Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

[lonely_wolf]

I'm thinking of ordering my first custom barrel. No sure what the best run down for a 18.5 - 20" barreled .308win.

As of now I've got:

1/10 twist
Remington Varmint / Sendero contour
5R or 5C or 3 groove or... ?
Stainless or CM?
Chamber?

Majority of bullets will be handloaded 178 AMAXs with a few 168 AMAXs thrown in.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Graham]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

For what purpose?

 

[lonely_wolf]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

Typical (and annoyingly common as of late

) 'all around' rifle.

Hunt deer and eliminate varmints. Most of the time I'm target shooting at the range or in the field. My range max is 200yrds. In the field I have 500yrds currently available.

 

[Downzero]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

Those are awfully heavy bullets to shoot 200 yards. And why the 1 in 10 twist?

 

[JCH]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

I just snagged a 20" SPS Tac off the board. I'm chopping it to 16" and threading it for my suppressor. I am planning on running the 110vmax for coyotes and the 155amax for bigger stuff.

If you can only shoot 500 yards forget about the 178 and 168gr bullets.

 

[lonely_wolf]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">[...]why the 1 in 10 twist? </div></div>

From the research I've done it appears to be very popular with those shooting short bolt guns.

What do you recommend?

 

[Sacadelic]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JCH</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you can only shoot 500 yards forget about the 178 and 168gr bullets. </div></div>

What do you mean by this? Any particular reason?

 

[JCH]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sacadelic</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JCH</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you can only shoot 500 yards forget about the 178 and 168gr bullets. </div></div>

What do you mean by this? Any particular reason?</div></div>

Those bullets begin to show better long range ability past 500-600 yards. You are just giving up speed by using a heavier bullet.

Plug the numbers into any program you want....you will see.

 

[JCH]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

The 1-10 twist might be a good idea if you ever want to get a suppressor and shoot subsonic. You can run heavier bullets.

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

A 178 AMax at 2550 fps will drift less than a 110 VMax at 3200 fps, at any range.

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

1/10 is a better all around twist in my opinion. Great for long heavy vld's, subsonic, or goo factor for light/fast varmint loads.

 

[Graham]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

Do you mean you are looking at an 18 1/2 to 20" barrel, or that you want 18 1/2 to 20" of rifling in the barrel?
If it's the former I would go with a 10-twist, no question.

And stainless over chrome moly: Better throat wear, as it wears, which it will.

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

For the ranges you're talking about, I'd go 16.5" with a 1:10. Shorty, handy, and will kill all you need it to. Stainless all the way over CM. I'd say a LV contour would give you a pretty light little rifle.

 

[Graham]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

OP, if I lived up your way I would check out Rob Mclennan barrels. He used to make excellent button rifled barrels, and as of 2007 he has started doing cut rifled as well. He's been doing .30 cal for many, many years, and in my experience even his button rifled barrels have shot as good or better than examples from many of the top-name U.S. barrel makers.

 

[JCH]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A 178 AMax at 2550 fps will drift less than a 110 VMax at 3200 fps, at any range.</div></div>

I'm not arguing that. I simply was stating my intended purpose. The 155 gr class of bullets is where I was recommending he look.

 

[lonely_wolf]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Graham</div><div class="ubbcode-body">OP, if I lived up your way I would check out Rob Mclennan barrels. </div></div>

They are my smith's preferred barrels. I'm leaning towards McLennan or Kriegar.

I'm still curious if I should aim for any other specific features to make the best out of a shorter barrel.

No one has an opinion on the different rifling options?

 

[Graham]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

Rifling is cool to think about, but unless it's a gain-twist it really doesn't matter for your intended purposes - which is downrange on target for all practical purposes.

 

[Pusher591]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

I run a 17.5" 1-11.25 Brux 4 groove and it absolutely loves 175'/178's. I mean it loves them. Unless you want to shoot subsonic loads suppressed, just stick with the 1-11 or 1-12, JMHO.

 

[Southpaw357]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lonely_Wolf</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm thinking of ordering my first custom barrel. No sure what the best run down for a 18.5 - 20" barreled .308win.

As of now I've got:

1/10 twist
Remington Varmint / Sendero contour
5R or 5C or 3 groove or... ?
Stainless or CM?
Chamber?

Majority of bullets will be handloaded 178 AMAXs with a few 168 AMAXs thrown in.

Thanks for any help. </div></div>

twist is fine
contour is fine
rifling wont make a difference
i would pick stainless
chamber cut to sammi spec minimum

 

[lonely_wolf]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

Graham@ Sorry I forgot to clarify: Barrel will be an 18.5” or another 20”. I haven't decided yet, but I'm going short. Probably the 18.5”. I have a 20” screwed on already.

Thanks for your advice Southpaw and Pusher.

I was looking through the 'Hides' archives' again. Frank's Gladius is spec'ed as " SS, 1/10, 5R Bartlein .290 tight bore."

I'm going to read up on 'Tight bore.' Not familiar with it, but it sounds fancy.

 

[Frank Green]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

I was looking through the 'Hides' archives' again. Frank's Gladius is spec'ed as " SS, 1/10, 5R Bartlein .290 tight bore."

If memory serves me right Lowlights barrels was a .298 bore x .308 groove.

We do make .298's, .2985's and .299's which are all tight bores. A standard bore .30cal. barrel is .3000".

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

 

[lonely_wolf]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

My mistake, Frank. If you have the time, I would appreciate hearing what your thoughts on tight bores and short barrels are?

 

[sniperaviator]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

If you can, get it chambered for a specific bullet. Have your smith choose freebore (also called throat) that will work with your bullet and magazine length.

 

[lonely_wolf]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

I spoke with my smith again and he said he would have an extra MacLennan left over from his present order. It is a Modified Heavy Varmint: (4" long /1.200" dia. shank, straight taper to 0.855"@28" 1/10 twist 6 groove). A little heavier than I was intending, but I'm told it is a very popular contour up here.

So I guess my build has officially begun.

 

[bribri]

Re: Ideal Short Barrel 308 Specs

This one:

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...171#Post3021171