TOO MUCH BARREL

I don't recall who it was but one of the writers many years ago did an experiment with this and started with a 30 in barrel and then cut of 1 inch at a time and retested, I think he went all the way down to 20in but its been so long I cant remember. You can always adjust to a faster burn rate of powder to make up for the shorter tube. Or at least in theory. There must be a valid point when manufactures stop making 26in barrels.
 
Eric Musgrove said:
I don't recall who it was but one of the writers many years ago did an experiment with this and started with a 30 in barrel and then cut of 1 inch at a time and retested, I think he went all the way down to 20in but its been so long I cant remember. You can always adjust to a faster burn rate of powder to make up for the shorter tube. Or at least in theory. There must be a valid point when manufactures stop making 26in barrels.
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I would imagine it has a lot more to do with the general pop and OEM rifles are for set up for traditional hunting range which is sub 300. Every year piles of people are buying rifles at cabelas, running to the range with a bag of ammo off the shelf, and punching holes in pie plates. Diminishing returns began the moment the person decided they had 15 days before the opener and better get it done.
 
Yes lighter barrel are easy to handle. I wouldn't put a 30" barrel on something I am going to pack around in the hills. It's for shooting varmints and generally drive up and set up to shoot. The 30" barrel allow you to have it cut down as needed to rework the muzzle, and chamber. From all the reading I have done over the years. Generally the rifling doesn't go, but at each end is the problems from my understanding. Nothing said that you can't have the barrel cut back it you don't like either. It's cheaper to have a barrel cut back than to buy a new one. The barrel I have looked at as of late are in the $600.00+ range in price.
 
BrentM said:
I would imagine it has a lot more to do with the general pop and OEM rifles are for set up for traditional hunting range which is sub 300. Every year piles of people are buying rifles at cabelas, running to the range with a bag of ammo off the shelf, and punching holes in pie plates. Diminishing returns began the moment the person decided they had 15 days before the opener and better get it done.
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We were just talking about that at the gun club, one old bench-rest shooter says he likes to come up the weekend before the opener to watch and shake his head. He says he tries to help out when he sees bad things, but has learned never to try and give advice to a guy with his wife or a kid, because at that moment they know everything and wont accept and advice. :)
 
Eric Musgrove said:
I don't recall who it was but one of the writers many years ago did an experiment with this and started with a 30 in barrel and then cut of 1 inch at a time and retested, I think he went all the way down to 20in but its been so long I cant remember. You can always adjust to a faster burn rate of powder to make up for the shorter tube. Or at least in theory. There must be a valid point when manufactures stop making 26in barrels.
Click to expand...

I cut my 20 inch 308 down to 16-1/2. I lost 100 fps. Still launching the M118 LRs 175 SMKs at 2500 with a can.
 
What barrel contour is it now?

I don't know what "heavy" means to you, but if it's a straight taper varmint don't bother cutting it down, just get a 20-24" blank and put it on the rifle. You'd be cutting off the lightest part of the barrel and leaving the heaviest, I don't think you'd save much weight at all with just a few inches off the end compared to the shank and first 12" or so of taper. A quick run through the PacNor barrel weight calculator says you'd only save 1# off a heavy varmint going from 30 to 24". Going from a 30" varmint to a 24" Sendero would drop 3 pounds.

If it's a heavier sporter contour/ Sendero or a Palma then sure cut it down to whatever you like. You'll save about 8 oz cutting a Sendero from 30" to 24".
 
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Almost 3 years ago I had a new Bartlien barrel installed on my 300 RUM. I didn't think it through very well at all. I should of went with a carbon fiber barrel for less weight. This rifle was my go to rifle for deer and elk. I put a Bartlien varmint contour barrel on it. Had it cut to 28 in..
It went from 10 pds with scope to 13.5 pds.... I haven't hunted with it since. It's a tack driver though. I'm guessing cutting barrel to 26 in. (I don't want less) and fluting would only cut a pound at most so it's not going to make it a mountain rifle again. I had an MGM 27 in. One in. full bull barrel with integral brake fluted. It cut 6 oz. off. It's no mountain rifle either.
 
WYO300RUM said:
Almost 3 years ago I had a new Bartlien barrel installed on my 300 RUM. I didn't think it through very well at all. I should of went with a carbon fiber barrel for less weight. This rifle was my go to rifle for deer and elk. I put a Bartlien varmint contour barrel on it. Had it cut to 28 in..
It went from 10 pds with scope to 13.5 pds.... I haven't hunted with it since. It's a tack driver though. I'm guessing cutting barrel to 26 in. (I don't want less) and fluting would only cut a pound at most so it's not going to make it a mountain rifle again. I had an MGM 27 in. One in. full bull barrel with integral brake fluted. It cut 6 oz. off. It's no mountain rifle either.
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That's not much weight loss. You could just take a leak before hitting the trail and get there.
 
WYO300RUM said:
Almost 3 years ago I had a new Bartlien barrel installed on my 300 RUM. I didn't think it through very well at all. I should of went with a carbon fiber barrel for less weight. This rifle was my go to rifle for deer and elk. I put a Bartlien varmint contour barrel on it. Had it cut to 28 in..
It went from 10 pds with scope to 13.5 pds.... I haven't hunted with it since. It's a tack driver though. I'm guessing cutting barrel to 26 in. (I don't want less) and fluting would only cut a pound at most so it's not going to make it a mountain rifle again. I had an MGM 27 in. One in. full bull barrel with integral brake fluted. It cut 6 oz. off. It's no mountain rifle either.
Click to expand...
Packed a 13.5 lb rifle all over the place for years and finally had enough of that crap. My pack, rifle, and binos etc tip the scale at 40-45lbs on any given day and I'm sure not getting any younger. My first exposure to carbon was gunwerks rifles and finally went down that road and never looked back. Now my chassis rig with can is sub 9, pull that can off and its low 8. I pick up my PRS rig and think man Yuck.....
 
A long time ago I was into 6.5-06's with long & fat barrels. I was young & strong then & had a job where I occassionally had to pack lots of gear around. Having 17# rifle, having a huge scope & massive stock, was sort of a measure of physical prowess. Every tiny bit of velocity gain was appreciated. If I got another 30 fps per inch with another 4 inches of barrel it would mean another 120 fps. I was inspired by photo's of WWI & WWII guns transported via rail. Recoil was light and if the TOF was long hits could be seen. Rockchucks were the usual targets. I still have one of these beauties, it has a 30 inch Hart barrel with a Palma contour measuring .875 at the far end. A golf cart would be a nice addition for transport over level smooth ground. Shooting a long pointy 140 grain bullet with lots of RL26 would exemplify & revive the unique characteristics of this rifle.
 
BrentM said:
Packed a 13.5 lb rifle all over the place for years and finally had enough of that crap. My pack, rifle, and binos etc tip the scale at 40-45lbs on any given day and I'm sure not getting any younger. My first exposure to carbon was gunwerks rifles and finally went down that road and never looked back. Now my chassis rig with can is sub 9, pull that can off and its low 8. I pick up my PRS rig and think man Yuck.....
Click to expand...
I'm used to 30 -35 lbs. Then if you have to pack meat out also 😳
 
Ol' Red said:
That's not much weight loss. You could just take a leak before hitting the trail and get there.
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Lol ! I wasn't going to cut barrel. I like 3400 plus fps with a 180/181 Hammer and 3200 plus with 215 Berger. Why I went 28 in.. I'm not packing it but I'm going to take it with me for Az. elk hunt this year but also my C.A. Ridgeline 6.5 PRC for packing/hiking. I would love to take a long shot with the RUM though. CDS dial is set for 215 Berger though. So Hammer ? Same problem I had in Ca. last year on der hunt with 6.5 PRC. Dial was for 156 Berger. Had to shoot copper. **** 124 Hammer. Was ok to 200 yds. Not 600 downhill 🙄
 

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