally a short action saves weight in the heavy metal receiver and bolt parts.

To get back to your question, once you have carried a short, lightweight rifle it's really hard to go back to a long, heavy one. There may be slight ballistic advantage with 300 Win Mag vs 300 WSM with heavy bullets at very long range but I'll take the handling advantages of the WSM every day.

Shoot Straight!

I considered the 300 WSM but decided on the 300 Win Mag for more ammo options. I bought a 6.6 lb Fierce with 24 inch Carbon barrel. Just got it so cant opine on the rifle yet but give me a week or two and Ill have an opinion. Thanks for yours!!