Mountain rifle - short barrel for suppressor, medium range distances

[CBECK61]

If you're going to put a suppressor on it anyways, why not just go 300 win mag? That should more than make the recoil manageable and then you wouldn't have to worry about energy over 600 yards. If it was my money, I'd buy a Tikka in 300, have someone cut down the barrel and thread it to whatever threads you need.

Magnums don't do well with short barrels especially with factory loads. Its tough to take advantage of all the powder with a 20" barrel and it will make your suppressor work overtime. My guess is especially with factory loads you are only going to be looking at 150ish fps increase over a 308 with a 20 inch barrel but if you every shot it suppressor it will be crazy loud with all the powder burning outside of the barrel.

 

[renagde]

According to a rifle shooter article where they started with a 24" barrel on a 300 win mag and cut it down to 16", they lost 317 fps total. From 24"-18" they only lost 33 fps per inch. Factory ammo with 190 grain bullet they're still at almost 2700 fps barrel velocity. Not trying to argue that it won't take the magnum out of 300 win mag, but I think if you're suppressing anyway and won't be dealing with much recoil, might as well go with the bigger caliber to make up the difference in short barrel length.

 

[tdot]

If you're only doing this to protect your hearing, then maybe consider some of the new electronic ear plugs. I have some that are stellar. Worked very well for me this season. I'm very careful of my ears as I was born with advanced selective hearing. (Ie partially deaf), because of that I've always stayed away from muzzle brakes. But after trying a set last year, I ended up buying a pair.

Then I was able to upgrade my rifle to a short barrel short mag with a muzzle brake. Best of all worlds now.

 

[seawolfxix]

Gemtech suggests 24" or longer barrel for the Tracker and 300WM...

 

[Fitzwho]

I hate to keep trying to hock my rifle... If you decide on a 6.5 Creedmoor... Mine is 7lb 1oz with a Vortex Razor HD LH scope... Christensen Carbon Barrel, fluted bolt, AG Composite stock, HS Precision DBM, Spartan Precision adapter installed in the fore-end.

I have another action to build off of is the only reason I would even think about selling this one.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

If you're only doing this to protect your hearing, then maybe consider some of the new electronic ear plugs. I have some that are stellar. Worked very well for me this season. I'm very careful of my ears as I was born with advanced selective hearing. (Ie partially deaf), because of that I've always stayed away from muzzle brakes. But after trying a set last year, I ended up buying a pair.

Then I was able to upgrade my rifle to a short barrel short mag with a muzzle brake. Best of all worlds now.

Sorry if this hijacks the thread too much, but which earplugs would you recommend?

 

[TimberHunter]

If you're only doing this to protect your hearing, then maybe consider some of the new electronic ear plugs. I have some that are stellar. Worked very well for me this season. I'm very careful of my ears as I was born with advanced selective hearing. (Ie partially deaf), because of that I've always stayed away from muzzle brakes. But after trying a set last year, I ended up buying a pair.

Then I was able to upgrade my rifle to a short barrel short mag with a muzzle brake. Best of all worlds now.

I have considered hearing protection and have used it in the past but my hunting is generally very active (not saying yours is not) and requires a lot of hiking and elevation gains and loses. I have some cheap electric muffs but only use them right before I take long shots.

Do you have any issues with the hearing protectors falling out while hiking? Do they work well enough to naturally hear elk or deer noises like bugles or the animal walking?


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[tdot]

I have considered hearing protection and have used it in the past but my hunting is generally very active (not saying yours is not) and requires a lot of hiking and elevation gains and loses. I have some cheap electric muffs but only use them right before I take long shots.

Do you have any issues with the hearing protectors falling out while hiking? Do they work well enough to naturally hear elk or deer noises like bugles or the animal walking?


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Most would consider my hunting active. (This is Rokslide after all). But I try not to actively run after animals.

The plugs that I use have several levels of attenuation and amplification. So to be honest, I hear better then I normally can. I cut the tracks on a deer during a gentle rain, on top of slushy snow, this year. Knowing the area a little, I pressed on up the trail and cut up the mountain 3 drainages up with the intention of getting above him. After working my way back to the drainage that he'd been climbing I heard him take off in a gulley behind me. He'd traversed under me and I'd missed him in the brush as I was moving too fast. (It was a rushed hunt, I only had a babysitter for 2 hours). I had a hood up and was facing the wrong direction.

But the point is, I'd heard him 300+ feet away. In another drainage, with rain and snow on the ground. I had no business being able to hear that. I'd guess that a person with normal hearing wouldnt have heard it either.

I ended up shooting a mulie in a similar area a week later, muzzle brake on and with a rock cliff beside me. It was not loud. Not even close. With the rock cliff beside me, I would have normally found that shot loud in an unbraked rifle.

I have only 5 days in the field with them, but no issues with a toque, hat or hood interfering with them. Backpack straps havent bothered them either. (I am used to wearing ear plugs at work though). I had one branch slap the plug which was loud, didnt pull the plug out, but I had to readjust it. But I've had others hit them and they were fine.

The worst part about them so far is that they arent as sexy as a new rifle.

 

[tdot]

Sorry if this hijacks the thread too much, but which earplugs would you recommend?

I'll look at them when I get home.

 

[TimberHunter]

Most would consider my hunting active. (This is Rokslide after all). But I try not to actively run after animals.

The plugs that I use have several levels of attenuation and amplification. So to be honest, I hear better then I normally can. I cut the tracks on a deer during a gentle rain, on top of slushy snow, this year. Knowing the area a little, I pressed on up the trail and cut up the mountain 3 drainages up with the intention of getting above him. After working my way back to the drainage that he'd been climbing I heard him take off in a gulley behind me. He'd traversed under me and I'd missed him in the brush as I was moving too fast. (It was a rushed hunt, I only had a babysitter for 2 hours). I had a hood up and was facing the wrong direction.

But the point is, I'd heard him 300+ feet away. In another drainage, with rain and snow on the ground. I had no business being able to hear that. I'd guess that a person with normal hearing wouldnt have heard it either.

I ended up shooting a mulie in a similar area a week later, muzzle brake on and with a rock cliff beside me. It was not loud. Not even close. With the rock cliff beside me, I would have normally found that shot loud in an unbraked rifle.

I have only 5 days in the field with them, but no issues with a toque, hat or hood interfering with them. Backpack straps havent bothered them either. (I am used to wearing ear plugs at work though). I had one branch slap the plug which was loud, didnt pull the plug out, but I had to readjust it. But I've had others hit them and they were fine.

The worst part about them so far is that they arent as sexy as a new rifle.

Thank you for the information! After reading your experience, I think your style of hearing protectors may work for me. What kind do you use? How long do batteries last? I’m usually away from my truck anywhere from a full day to couple days at a time but could carry extra batteries in my pack if needed


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[tdot]

Sorry if this hijacks the thread too much, but which earplugs would you recommend?

Thank you for the information! After reading your experience, I think your style of hearing protectors may work for me. What kind do you use? How long do batteries last? I’m usually away from my truck anywhere from a full day to couple days at a time but could carry extra batteries in my pack if needed


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These are the ones I'm using. Etymotic.

There are others out there, but when I researched them about a year ago these seemed like one of the better ones. There may have been more since, so probably worth a look.

The batteries that are in the picture are the same ones I installed 12 days ago, they are till working. 3 of those days they were in the ear plugs and actively being used, 9 of the days they were disengaged. But these are " air batteries", so as I understand it, once you open their sealed packaging and expose them to air, they start to drain. Just not as fast as if they were in the ear plugs. I would have zero issue taking just the ear plugs on a 3 day hunt. Anything beyond that I would take a second set. Not that I would need to use them, but simply because I dont know their limits.

 

[fatbacks]

Bump.. I ordered my suppressor and got the paperwork started yesterday on a Gemtech Tracker with 5/8-24. Only mountain style rifles I know of that are threaded with 5/8-24 are:

Christensen arms Ridgeline 20” 308
Barrett Fieldcraft
Browning suppressor ready (browning doesn’t spec out thread type/size)

Does anyone know of any others? If I can’t find one that works for me I’m thinking I’d be better off putting an adapter on my 270 win vs buying a new gun just to put an adapter on it


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I looked at a Proof Elevation Rifle for a while. They chamber one in .308 with a 20” barrel and it comes in sub 6 lbs. this is supposedly their affordable rifle.


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[fatbacks]

I would also check the specs on your suppressor to make sure you don’t have any barrel restrictions. My lightweight can requires a minimum of a 22” barrel for 300 win Mag/wsm.


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[TimberHunter]

Adding Bergara special purpose Ridge 308 with threaded 18” barrel. Comes in around $750 and 7.2lbs. I would spend an extra $200 or so to have the action and lug bedded and barrel/action cerakoted so it’s on the same weather protection level as the other stainless rifles


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[Shortround]

Buy a savage LW SS hunter, put it in a lightweight stock, rebarrel with a custom light profile McGowan barrel in 7mm WSM.
I've got one in non stainless, with factory .243 barrel and a wildcat M70 stock weighs in at 6lbs scoped. Have a .284 win barrel to screw on and mess around with as well for bigger, farther critters.
Gun for 500, stock for 300, custom barrel for maybe 400, you're well under your target cost.

 

[sram9102]

I agree with this. If 600 yards on elk are a must then a 300 WM or 300 WSM cut back to 20" will be just fine.

I'm at 2920 fps with a 208 from a 22" 300 WSM. No reason you would be any slower that 50-75 fps than that.

Heck even my 16" 308 shoots 168s at 2700+ fps. And my brothers 16" 30-06 shoots 200 grainers at 2600+ fps.

Keep in mind I've never seen an elk die. But I gotta believe anytime a decent 308 bullet is going to be impacting where its supposed to at 1800+ fps things are gonna die. And if a shorty 16" barrel 308 can do that at 600 yards no reason a 18-20" one would do any worse.

In my experience most cartridges continue to lose the typical 25-30 fps regardless of if its a magnum or not.

You have a load you would share for that shorty 308? I haven't started loading for mine yet but 168s at 2700+ is better than what I was expecting to get once I started rolling my own.

 

[264win]

I went through the same process as op a few years ago and would up building a 7-08 on tikka with a Manners mcst stock, 18” 8.5 twist barrel #5 with max fluting. I can run 140 vld @ 2875 and 168 vld @ 2675. It turned out perfect for my needs.
If I didn’t reload, I would have gone with a 308.

for a factory rifle I would look at tikka, fierce, Barrett

 

[Yellowknife]

I went through the same process as op a few years ago and would up building a 7-08 on tikka with a Manners mcst stock, 18” 8.5 twist barrel #5 with max fluting.

How did a short heavily fluted #5 end up comparing weight wise to a factory barrel?

I've contemplated going the same way, but dang... I'm muzzle heavy enough as is, so don't want to add any more out there than I have too.

 

[TimberHunter]

I went through the same process as op a few years ago and would up building a 7-08 on tikka with a Manners mcst stock, 18” 8.5 twist barrel #5 with max fluting. I can run 140 vld @ 2875 and 168 vld @ 2675. It turned out perfect for my needs.
If I didn’t reload, I would have gone with a 308.

for a factory rifle I would look at tikka, fierce, Barrett

Is the barrel threaded 5/8-24 or did you have to use an adapter to fit the can on?


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[wildwilderness]

Many good suggestions that make sense. -Best value is the Tikka lite or superlite- get any caliber you want (action length is the same) - can be found for $700 all day on Gunbroker, have your local gunsmith cut the barrel to any length you want, thread and crown.- I would guess it would cost about $200. check with the smith first before you buy the rifle to make sure the barrel contour is adequate for the length and thread pattern.

The Barrett Fieldcraft is a nice ultra light rifle that you can find for $1650 threaded. - I had a 308 21" that liked heavy bullets (178 eld-m). I have a 7mm-08 now. Nice "custom" feel to the rifle. better than the Tikka stock.