Barrel length effects?

[TrxR]

How would barrel length effect shooting 185's in a .308 out to a 1000yds for F/TR ? How short would be too short ? Whats the gain of a 30" over a 24"? I am looking to get started in this game and am trying to decide on a good starter rifle. I was wanting to build one with a Barnard S action but with the budget constraints it aint going to happen for a long while. Was looking at a couple of Rem 700 milspec 5R's or maybe a Savage of some sort.

Thanks

 

[XTR]

Lot of questions that can be answered to some extent with some research but I'll toss a few things out.

If you want to compete in F-TR then get a dedicated rifle. It needs to get as close as you can to the 18 lbs limit (ok 18.1) w/o going over.

A 30" barrel is going to get you muzzle velocity, probably about 150FPS or so. If you can make perfect wind calls every time then you don't need it, but there has only been one clean (200) shot in F-TR since the target changed in 2006, so you probably need it.

Bernard actions are heavy, they cost you somewhere else in weight (not to mention they are expensive). The current National champion won with a Savage target action (not a stock rifle). I won a match at the nationals last yr with a Remington 700. At 1000 yards your equipment will be better than you for a very long time. I have a Savage Target action that I've set up in 223 for a 600 yard gun.



Personally if I were starting today and I was going to build:

I'd get a Remington 700 action and not look back. ~$450
Get a 30" Heavy Palma barrel from any of the barrel makers, they are all good. I have been running Kriegers, but that's what I started out using. $425
I have used a McM A5 and a Precision Rifle and Tool stock. I think the PR&T is a better target stock. I like the flat bottom on the butt. $410 to $995 depending on what you want in it.
Recoil Lug - $25
scope rail - $50
Rings - $125
Trigger - $225 (I like my Jewell)
Gunsmith - $250 up. Depending on what you have him do and what you can do yourself. Predator does my work, Bob does a great job on my guns, they are local, fast, and reasonable. In general they ream my chambers and mount my barrels and in some cases bed things. (they bedded both of my match rifles)

That gets you up to about $1975 to $2500 and you have a rifle, or you could start with a Savage F-TR for $1000 to $1300 or so.


You still need bipod, scope (probably costs more than the rifle), rear bag, reloading equipment.

[EDIT]

The way I did it a couple of yrs ago was to get a Remington 308 with a 24" Rock Creek barrel in a McM stock off of Snipers Hide for about $1700. Picked up a Jewell trigger. Shot it for a yr. The next yr I added a 30" Krieger.

You'll have a blast with anything you can shoot. If you want to get a taste and see if you like it pretty much any 308 with as much barrel as you can find will work. You will spend a lot of time with load work at first. Over time you'll see what others are using and maybe try some things that you may not have thought of.

 

[mysticplayer]

Let's answer the question in another direction.

All match bullets have velocity/twist nodes where they seem to shoot very accurately. How you get that bullet there really doesn't matter.

For the Berger 185gr BT/Jaggernaut, there is one around 2600, 2700 (most commonly used) and if really ambitious around 2800fps. Most will use twist from 11 to 12.

Speeds will vary 20 to 40 fps from rifle to rifle (and chronie to chronie) but these general ballparks work.

As long as you can hit these speeds with adequate twist, the bullet will fly just fine out to 1000yds.

For the 308, I don't think there is much extra speed to be had beyond a 30" barrel using conventional powders and loading techniques.
Jerry

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

My two F-TR bolt rifles have 32 inch barrels in 1:11 twist.

My load with a 180gr bullet is just below the Hodgdon data for Varget. They list their velocity with a 24 inch barrel at about 200FPS below my recorded velocity. I also recognize that "book" values are usually higher than what you obtain with rifles so I consider 200FPS the minimum increment for the extra 8 inches.

I also believe the accuracy nodes are wider with long barrels compared to short barrels and probably more "quiet" at their apex because of the length of the barrel.

I'm even thinking of a 34 inch for my next barrel.

 

[XTR]

I'm even thinking of a 34 inch for my next barrel.

Let me save you the trouble. Side by side identical chambers, Krieger barrels, the only difference being the 34" is a 5R and a 30" 6 groove. 2013 F-TR reamer, the 30" tube was 40FPS faster than the 34" tube running 44.5 gr of Varget.

With some experimental loads over slower powders I was able to see about a 40FPS advantage to the 34" tube. There just isn't enough powder in a 308 to burn that long. It just came back from the smith at 32 inches.