2015 thread resurection
@Bovine1979 I definitely think you should switch from the 155s to 200s for F-TR. Esp the way the wind can blow at Connaught.
All the barrel manufacturers make good barrels, sometimes they make great one, and occasionally they make a dog. I've been fortunate so far I've not had a bad one. Though I've only had one great one.
As to barrel length, I tried running a 34" Keriger on a 308 in 2013 or so. I found that it was running slower than my 30" barrel. I didn't wait for it to "break in", I took it to my smith and had 2 inches lopped off. I've since side by side tested 30" and 32" barrels with identical chambers and loads. The 32s were on average <15FPS faster than the 30s running Varget and 200 Hybrids. I don't buy any more 32" blanks. It appears that a 308 just doesn't have the capacity to keep accelerating the bullet much past 30, at least with the 200 class bullets. I know some of the Palma(TR to you) guys run 32s, but I think that may be more about sight radius than bullet performance. Oh, and I believe Will Chou won the F-TR Canadian Championship once running a 29" barrel.
I'm not sure who is cutting chambers up in Canada. I think Gord H is doing some of the ones for the NB guys. I'm not sure what reamers they are using. If you can find something like a 2013FTR reamer from PT&G with a 168 or 170 freebore it's about perfect for the 185s and the 200-20x. Personally I think the Hybrid needs a .030 longer freebore, but they work fine in chambers from that reamer too.
Most of us running 200s are running them in the range of 2600 to 2700 FPS, that is not stepping on it hard. The 200-20x or the 200 Hybrid both work great, and there really isn't a lot of difference in the two. Again, that's not a particularly hot load. Actual load will depend a lot on the freebore and which bullet you chose but with Varget/N140/N150 it's usually in the 43 to 44.5 gr range in Lapua Palma brass, but don't try that with a .095 freebore designed for 155s. It will be lower, work up. Don't chase velocity. Accurate beats fast, we aren't competing in bullet races.
I'm leaving for Fredericton/Gagetown NB tomorrow to shoot the Atlantics and the Mini-Palma.