300 Win Mag barrel Length?

[6br_fan]

Having a 300 win mag built with a no 5 taper barrel,this gun will be used for hunting and I want it also to be accurate,what barrel length 24" or 26" I keep hearing 26" but I thought I would ask here will I loose a lot of velocity with the 24"

thanks

 

[kaferhaus]

The big bore mags really need the length..... you'd likely lose 100fps with the 24". I've seen some lose less and I've seen some lose double that.

 

[6br_fan]

anyone else have any thoughts on this?

 

[M700]

How much zip do you want? I've seen 3000 fps with 180's and 3200 fps with 165's from a 24" .300 Win mag. Am sure the 26" barrel will give you another 50 - 100 fps. Maybe a tad more?

The .300 is a great all-around western cartridge. A lot of guys swear by it for a general purpose mule deer, elk and black bear rifle. From what I've seen, it's really hard to beat a .300 maggie shooting a good 180 grain hunting bullet at around 3000 fps.

Regards, Guy

 

[Spotcheck_Billy]

I think that 24" is the lower limit foe a .300 WM, especially if you're shooting the heavier,180 gr. and up) bullets using powders like 4350 and slower. My .300WM barrel is 26". If I wanted .30-'06 velocity I would have bought an '06!

Alan

 

[Rustystud]

I have shot a .300 Win Mag for 25 years. My first barrel was 24 inches, My second and 3rd barrels were 26 inches.

I load 180 Nosler Partitiona and 180 grain Sciroccos ahead of 78.5 grains of H4831 and a Federal 215 GMM primer. The bullets are seated into the rifling. I am getting 3150 fps and sub moa groups at 100 yards. This is not a starting load, it borders the high presure side. I am geting 3150 fps. Great load for mice to moose.
Rustystud

 

[takman]

Have a 26" that shoots 180's 3170 fps easily and have a 28" ordered for next one.

 

[clint27]

That's a bummer as I have just ordered a HS precision pro series 2000 heavy tactical rifle and it comes with a 24" barrel in .300 WM. Hope I'm not disadvantaged.....