Glocklover72
Well-Known Member
I am fixing to build a 300 win mag. What barrel length should I do? This rifle is going to basically a mountain backpack rifle.
Barrel Length Recommendation
- Thread starter Glocklover72
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24" is pretty much the factory standard for a 30 cal magnum. I would keep it there. 24" balances and swings good in a carry weight magnum.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
If you intend it to be a LR rig I'd go with 28", 26" at a minimum.
Longer barrels=greater velocities with lower pressures and slower burning powders.
Longer barrels=greater velocities with lower pressures and slower burning powders.
What is your definition of a mountain backpack rifle? This really boils down to personal choice and intended purpose. What are you willing and able to carry on your backpack - what is the best compromise of portability and weight?
My .270 AI has a 30" barrel + MB and ~12 lbs and as you can see I don't mind carrying atop the mountain. I went this route with the notion that I can always have it cut if I did not like it but I can't go the other way around ... that was 4 years ago - I got used to it.
Previous posters have provided you with sound advice to consider. Most LR rigs here sports 26" barrels and up. On my last build I was torn between 26" or 28", so I went with 27" instead.
Your answer lies on how you define your problem statement. If you are like many of us here, this is not going to be the last situation you will be faced with similar instances, so don't sweat it too much. Good luck on you decision and happy safe shooting/hunting.
Ed
Wyolife365
Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2017
- Messages
- 8
24" gets my vote for a light mountain gun. "Pounds equals Pain" motto comes to mind.
I know this is to much info because you should just choose what feels right to you but.
Below is calculated gain in velocity for 24", 26" and 28" barrels using
210 Berger Hunt VLD / 75 gr RL26 / seated to 3.340" COAL / 100 yard zero :
24" 2902 fps and 3928 ft/lb @ Muzzle 1609 fps and 1208 ft/lb @1000 yards with a drop of 274"
26" 2955 fps and 4072 ft/lb @ Muzzle 1648 fps and 1267 ft/lb @ 1000 yards with a drop of 263"
28" 3003 fps and 4206 ft/lb @ Muzzle 1684 fps and 1323 ft/lb @ 1000 yards with a drop of 253"
Not sure I would worry about the weight of the extra inches as much as contour.
Below is barrel weights calculated from Pac-Nor site.
24" Varminter/Sendero2 4.50 vs 28" Varminter/Sendero2 5.04 equals 8.64 oz.
24" BARREL WEIGHT IN POUNDS
Lightweight 2.51
Contour No. 1 2.98
Contour No. 2 3.28
Contour No. 3 3.44
Contour No. 4 3.60
Contour No. 5 3.96
Contour No. 6 4.33
Light Palma1 4.69
Medium Palma1 4.80
Heavy Palma1 5.09
Varminter/Sendero2 4.50
Contour No. 7 6.03
Contour No. 8 6.50
Target Weight 5.92
NBRSA Heavy Varminter1 6.46
Straight Cylinder 7.34
26"BARREL WEIGHT IN POUNDS
Lightweight 2.60
Contour No. 1 3.11
Contour No. 2 3.41
Contour No. 3 3.59
Contour No. 4 3.77
Contour No. 5 4.15
Contour No. 6 4.56
Light Palma1 4.94
Medium Palma1 5.07
Heavy Palma1 5.44
Varminter/Sendero2 4.78
Contour No. 7 6.39
Contour No. 8 6.94
Target Weight 6.24
NBRSA Heavy Varminter1 6.84
Straight Cylinder 7.96
28" BARREL WEIGHT IN POUNDS
Lightweight 2.68
Contour No. 1 3.22
Contour No. 2 3.54
Contour No. 3 3.73
Contour No. 4 3.92
Contour No. 5 4.33
Contour No. 6 4.77
Light Palma1 5.18
Medium Palma1 5.34
Heavy Palma1 5.78
Varminter/Sendero2 5.04
Contour No. 7 6.73
Contour No. 8 7.37
Target Weight 6.55
NBRSA Heavy Varminter1 7.20
Straight Cylinder 8.57
Below is calculated gain in velocity for 24", 26" and 28" barrels using
210 Berger Hunt VLD / 75 gr RL26 / seated to 3.340" COAL / 100 yard zero :
24" 2902 fps and 3928 ft/lb @ Muzzle 1609 fps and 1208 ft/lb @1000 yards with a drop of 274"
26" 2955 fps and 4072 ft/lb @ Muzzle 1648 fps and 1267 ft/lb @ 1000 yards with a drop of 263"
28" 3003 fps and 4206 ft/lb @ Muzzle 1684 fps and 1323 ft/lb @ 1000 yards with a drop of 253"
Not sure I would worry about the weight of the extra inches as much as contour.
Below is barrel weights calculated from Pac-Nor site.
24" Varminter/Sendero2 4.50 vs 28" Varminter/Sendero2 5.04 equals 8.64 oz.
24" BARREL WEIGHT IN POUNDS
Lightweight 2.51
Contour No. 1 2.98
Contour No. 2 3.28
Contour No. 3 3.44
Contour No. 4 3.60
Contour No. 5 3.96
Contour No. 6 4.33
Light Palma1 4.69
Medium Palma1 4.80
Heavy Palma1 5.09
Varminter/Sendero2 4.50
Contour No. 7 6.03
Contour No. 8 6.50
Target Weight 5.92
NBRSA Heavy Varminter1 6.46
Straight Cylinder 7.34
26"BARREL WEIGHT IN POUNDS
Lightweight 2.60
Contour No. 1 3.11
Contour No. 2 3.41
Contour No. 3 3.59
Contour No. 4 3.77
Contour No. 5 4.15
Contour No. 6 4.56
Light Palma1 4.94
Medium Palma1 5.07
Heavy Palma1 5.44
Varminter/Sendero2 4.78
Contour No. 7 6.39
Contour No. 8 6.94
Target Weight 6.24
NBRSA Heavy Varminter1 6.84
Straight Cylinder 7.96
28" BARREL WEIGHT IN POUNDS
Lightweight 2.68
Contour No. 1 3.22
Contour No. 2 3.54
Contour No. 3 3.73
Contour No. 4 3.92
Contour No. 5 4.33
Contour No. 6 4.77
Light Palma1 5.18
Medium Palma1 5.34
Heavy Palma1 5.78
Varminter/Sendero2 5.04
Contour No. 7 6.73
Contour No. 8 7.37
Target Weight 6.55
NBRSA Heavy Varminter1 7.20
Straight Cylinder 8.57
6fatrat
Well-Known Member
I agree with the 24" length, recommend you look at the short magnums. I built my mountain rifle on a SA 700 in the 7 SAUM. Flute the bolt change the cocking piece to Aluminum and use the HS Precision stock.
" Pounds do equal pain"
Steve Bair
" Pounds do equal pain"
Steve Bair
Glocklover72
Well-Known Member
Great information, thank you
Welcome to LRH and enjoy!
Not a motto but a reality but a healthy dump (IIRC, it was Jeff (BROZ) that said it in one of the older posts) that makes weight difference between a 24" and 26" neglible. Using Pac-nor's barrel weight calculator, the difference between a #5 contour between a 26" (4.15 lbs) and 24" (3.96 lbs) is .19 lbs. You decide?
I stop worrying about those kind of weight differences when lugging my gear in Montana wilderness and work on physical conditioning instead. Speaking of pain, Rhian's (bigngreen) sig line says it best "Pain is weakness leaving your body".
... just saying!
Cheers!
WeiserBucks
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
- Messages
- 2,790
My 300 WM is 24" and gets me 2800+ FPS with a 215 Hybrid. I can ring our 1100 yard target with boring regularity in decent conditions and the dead elk sure can't tell how long the barrel is .
I look at this a little differently. My lightweight rifle is a model 70 featherweight with a 22" barrel and carries beautifully. I wouldn't shoot past 400yds with it though. My long range rifles are both 12lbs+ with 26" barrels and are obviously tailored to 400yd+ shots. I will backpack with any of them depending on what ranges I expect to be shooting.
You're buying a mountain backpacking rifle.
The next big question is how far do you intend to shoot game? Do you plan to shoot at 700 + yds? If your shots are limited to 400yds, then you can carry a pipsqueak rifle and be adequately armed.
Presuming you intend to engage game at 700+ yds, I would try to keep total rifle weight less than ~ 10.5 lbs, in the mountain environments I backpack hunt in. Mountains come in many different flavors.
Some are brush busting. Some wide open. Steep versus mellow. Miles long trips versus short jaunts. Overnight camping versus day hikes - overnighting obviously requiring the additional weight and bulk of tent/sleeping bags and additional food/stove. Accessibility, ease of access, starting elevation versus final elevation, etc...
Only you can decide how much of your time afield you're willing to spend cussing at the weight of your rifle.
Barrel length is not a singular priority when I make this decision. Total rifle weight takes priority. Stock weight, scope/mount weight, action weight, even the weight of the muzzle brake - are all part of the equation.
The next big question is how far do you intend to shoot game? Do you plan to shoot at 700 + yds? If your shots are limited to 400yds, then you can carry a pipsqueak rifle and be adequately armed.
Presuming you intend to engage game at 700+ yds, I would try to keep total rifle weight less than ~ 10.5 lbs, in the mountain environments I backpack hunt in. Mountains come in many different flavors.
Some are brush busting. Some wide open. Steep versus mellow. Miles long trips versus short jaunts. Overnight camping versus day hikes - overnighting obviously requiring the additional weight and bulk of tent/sleeping bags and additional food/stove. Accessibility, ease of access, starting elevation versus final elevation, etc...
Only you can decide how much of your time afield you're willing to spend cussing at the weight of your rifle.
Barrel length is not a singular priority when I make this decision. Total rifle weight takes priority. Stock weight, scope/mount weight, action weight, even the weight of the muzzle brake - are all part of the equation.
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