Ep. 293 | Barrel Length – Does Size Really Matter?

Nothing new for me I have a model 54 carbine 20" barrel 30-06 made in 1927 handy-dandy dead dear and elk.

In Canada we are allowed short barrel rifles but the overall length has to be over 26” of the firearm but it has to be from factory if you cut it down it has to 18.5 inches or it becomes a restricted firearm if it’s restricted you can go no shorter then 4.25”

What inch barrel is your orange T3X???

Lead balloon please

With the cost of the supressor plus the cost of cutting & threading your half way or more to buying another rifle. Screw that!

I like the extra velocity of a long barrel. Its only cpl ozs savings cutting sporter couture down . Not enough weight savings to go through all the hoops with the silencer and cutting n threading plus the $ of it all. Just silly to me. But to each there own.

Could you do the same with 270 win instead of 308?

I’m actually interested in that .338 Federal lead balloon talk

Lead balloon. Ten times.

I like that orange on black

I love that orange blaze furniture on that Tikka. The Canadian Rangers rifle is an orange laminate Tikka.

But sorry, I really hope this short barrel thing does not become the new trend. If hunting in forest maybe but not on the plains. I have a 20" 9.3x62 tikka for woods hunting but currently looking for a 26" 22-250 for the plains.

She took 110 TTSX instead of the 130 grand TTS x. He will get his velocity and still have all the penetration in the world

Lead balloon

358 Win would be a fun cartridge to hear Ryan talk about. I think would also be a fitting cartridge for this short/scout style rifle.

Have a ruger ranch 6.5 cm with 16.3 inch bbl...shoots .5 moa suppressed with multiple factory ammos. Great cast!

Does anyone know which Tikka model Ryan started with?

if Europeans think we in USA use to long of barrels on are rifles . why does CZ make so many 457s in 22LR 24.8 " and one in 28.6" long

Cool topic

Lead balloon!

Excellent data and discussion.
I’m running a 16” 308 in a suppressed bullpup (Desert Tech SRS) and it’s even more handy than those Tikkas. Not giving up anything and can easily make hits on steel at 1k yards.

Velocity SD will decrease as the barrel shortens. Load-to-load variations diminish as the barrel length is now not long enough to use any extra powder. Also, each cartridge has an “optimal” barrel length. The .308’s is about 20” so anything shorter than that will see improvements to velocity SD and anything after that will see diminishing returns in velocity with a hotter load. In a 16” barrel, you’re getting a consistent burn of the same amount of powder during the shorter dwell time. Longer dwell times allow larger impact on velocity.

I’d love to have one with a Proof Research carbon fiber wrapped barrel.

I have been waiting for someone to do this. Thank you!

Using a 20inch suppressed 308 with a 4-12 Leopold vx1 and it's more than enough to take any game animal out to 300 metres easy here in N.Z.. also use to own a subaru outback and it goes well in the bush, downside it uses petrol which is expensive here

Would it be safe to assume similar reduction numbers for other “Children of the 308 Win” like 243 Win and 7mm 08 Remington? I am 76 and shorter lighter Rifles are growing on me quickly!

Please do another Lead Ballon

Two Tikka story. My 6.5 x 55 Swede I got a .417moa and my 243 I got a .473moa. Both 3 shot groups, both my hand loads. I NOT cutting off barrel to put a can on. I’m 72 years young and can’t hear anyway.

Look into company Area 419 for muzzle devices modular system. I have Tikka 308 cut felt recoil by half

I asked my wife does barrel length matter, she said a heavy barrel is desirable & it cant be too long because they can be difficult to handle in tight, brushy situations but it can't be too short either or it wont be long enough to get an acceptable muzzle velocity for the load.

8mm mauser ??????

"Lead baloon"

It would be cool to see how long a barrel it takes to start loosing velocity in a 308. Id like to see that test!!!!

Years ago I had a Winchester 270 I never used. I wanted something I could hunt hogs with where shots are closer and follow up shots are fast. I chopped the barrel to 18 inches. Put a vortex 1-8 strike eagle scope one it. Added a suppresser. I fell in love with that rifle. A few years later I bought a bergara 6.5 creedmore in an 18 inch barrel. If you and hunting suppressed it’s the only way to go. I have never shot them through a chrono bc I couldn’t care less.

I picked up a B-14 Ridge 6.5cm SP… has an 18” c5 barrel. Can you recommend ammo?

In my group of friends I'm considered a gun nut but I can't listen to over 1 hrs of talk about barrel length!

I’m getting similar velocities with my 308WIN Browning BLR with 20” barrel. Short, light, handy 308 rifles are such a joy when still hunting in the bush or sitting in the tree stand.

Great to see Taylor.. Next time try not to ignore him,, Haa,ha... I think he was asked maybe 3 questions..

I’m in love with my Ruger gunsight scout rifle it’s seriously such a handy thing mine is a 308 Winchester but now they are making it in 350 legend and I think 450 bushmaster

Lead balloon for sure! Great topic and love the short guns! Tacoma’s and Tikka’s - there has never been a better match.

If you can't get a .34 cal suppressor, sounds like you need to step up to .358 win.

I researched the topic over a year ago, and what I found was that the optimal length is 26." It provides the max accuracy & range and anything longer than that only contributed minimal amount and not worth carrying the extra weight. Practically 90% of my rifles are 26" with the exception of a couple that are 27" and another 2 or 3 that are shorter. Majority are bolt action with exception 3 that are semi auto. I also have a DT HTI 416 B on order which is going to be 32" long.

Thunderbeast ultra 7 suppressor on the light rifle or the ultra 5 would make a huge difference.

The reason your gun shot better...is because shorter barrels are stiffer...of course loads play a role as well but shorter barrels are more accurate!

I know you did 338 federal, but keep the lead balloons coming

Fat bullet small gun is the way to go man. Wrangling even a 20" rifle in a portable blind or through the sticks is just not worth the ballistics. Shorter you can go the better—until the ATF steps in and calls you a felon for wanting to hunt with a manageable rifle 🙄

And I say this as a high mountain desert hunter, not a dude sitting in front of a feeder in a Missouri forest 30 yards away. Every inch you can knock off increases handleability to a much greater degree than ballistic losses affect your shot or impact; until you lose accuracy from instability at least.

...THANK YOU!! THIS WAS INTERESTING. I WISH THAT YOU WOULD "LIST" SOME OF THE "SPECS" OF ALL OF THE "VARIABLES, IN THE VIDEO DESCRIPTION DATA.

Why no “wrap round the barrel” supressors to try and shorten up rifles ?

If I owned the “High Viz Rifle” I would be going hairless trying to get a bolt knob that matched the rest of the orange furniture !!

The orange color comes from Finnish hunting laws: moose and Boar hunting as group mandates that hunters have orange hat and vest for safety. Those animals are color blind so it does not matter that part of the rifle or most of the grear used is orange.

lead balloon votes all the way