Tikka T3 Sporter 308 barrel length recommendations.

[WyoWindCall]

Ok I have done a few searches and found lots of good info however nothing that is for my particular situation. I am in the market to buy a Tikka T3 Sporter in 308 and I want to know which barrel length I should go with. The rifle has a 1:11 twist and I want to take it out to 1000 to 1200 yards. I will eventually be running a suppressor on it and the 20” already comes threaded but If I go with the 24” then I will have it threaded. I have also considered getting the 24” and having it cut down, crowned, and threaded too.
Its not too late for me to change my mind and go with the 260 instead of the 308 but I already have some 20,000 308 bullets on hand and don’t really want to go buy more stuff for the 260. Figured once I shot most of the bullets I already have the barrel would be done and then I could rebarrel in in a 6.5CM or something more efficient.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Vargmat]

I chose the shorter 20" barrel with m18x1 thread from the factory on my new Tikka. It saved me some money and trouble as I purchased a suppressor with the rifle.
Granted, I have not and probably never will shoot out to 1000 or 1200 yards, but I am happy none the less.

 

[Brett_B]

If you are planning to take it out to 1000-1200 I would go with the longer barrel and just have it threaded. It's pretty easy to remove from the stock and many shops can thread the barrel without even removing it from the action.

FYI I believe the longer barrel length is actually 23.6" and not 24". Tikka lists the barrel options as 510mm and 600mm. 510mm=20" and 600mm=23.6". I think the Sporter catalog data just has an error regarding the conversion from mm to inches.

I have a Tikka T3 Varmint with the 23.6" barrel and I just had it threaded and cut down to 22" as a nice middle ground, however I do not plan to shoot it past about 800 yards.

 

[shamir]

If you want to shoot beyond 1000, you really should look at the .260. I have the .260 24" and love it. In .308, if you are using factory ammo there isn't much difference between 20" and 24" (https://www.snipercentral.com/matchammo.htm), and you'll probably appreciate the shorter barrel with a can. If you're reloading your own, you can load it to take advantage of the longer barrel, and the increased velocity will definitely make it easier to get out to 1200 with the .308.

Shamir