The only downfall of the 338 Spectre is the range. While it can be shot further, it's really meant for close up work. Bullet selection is also critical, and the specialized bullets the Spectre needs to be effective (at least by my standards) may not be available to the OP. I am shooting monos designed specifically for this caliber by Maker Bullets. 300gr subs built to expand at Supersonic performance could certainly be increased by utilizing a 16" barrel instead of the 10.5"
What caliber for a suppresed short barrel lightweight build
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westexhunt
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375 raptor is on my short list for a 12" sbr bolt gun. The limited bullets available on the market right now are all that's stopped me from going through with it. My barrels have been getting shorter all the time and I really don't care for anything over 16" anymore. Still have longer barreled rifles but I don't use them much.
As noted, I mentioned a more metric based cartridge being a better likely match.
Who built your Spectre?
He did mention subsonic and that generally limits you to 'close work' and yes the Spectre is not what I would choose for supersonic use either and brass is a bit difficult to find even without COVID induced shortages. Heck I'm debating a 30HRT (6.8SPC based) or 300 H'AMR from Wilson and letting my 300BlackOut be a dedicated subsonic option. A .257 Ocelot is probably a better choice for me though in a 16" AR-15. For the volumes I shoot, 6.8SPC is cost prohibitive right now.
I built the gun, barrel was spun up by Paladin Machine in SC from a McGowan 1:6.5 twist blank. He was the original maker for spectre barrels for Marty Ter Weeme. Brass availability is a bit of an issue. I have a couple hundred made from 10mm Mag brass and a working on a few hundred from 6.8spc brass. It's a LOT more brass prep but should allow pushing supers even faster. I hit 2000fps with 165gr out of 10mm brass before pressure signs got excessive, I'm excited to see what I can get with all the extra pressure that the 6.8 brass allows for
Wow, that's pretty tempting though, where I shoot brass loss is a concern so a lot of brass prep work is a turn off to me. I had 17 feral hogs in one outing so, brass loss was high in the tall grass I was in plus, I had a lot of hogs to pick up. That's a big part of the reason I'm looking at simpler 223/5.56 brass options right now.
In an AR-10, the Raptor's are certainly tempting. With bolt guns though, the caliber options are so massive I'm not sure I would go there. The 308W action length though is a good option though, most people are obsessed with the short magnums.
375 Ruger, 376 Steyr, etc. along with the 300WSM wildcats are pretty popular too in some circles.
2nd vote for .338 Federal.
Integrated suppressors is the sweetest way to have a short barrel and suppressed without the mess.
Integrated suppressors is the sweetest way to have a short barrel and suppressed without the mess.
I believe the linked company, suppressed weapon systems is the co that did the Lite Sabr for Gunworks. Not positive about that though
6.5 Grendel all day
When I can score a 22 Magnum CZ 457, that is where I'm going.
If you are open to manufacturing your own suppressor you may want to look into a hybrid design that incorporates rear baffles. I have one that was made by Dark Horse, and a second one that I self-manufactured custom fitting purposes. Like you, I wanted a balance of minimal overall length and maximum barrel length. Using a hybrid design I was able to make use of 7" of barrel space for rear baffles, and only add another 5" to the front of an 18" .308. Depending upon the height of your sights or scope, you can also add more volume than most suppressors offer. In this case I custom made the suppressor to slip over the barrel of a bullpup rifle, which also gives me more maneuverability. I did all of this after obtaining a BATF NFA permit.
Over-rated for most non-target competition uses IMHO and, yes I own two of them.
Just today, I spoke with the creator of the cartridge and I am actively looking for 7 Raptor components!
I think those are generally referred to as reflex cans and, the added volume really helps. I think Ops Inc was the first "retail" source of cans like this, at least in the USA.
I disagree. The grendel outperforms the 308 past 500 y and is a great hunting round for varmints and deer. Plenty of bullet options and easy to handload for. Not to mention it does well in a SBR platform.
