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Short barrel magnum performance
- Thread starter SnowDingo
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elkaholic
Well-Known Member
I would say no with that barrel
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
If a 20" barrel worked good there, we'd all be using 20" barrels -on everything.
300sendero
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2016
- Messages
- 55
There are several articles of people cutting the barrels down inch by inch and chronographing between shots. Do some searching and you might could find 300 wsm (300 win for sure). It isn't as bad as most people think. You will catch flack for asking that question more than you will get supported but I like walking trees and brush with shorter barrels. If you find some information on velocities make sure you have the energy you want at the farthest distance you think you will be shooting and go for it.
elkaholic
Well-Known Member
Probably but you may get a good muzzle flash!!!
That would be a hard hitting gun in a compact package. I thought flash might me a problem as well but there seem to be several 20" barrel 300 Norma's out there. I've been using a terminator t-3 brake and it seems to direct the blast away from the shooter much better than other brakes I've used and it is more pleasant if your spotting beside the shooter.
A 300 WSM from a 20" barrel would still out perform a 30-06 from a 24" barrel. If you're comfortable with the performance of a 30-06 at 1000 yards then I think you'd be happy with the performance of the short barreled 300 WSM.
I've spent a lot of time working with magnum cases from short (20" and under) barrels and you'd be amazed by what they can accomplish. An 18" 338/375 ruger will send a 250gr bullet at 2700 fps +. I had an 18" barreled 300 RUM that would launch 168gr bullets at over 3200 fps. For a more extreme example, my 20" barreled 338/408 CT improved shoots a 300gr OTM at over 2800 fps, the same load goes 3180 fps from a 30" barrel.
I've spent a lot of time working with magnum cases from short (20" and under) barrels and you'd be amazed by what they can accomplish. An 18" 338/375 ruger will send a 250gr bullet at 2700 fps +. I had an 18" barreled 300 RUM that would launch 168gr bullets at over 3200 fps. For a more extreme example, my 20" barreled 338/408 CT improved shoots a 300gr OTM at over 2800 fps, the same load goes 3180 fps from a 30" barrel.
elkaholic
Well-Known Member
The problem is as much hitting something with a 20" barrel as how much energy you have!
I was playing with some data and if it could push the 210vld at 2700 i thinks it should surpass that, but at 2700 the 210 would be going 1462 and carrying 977 ftlbs may be a little marginal for the wapiti but a deer hammer.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
Just because it is a short magnum, and fits in a short action, doesn't mean that it can be used in a short barrel without velocity loss less than a standard magnum. They use almost the same amount of powder and need longer barrels in order to optimize performance.
I would recommend no less than a 24" barrel normally. If you needed a shorter barrel 20 to 22" would be "MY" limit. Anything less and you would give up to much velocity. You would probably have to work up loads with faster burning powder to get the best velocity from a 300 WSM with a short barrel.
There would possibly be a inefficient powder burn also (excessive Muzzle flash). It could get reasonable velocities and a chronograph
could give you the effective range with you load.
Just my opinion
I would recommend no less than a 24" barrel normally. If you needed a shorter barrel 20 to 22" would be "MY" limit. Anything less and you would give up to much velocity. You would probably have to work up loads with faster burning powder to get the best velocity from a 300 WSM with a short barrel.
There would possibly be a inefficient powder burn also (excessive Muzzle flash). It could get reasonable velocities and a chronograph
could give you the effective range with you load.
Just my opinion
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
Barrel length 'Performance' isn't all about velocity.
There is accuracy per distance, which is tied to tune, and SD/ES, and muzzle pressure(slapping the back of bullets), and then bullet stability.
There is also the potential for secondary pressure peaks, that can exceed your load pressures. When that unburned powder ignites at the muzzle(doing nothing good for you), the pressure generated by it bottles up & adds to that still in the bore. This, forcing lower pressure or less than optimum loads to relieve pressure issues.
For longer ranges, and smaller killzones, these things matter as accuracy matters.
If velocity was all that mattered, manufacturers and BR shooters would just pick a standard short barrel(like 20") for all long guns.
After all, neither need longer barrels to reach target velocities, as they could just choose ever higher capacity cartridges to recover that.
But what they need is accuracy, which ultimately drives barrel lengths, neither too short nor too long.
Factories still go shorter in barrel lengths than BR shooters.
They know that for most shooters, who buy their guns, accuracy takes a back seat to other use factors. But they don't usually go full blown crazy with that.
There is accuracy per distance, which is tied to tune, and SD/ES, and muzzle pressure(slapping the back of bullets), and then bullet stability.
There is also the potential for secondary pressure peaks, that can exceed your load pressures. When that unburned powder ignites at the muzzle(doing nothing good for you), the pressure generated by it bottles up & adds to that still in the bore. This, forcing lower pressure or less than optimum loads to relieve pressure issues.
For longer ranges, and smaller killzones, these things matter as accuracy matters.
If velocity was all that mattered, manufacturers and BR shooters would just pick a standard short barrel(like 20") for all long guns.
After all, neither need longer barrels to reach target velocities, as they could just choose ever higher capacity cartridges to recover that.
But what they need is accuracy, which ultimately drives barrel lengths, neither too short nor too long.
Factories still go shorter in barrel lengths than BR shooters.
They know that for most shooters, who buy their guns, accuracy takes a back seat to other use factors. But they don't usually go full blown crazy with that.
Are there some other options that may fit into this discussion that are standard or if wildcat something similar to an Ackley just chamber a factory and shoot.
I have been packing 27in barrels and 9-12pound rifles all wildcats for years and I am wanting short and light and simple for my next rig
I have been packing 27in barrels and 9-12pound rifles all wildcats for years and I am wanting short and light and simple for my next rig
