NON-TYPICAL rifle build in mind; need some help...

[Mach1Morgan]

I've got an idea to build on a hot rod cartridge but cut the barrel down to 19 or 20 inches which will give me the barrel length I want but also slow my cartridge down as to not burn my barrel out so quickly.

Shortening a barrel to reduce FPS with the purpose of reducing throat erosion will not work. Simply put, most erosion happens before the bullet gets anywhere near the end of the barrel.

 

[palerider3]

Killed an elk in 2019 at 760 with a 20" 6.5 creedmoor. Single round rolled it down the mountain. Any of these will perform as well as you can shoot. If your impact velocity is in the range needed for your bullet to perform, then your shooting ability is the only limiting factor. Any 6.5 short mag with good bullet will work at 1k.

 

[BrentM]

Definitely a solid performer on yotes but I'm curious about medium and large game results. Would this 156 Berger be a better alternative than the ELD-X?

Not sure about better. X flat works. My neighbor killed a pile of elk. Think he is around 11 now. Couple monster bulls. 150-500 using a creed.

My rifle killed 4 mule deer bucks this year. 2 with the 135 and 2 with the 143. 300-390. The 135 did amazing, pass through, 2" exit, massive terminal performance.

 

[lancetkenyon]

How's the Tangent Theta?

Unreal. I have 4 of them.

 

[PRCLITE]

Killed an elk in 2019 at 760 with a 20" 6.5 creedmoor. Single round rolled it down the mountain. Any of these will perform as well as you can shoot. If your impact velocity is in the range needed for your bullet to perform, then your shooting ability is the only limiting factor. Any 6.5 short mag with good bullet will work at 1k.

That is great! What bullet were you running out of the CM?

Not sure about better. X flat works. My neighbor killed a pile of elk. Think he is around 11 now. Couple monster bulls. 150-500 using a creed.

My rifle killed 4 mule deer bucks this year. 2 with the 135 and 2 with the 143. 300-390. The 135 did amazing, pass through, 2" exit, massive terminal performance.

I've gotten different opinions on the X and I can't speak from experience on elk as I've only taken deer with it at this point.

 

[Rifleman97]

I am thinking about starting a somewhat unorthadox build and need help from the experts out there. I'm currently hunting with a 6.5PRC which I love. I've have been shooting/hunting suppressed on/off with it and the only thing I don't like is the length of the barrel and suppressor together which on my current rifle is 31".

I've got an idea to build on a hot rod cartridge but cut the barrel down to 19 or 20 inches which will give me the barrel length I want but also slow my cartridge down as to not burn my barrel out so quickly. The key for me is to pick a cartridge either in the 6.5mm or 7mm family that usually screams with a standard 24 or 26 inch barrel and by cutting it down still achieves the same or better numbers than I'm getting with the PRC. If I would cut the PRC down, I would have less energy and speed than a 6.5CM which isn't what I want. The big deal is I need to pick a caliber that will still have efficient powder burn with a shorter barrel. I'm thinking one of the short mags is going to get the nod, but I'm not completely sure. Any suggestions on caliber?

Your end velocity being lowered by shorter barrel length won't change your barrel life. In fact it might make it shorter.

Barrel's aren't worn out at the end, they wear out at the throat where the bullet hits the lands, and the powder is the hottest. In fact, the faster, hotter burning powders you'll have to use, to make up for lack of barrel length, will very possibly shorten your throat life even further.

As for cartridge choice, the magnums to look at when it comes to short barrels are the short fat ones, like the 300 WSM. Using the right powders, a 20" 300 WSM will easily outpace a 300 win mag or PRC in the same length barrel. That's where it's efficiency is best used, especially on 150-185 grain projectiles.

If it were me, I would go with the 300 WSM over the 7 or 270, because the energy gain you have from the heavier projectiles. Specifically because you have a 6.5 prc now and you don't want to go too low in energy. 300 WSM kicks about like a 30-06 to my shoulder, maybe a tad harder. I don't think a brake is necessary, but if you're recoil sensitive, a good brake can tone it down to creedmoor levels of recoil. Plus, in the ammo shortage, it seems like the only rounds always in stock by me are 300 wsm, so brass and ammo is pretty easily available. 30 caliber bullets are fairly easy to find as well.

So yeah, 300 WSM in a 20-22 inch barrel gets the vote from me.

 

[arch408]

Rem M700 short magnum action, .300 SAUM or 300 Sherman, Wyatt's box to handle long bullets without infringing on case capacity, rifling optimized for 190gr. boat tail spritzer or spire point bullets

 

[PAGSDIII701]

Rem M700 short magnum action, .300 SAUM or 300 Sherman, Wyatt's box to handle long bullets without infringing on case capacity, rifling optimized for 190gr. boat tail spritzer or spire point bullets

THIS! The Sherman Part!

 

[lancetkenyon]

At what distance would you feel comfortable taking a shot on a bull elk?

With the 156 EOL load, the numbers meet my personal criteria of 1800fps & 1500ft/lbs of KE for elk out to 890 yards at 7000' AMSL & 30*F where the bullet drops below 1500ft/lbs KE. Typical elk hunting where I hunt late season elk.
For deer, 1800fps & 1000ft/lbs KE, the range extends to 1205 yards, where the bullet drops below 1800fps.

As for my personal shooting ability, In good conditions with a good shooting position, 890 is perfectly acceptable. I have shot the load out to 1357 with less than 1/2MOA accuracy, and would feel confident taking a 1200 yard shot on deer if the conditions were ideal.

 

[tooth doc]

I am thinking about starting a somewhat unorthadox build and need help from the experts out there. I'm currently hunting with a 6.5PRC which I love. I've have been shooting/hunting suppressed on/off with it and the only thing I don't like is the length of the barrel and suppressor together which on my current rifle is 31".

I've got an idea to build on a hot rod cartridge but cut the barrel down to 19 or 20 inches which will give me the barrel length I want but also slow my cartridge down as to not burn my barrel out so quickly. The key for me is to pick a cartridge either in the 6.5mm or 7mm family that usually screams with a standard 24 or 26 inch barrel and by cutting it down still achieves the same or better numbers than I'm getting with the PRC. If I would cut the PRC down, I would have less energy and speed than a 6.5CM which isn't what I want. The big deal is I need to pick a caliber that will still have efficient powder burn with a shorter barrel. I'm thinking one of the short mags is going to get the nod, but I'm not completely sure. Any suggestions on caliber?

My choice would be a 7mm 08, or a 6.5 or 7 wsm. Not sure tbe wsm chices would really improve over the 08. Benchmark did a lot of testing and finally decided that at 20 in or less you cant really do much better than the 7m. 08. Hence my ti action, 18 in 7mm 08. Love it. Now i need a 6.5 wsm or 6.5 prc but in a little more barrel length.

 

[freddiej]

Caiati,
Limiting to the 6.5 or 7MM family will make it hard for you because the only one I know that comes close is the 264 Win Mag (24" barrel). The only 7MM I know that would come close would be the same case but in 7MM (rem Mag in a 24"). the 139 grain slug has the potenetial for 3200 FPS with 73.9 grains of Mag Pro. now working with a few of the lessor known calibers.. say the 325 WSM out of a shorter barrel would be in the realm you are working in. 300 WSM could fit the bill with a 150 grain slug at 3300 FPS potential with H-414, Win 760, and H4350. My 270 WSM propels a 140 grain slug at 3160 with 63.1 of H-4831 SSC out of a 22" (average over the sky screens). Another 270 I have, 270 Winchester, puts a 140 grain slug over 2900 with H-4831SSC in a 18" barrel with Hybrid 100V and Win 760. Again average speed measured by chrono. I am told by a friend of mine in Texas that his 270 Win AI can put a 140 grain slug over the chrono at 3270-ish with 61.5 grains of H-4831SSC (24" barrel)

 

[David Urasky]

You are not going to increase barrel life by using a shorter barrel. It is a ratio of the bullet diameter and the case capcity. The more powder you put behind the same caliber bullet the faster the barrel erodes in the first 6". It has nothing to do with final velocity.

 

[PAGSDIII701]

Caiati,
Limiting to the 6.5 or 7MM family will make it hard for you because the only one I know that comes close is the 264 Win Mag (24" barrel). The only 7MM I know that would come close would be the same case but in 7MM (rem Mag in a 24"). the 139 grain slug has the potenetial for 3200 FPS with 73.9 grains of Mag Pro. now working with a few of the lessor known calibers.. say the 325 WSM out of a shorter barrel would be in the realm you are working in. 300 WSM could fit the bill with a 150 grain slug at 3300 FPS potential with H-414, Win 760, and H4350. My 270 WSM propels a 140 grain slug at 3160 with 63.1 of H-4831 SSC out of a 22" (average over the sky screens). Another 270 I have, 270 Winchester, puts a 140 grain slug over 2900 with H-4831SSC in a 18" barrel with Hybrid 100V and Win 760. Again average speed measured by chrono. I am told by a friend of mine in Texas that his 270 Win AI can put a 140 grain slug over the chrono at 3270-ish with 61.5 grains of H-4831SSC (24" barrel)

But...what about Sherman...?

 

[Bro Dave]

I am thinking about starting a somewhat unorthadox build and need help from the experts out there. I'm currently hunting with a 6.5PRC which I love. I've have been shooting/hunting suppressed on/off with it and the only thing I don't like is the length of the barrel and suppressor together which on my current rifle is 31".

I've got an idea to build on a hot rod cartridge but cut the barrel down to 19 or 20 inches which will give me the barrel length I want but also slow my cartridge down as to not burn my barrel out so quickly. The key for me is to pick a cartridge either in the 6.5mm or 7mm family that usually screams with a standard 24 or 26 inch barrel and by cutting it down still achieves the same or better numbers than I'm getting with the PRC. If I would cut the PRC down, I would have less energy and speed than a 6.5CM which isn't what I want. The big deal is I need to pick a caliber that will still have efficient powder burn with a shorter barrel. I'm thinking one of the short mags is going to get the nod, but I'm not completely sure. Any suggestions on caliber?

This is what makes shooting/building fun. A possibility to consider is something my gunsmith has put together (nemesis machine) he took a 260 rem and put a creedmoor shoulder and neck on it. Boost performance with standard components. This should like the ubiquitus (in a normal year) 4831 powders.
Use a standard 6.5 creedmoor die for full sizing but set it long (ie don't size the last .10 case base. This way you don't need custom dies. Yes it requires fire forming 260 brass.