What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

[XTR]

Assuming this is for a tactical comp rifle to do UKD shooting. I've searched and seen this discussed as a part of other things but not as a discussion of what length.

I get the general impression that the 308 guys like shorter tubes and that the performance/MV sacrifice isn't that much for them. I'm sure most 308 guys would probably say 20". It also seems to me that most of the purpose built toys are .243, .260, or maybe 708s (at least that's what the posts seem to say. I'm collecting parts with the intent of building a 708 to play with and I'm about to order a fluted barrel and that got me thinking, 22/24/26?

I understand that like a lot of competition setups there is some compromise between maneuverability and MV to give room for error, the point is to see what people are running today.

What length, not counting any muzzle brake or can.

 

[Patrick Morris]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I'll take that free velocity every day. I can't remember ever seeing a barrel under 22 inches win a match... Seriously. But I'm new at this for sure

 

[Wylie Custom]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

This is a good thread as I am planning a 260 build and I have not decided if it should be 24, 25 or 26 inches.

 

[Mike]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

Length is caliber dependent and since you said 7-08, that narrows it down to "need" and "want".

 

[XTR]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Length is caliber dependent and since you said 7-08, that narrows it down to "need" and "want". </div></div>

I've never played the game so I don't really have any point of reference. I think I probably <span style="text-decoration: underline">need</span> at least 24", but if you brake it, and I plan to, then you are out at close to 26" which is getting long. I've got a 26" 700 varmint and I think it can be a bit unwieldy, so much so that I'm turning it into 24" 708 for hunting. Knowing that a 26+brake seems to me to be too much, but then like I said I've not tried the game. I don't know if the maneuverability and weight penalty is worth the MV, which is why I'm asking here. I'm guessing there are more tac.comp. shooters here than about anyplace else.

 

[dieselgeek]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

Both my 6.5 Creemoors have been 25 inches.

 

[triceratops3]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dieselgeek</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Both my 6.5 Creemoors have been 25 inches. </div></div>

how have those 25's been with the creedmoor? I'm assuming pretty good since you've had more than one. any velocity numbers?

Right now i have a 26" .223 but am rebarreling to 6.5 creed and am either going 25-26" plus a brake or 28" and a removable brake so it will fit in my pelican.

 

[Patrick Morris]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I can't think of a time when a 26 inch barrel has been a hindrance to me at a match. I run my 243 at 26 inches, and my creedmoor at 24 with a brake. Which makes it's about 26. Anything between 23-28 seems to be the norm from what I've seen.

 

[Mike]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

Agree with Morris.

A lot is dependent on you and you're build. I am tall with long arms and shoot a 243 with a 28" barrel + brake. I go with that length mostly because it is needed to get the velocity desired out of the heavy 6mm pills.

If I was to build a 7-08, first, I would decide if velocity is really important. If not, I would go with a 22"-24" + brake. Depending on your agility and strength, you should be fine with that.

 

[Captramrod01]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I'm building a 7-08 as well and am doing a 23". Seems to be a good compromise from what I've read.

 

[Boomholzer]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

All inter-related;
-Velocity; weight in length vs OAL in carry and forward mass for off-hand shooting.
-Cartidge/chamber; factory vs custom + reloading. 50fps can be added in gain to compensate for 2-3" of length. (hmmm; <100fps, not much, depends on pill at range)
-Added suppressor in preference with OAL and weight/length and slight velocity gain. (preference in <20").

Barrel profile is most often ignored in the mix in these questions. For example, a MTU profile barrel cut to 20" vs a lighter profile at 22". With no muzzle add-on's, without a heavy beast profile, and given cartidge selection; 22" is a good medium.

 

[JRWALLSIII]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I have a 24 inch 7/08 that I have shot in a few comps. If I were to rebuild that rifle I would add 2 inches of barrel and put a brake on it

My new comp rifle is 27 plus a brake.

I'm not 5 foot tall, A long barrel does not feel bad at all to me

 

[Rob01]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

My old .243 was 27", my 6.5 Creedmoor is 28" and my new .243 I will build will be 26". I have never had a problem swinging my 28" barrel around at all. I would rather have the extra length so it's heavier out front to make it steadier during positional.

Guys run manuvarable 20" barrels with 8" cans on them . Still 28"

 

[Mike]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I would rather have the extra length </div></div>

Some of us are blessed, others are envious.

 

[Barney88PDC]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

Like Rob said caliber dependant.

My 260 is 26"

My 308 is 19" because I run a suppressor on it. If I didn't have one I would go 22" in 308.

 

[Rob01]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I would rather have the extra length </div></div>

Some of us are blessed, others are envious.</div></div>

Not talking about waistlines Mike LOL

 

[XTR]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

What contour do you run on a 26" tube?? I can't imagine shooting unsupported with a heavy 26 is any fun.

 

[Mike]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I would rather have the extra length </div></div>

Some of us are blessed, others are envious.</div></div>

Not talking about waistlines Mike LOL</div></div>

We haven't seen each other in a long time Rob.

 

[Mike]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: XTR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What contour do you run on a 26" tube?? I can't imagine shooting unsupported with a heavy 26 is any fun.</div></div>

I run a Tubb contour normally. Now my current 243 has a heavy fluted 7 contour but that was not out of choice.

 

[wnroscoe]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

Most if not all comp guns I'm building now days are either a 6 or 6.5mm of some flavor. 24" has been the shortest, a 6x47L w/105's at 3,065fps and 26" 260/6.5 Creedmoor's at 2,800+ fps has been the norm. Remington Varmint, Medium Palma and Light Varmint are the contours of choice.

If shooting a 19" 308 against the higher velocity 6 or 6.5's, your ass is about to be handed to you on a silver platter, with a smile.

My vote is swing 26" and be happy.

 

[XTR]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I've got a stock 308 with a Rem varmint now (it's one of the actions that is about to be a 7-08) and the weight, especially front weight, is one of the reasons I've been planning to go with a fluted 24" #5. In a B&C A2 with a SS 5-20 on it it weighs in at about 13#. I noticed last deer season that the rifle was just unwieldy shooting unsupported.

Am I barking mad? How much shooting in Comps is done unsupported? Not necessarily off hand but no place to support the rifle. Off hand is another issue.

 

[Rob01]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I would rather have the extra length </div></div>

Some of us are blessed, others are envious.</div></div>

Not talking about waistlines Mike LOL</div></div>

We haven't seen each other in a long time Rob. </div></div>

Yeah I heard you are Mr. Ironman now huh? Gonna be giving the Kenyon runners some competition in the New York Marathon this year? LOL

 

[jjones88]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

A little off topic but at the time I voted the result were 17, 25, 25, and 17. So as a frequency distribution, the data makes a perfect bell curve. Normally people would try to be ahead of the curve, so looks like that would be the 26". Just my 2 cents.

 

[John_in_WYO]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I would rather have the extra length </div></div>

Some of us are blessed, others are envious. </div></div>

Hey Mike,

Some call it a blessing.

I call it a curse.

 

[flynlow3]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I like the size and portability of my 20" better but the performance of my 24" is unbeatable. Less flex in shorter barrels more velocity in longer ones. Pick your poison. I think a happy medium is 22-24"

 

[XTR]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I think the poll results are pretty good. Definitely helpful to me in my decision.

 

[SaepeExertus]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I have a 22" krieger on my personel 308 and it will out shoot my work gun (24") any day of the week.

 

[XTR]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: FORECON</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a 22" krieger on my personel 308 and it will out shoot my work gun (24") any day of the week. </div></div>

If your work gun has a stock barrel I'm not surprised. My 24" Rock Creek shot faster than my 26" Rem Varmint tube.

 

[stockdoc]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

Just got done shooting the AZ TPRC and out of 75 shooters I bet there wasn't a third that had 20-22 barrels. I did see a few shorties, very few. Don't know if that info would be available but I would look at what the top third of the field is using.

During the TBRC our club hosts there's hardly any short barrels. I would be interested in knowing out of those who answered the pole how many have actually shot a tac match

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: XTR</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: FORECON</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a 22" krieger on my personel 308 and it will out shoot my work gun (24") any day of the week. </div></div>

If your work gun has a stock barrel I'm not surprised. My 24" Rock Creek shot faster than my 26" Rem Varmint tube. </div></div>

+1 same here, my 21.75" rock barrel equals and sometimes surpasses the velocity from my 26" varmint when the same loads are shot over the crono.

 

[PRDRIVER]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I absolutely agree, that shorter custom barrels can have higher muzzle velocities than the longer factory barrels. How short to go on a barrel is dependent on the caliber being shot. In my opinion, a 20-22" .308 doesn't give up much to a 26" barrel. However, if shooting a 6.5 caliber rifle (.260, 6.5X47, 6.5 Creedmore, etc.) I would lean towards a 24-26" barrel.

Length wise, the guys running Desert Tactical SRS rifles have a bit of an advantage. Their 26" barreled .260, 6.5X47, and 7WSM, are the overall length equivalent of a 16-18" standard bolt gun. Plus with the action located behind the trigger, the SRS rifles hide their weight very well and feel very balanced.

 

[96C]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I'm going to rebarrel my 20" .308 with a heavy fluted 24" barrel and have the FTE on the end making it 26 total... It's fairly long but the extra MV will help out where we shoot.

The 20" is excellent for moving around the scrub but it just lacks the zing at range.

 

[XTR]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

Maybe I was looking for a confirmation of the direction I am planning to go, and I pretty well got it. I think I'll be building a 24" with a brake.

 

[Kevin1]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

If I may....
I think it's a bad idea to use the option "You must vote before you can view the results of this poll".

See.... I have no idea what the barrel length should be but I'm interested in the results. So I'm going to randomly vote for 20" or shorter just to see the results...

 

[XTR]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

It's been a while, is the trend still about the same?

 

[jfields]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

I shoot a 20" Krieger in .308. In a recent match, I shot next to a guy shooting a 24' .308 also with a custom barrel. We were both shooting factory 175 SMKs. At 1,000 yards his bullets were going transonic and landing all over the place. It was the same at 900. My 20 incher had no problem out to 1000 that day. I have not shot over a chrono, but my calibrated MV is 2650 with FGMM 7.62X51 175. I think some custom barrels are faster than factory barrels, but I don't think you can make that generalization for all custom barrels.

-Shaky

 

[mouse07410]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RMW</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I absolutely agree, that shorter custom barrels can have higher muzzle velocities than the longer factory barrels. How short to go on a barrel is dependent on the caliber being shot. In my opinion, a 20-22" .308 doesn't give up much to a 26" barrel. However, if shooting a 6.5 caliber rifle (.260, 6.5X47, 6.5 Creedmore, etc.) I would lean towards a 24-26" barrel.

Length wise, the guys running Desert Tactical SRS rifles have a bit of an advantage. Their 26" barreled .260, 6.5X47, and 7WSM, are the overall length equivalent of a 16-18" standard bolt gun. Plus with the action located behind the trigger, the SRS rifles hide their weight very well and feel very balanced. </div></div>
+1

All of my SRS barrels are 26" - bullpup configuration alleviates the need to shorten them. Weight distribution is great for "non-prone" shooting

, and whatever little one would lose in .308 by reducing from 26" to 20-22", I just prefer to keep - as there's no need to sacrifice even that small bit.

 

[c1steve]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

My 260 has a 26" medium Palma barrel. It is easy to swing around, and the POI does not appear to change with medium speed shooting. It is not difficult to shoot offhand.

Total weight of gun is 14 3/4 lbs. If it was only for shooting prone, I could see going heavier. Terry Cross uses a fluted Heavy Palma barrel for comps.

 

[turbo54]

Re: What barrel lengh for a tactical comp gun?

My 284 is 28.25", recoil lug to crown, plus a brake. Medium Palma

It's a long beast.

Shot 2 matches with it so far, and the length didn't bother me a bit - including some slung/sitting and slung/offhand shooting.

If you're going to run through the woods/jungle, the extra length might be a hindrance, but so far, the biggest "issue" with mine is when it's in the Eberlestock and I'm going up/down stairs. I've gotta lean a little to make sure I don't crash.