Good length for a .308 F/TR?

[coreydelong]

Gonna play a little swap barrel with my custom built F-Class 6.5x284 to save my 6.5 barrels for more serious matches than weekend club events. I have a few options, but just wonder what is a good finished length some of you are using? Carl Bernosky will be doing the chambering, so I'm sure he also has a bit of good input on the finished length when he gets the barrel.

I currently have a .308 with a 26", 1:12tw that I run 185g Berger Jauggernauts out of very well. That rifle is SPF, but I will likely keep running 185g Bergers #30418. I'm getting 2590fps currently with Lapua brass not really pushing them.

Here are my barrel blank options:

1). Kreiger 5R, 1:10tw, 1.250" STR @ 31"
2). Bartlein 30" 5R, 1:10tw, 1.250"- 0.930" MTU

These both give me the option to run up to 190-210g without an issue. The Bartlien may look a touch odd as my stock is channelled for a 1.250" straight tube and that's what all my 6.5x284 barrels are.

Any input on the length? I don't want to pay for the added length if I don't really need it, but both blanks are well under $400.

 

[Kings X]

30"is good - length equals more velocity.
BUT getting from 22 pounds down to 18 after adding bi-pod could cause you to go with a tapered or fluted barrel.

 

[Scott Harris]

Depends on the distance you are shooting. For 1K a 30-32 inch barrel is mandatory. Pick a barrel contour that allows you to make weight: probably a heavy palma or medium palma

 

[Steve Blair]

Richard's point was good, depends on how heavy your stock is. I agree with Scott and Richard that 30" is about right. My latest F-T/R rifle has a Manners T4a, no adjustable butt, Duplin bipod and Sightron SIII 10-50. All that light stuff lets me use a 30" HV contour and it shoots really well. I am two ounces under weight.

 

[TonyR]

I have a 30 inch Bartlein 5R 1:11 with a similar taper on my F-T/R rifle and I have been getting 2750+ with that bullet, Varget and Lake City 72 Match brass. It shoots very well all the way to 1000 yards.

 

[ScottMcc]

I am surprised that your 308s with 185's and 1:11 and 1:12 twists work well. Does a 1:9 hurt accuracy with 150 to 185's?

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I don't understand the question.

I've tested 200SMKs out of my 1:11 twist, they worked ok but had elevation issues. I stick with my 180s out of my 1:11 twist.

Who has a 1:9 twist in a .308? Are you using 275gr bullets?

 

[Steve Blair]

Who has a 1:9 twist in a .308? Are you using 275gr bullets?

[br]
I have a 9" twist barrel on order for one of my F-T/R rifles. I shoot 230 Hybrids, one lot of which was .050" over Berger's spec length. I shoot them at 2470 from a 30", 10" twist barrel and they were marginally unstable. That was in warm weather. A 9.5" twist would do it but the 9" twist will not hurt anything. Nothing faster than 10" twist is needed for any lighter bullet in .308.

 

[Down South]

I don't understand the question.

I've tested 200SMKs out of my 1:11 twist, they worked ok but had elevation issues. I stick with my 180s out of my 1:11 twist.

Who has a 1:9 twist in a .308? Are you using 275gr bullets?

Im surprised you had trouble with the 200s in your 11 twist. I shoot the 200 hybrids in my 11 twist with no problem. Thats what i was shooting at the Texas match last weekend.

I talked to a guy that said he and his buddies are shooting the 215 hybrids with a 9.25 twist. I didn't think many guys were using anything faster than a 10 twist but apparantly some are with good results.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

The 200SMKs were stable out of my 1:11 twist. The elevation issues I noticed either had to do with the ragged meplats and possible varying ogive shape, my load, or just the fact there was a lot more quick shooting them.

I use 180gr JLK LBT, which I find to be extremely consistent in weight and shape and have beautiful small meplats that require no work.

I have been using 1:11 twist in my .308 FTR barrels for several years now and I consider that twist to be optimum as it will let you shoot anything up to 210gr bullets.