How much value is there in having a bolt action 308 with a 24" barrel as opposed to a 20" barrel?
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PRS Talk barrel length of bolt action 308
- Thread starter jsmythe
- Start date
It all comes down to personal preference and how competent you are with what you have IMHO. Im running a 20'' 308 and find it nice and maneuverable. Only you can know what works for you and your situation.
I just noticed a lot of PRS competition shooters that still used 308 have 24" barrels. I prefer the shorter 20" barrels for maneuverability, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't sacrificing anything in accuracy and tighter groupings in longer ranges by choosing the 20" barrel. I have read a lot of data and opinions regarding ballistics of 20"-24" barrels, but i thought I would throw the question out to competition shooters before I made my final decision.
Something to think about as there are always more ways to skin a cat but two top shooters using .308s in Tac use a 31" barrel with a can and the other is a 33". They have no issues getting around at matches with them. Barrel length isn't a big issue with practice. I use a 28" barrel with a brake on it so it's about 30". No issues getting around. If I was running a .308 in Tac division it would be a 26-28" barrel.
barrel length isnt going to have any impact on accuracy.....what it will effect is muzzle velocity.
now .308 is pretty nonchalant about barrel length, and you are only losing something on the order of 20FPS per inch of barrel length......so the difference between 20" and 24" is going to be 80-100 fps.
if you have a 24" barrel and its shooting good for you, ide leave it......if you have a 20" barrel and its shooting well for you, ide leave it.........if you dont have a barrel, ide go with 26" honestly, you can always cut it down after.
now .308 is pretty nonchalant about barrel length, and you are only losing something on the order of 20FPS per inch of barrel length......so the difference between 20" and 24" is going to be 80-100 fps.
if you have a 24" barrel and its shooting good for you, ide leave it......if you have a 20" barrel and its shooting well for you, ide leave it.........if you dont have a barrel, ide go with 26" honestly, you can always cut it down after.
As LEO, you likely don't need the added length since you typically shoot/engage no farther than 300 yards. As long as the loss of fps doesn't effect your projectile's terminal performance (i.e. expansion and penetrating through other objects) and you correct your dope there is no serious drawbacks.
In PRS and competitive shooting I would stick with the longest barrel you feel comfortable with... excluding the super long F Class barrels.
In PRS and competitive shooting I would stick with the longest barrel you feel comfortable with... excluding the super long F Class barrels.
I am running a factory AI 24” barrel on my AT. I can get to the 2800 fps with 175’s, and over if desired.
Sadly I don’t have FGMM 175 data for you as a comparison.
118LR was 2673 fps for me
Prime was 2588 fps
FGMM 185 (not TAC legal) - 2612 FPS
Sadly I don’t have FGMM 175 data for you as a comparison.
118LR was 2673 fps for me
Prime was 2588 fps
FGMM 185 (not TAC legal) - 2612 FPS
What powders are you able to get better velocities with a 175 class bullet? I'm always struggling to get better than 2600 fps even with 24 inch barrels
I get 2700fps from 46gr of 2000MR using a 185gr Juggernaut out of my 20" AX
Max charge is actually 48gr with 2000MR
Max charge is actually 48gr with 2000MR
Are these loads brass dependent? I guess what I'm saying is would you only use these load with Lapua brass or would they be good with regular commercial brass? I've tried a few different loads and always seem to see pressure before getting velocity gains
Most common hunting rifles for .308 use 20-22" tubes. Some are around 18", and there are a couple that are 16" (mostly compact/youth rifles).
Optimal depends on your preferences; as does can size. If you only carry your rifle from the trunk of the car to the bench, go with a longer barrel for more complete burn and slightly higher velocity.
If you keep your rifle with you and may need to make quick shots, or are concerned with 'handiness' of the rifle in the field, shorter tends to be better. Think along the lines of a 'tacticool' heavy barrel sniper rifle on a rest versus Cooper's Scout Rifle concept. Personally, I lean towards the Scout Rifle right now.
.30 cal isn't as sensitive to barrel loss as 5.56/.223 is (typically ~25-35fps per inch difference), but you have to define the mission before you build your stick.
Optimal depends on your preferences; as does can size. If you only carry your rifle from the trunk of the car to the bench, go with a longer barrel for more complete burn and slightly higher velocity.
If you keep your rifle with you and may need to make quick shots, or are concerned with 'handiness' of the rifle in the field, shorter tends to be better. Think along the lines of a 'tacticool' heavy barrel sniper rifle on a rest versus Cooper's Scout Rifle concept. Personally, I lean towards the Scout Rifle right now.
.30 cal isn't as sensitive to barrel loss as 5.56/.223 is (typically ~25-35fps per inch difference), but you have to define the mission before you build your stick.
I don't have time to reload anymore, so I'm shooting FGMM175 for the near future.
But I do have time to send my old Rem700 off to LRI to spin on a Bartlein 1-10, and I'm asking for 26"
I hope to get 2700fps!
Gotta try 2000MR someday...
But I do have time to send my old Rem700 off to LRI to spin on a Bartlein 1-10, and I'm asking for 26"
I hope to get 2700fps!
Gotta try 2000MR someday...
Loads are a bit brass dependent, and possibly primer pocket style too (I haven’t messed with small primer stuff yet...one day). I am running Varget currently, in LC LR brass. In my AI, I am getting over 2750 still within book loads, and over 2800 a bit over some other book loads.
It could be also primer dependent, depending on what you are using as indicators for signs of pressure. I sometimes have noticed at low/starting charge weights, that i get odd primer indicators too.
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