So I'm building a new lr .308 upper which will be suppressed most of the time with a aac cyclone. Will I lose accuracy with a 16" barrel over a 18" barrel. Let me hear your thoughts
16" or 18"
- Thread starter snakebyte922
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I run a 16" because the can adds so much length and I want my rifle fairly easy to get in and out of the truck with when hunting. You can sit and argue ballistics between the 2 all day, but it's 6 of one, half dozen of the other if you ask me. The numbers look different on paper, but it's doubtful that they will be much different in application. I've never had a critter tell me that my barrel wasn't long enough.
You will drop around 40fps, not tragic. If you are going to shoot mainly suppressed, and go with the 16" then you should look into a 1-8 twist. When you shoot suppressed typically you use heavier bullets, the faster twist will help to stabilize the heavy bullets. The faster twist also helps to better stabilize the bullets when they go transonic, this gives you better long range accuracy if needed. Long story short the 16" will do anything the 18" will do, so it comes down to your personal choice.
Shorter barrels are generally more stiff, and can be more accurate. Longer barrels will generate more velocity. Its not really worth comparing a 16 to an 18.
The combination of barrel features, rifling type, chamber dimensions, profile, gas port etc are all bigger things to worry about that splitting hairs over 2".
The combination of barrel features, rifling type, chamber dimensions, profile, gas port etc are all bigger things to worry about that splitting hairs over 2".
I hunted a bit with my M&P10 this past deer season and felt like the 18" barrel was just about perfect. It handled well and was a good fit inside a hunting blind. Now that AL finally has approved the use of suppressors for hunting I guess I will find out just how much the 2" matters with a suppressor on. But either way I am not going to complain about the rule change.
I would say from my experience you could go either way and not be wrong.
I would say from my experience you could go either way and not be wrong.
shouldn't lose accuracy. may lose some distance tho if you were looking to shoot any long range. its not really much of a difference as stated above
