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Join the contest SubscribeYes: it only reaches a foot and a half.Is a 18.5" barrel on a bolt gun too short for 1000 yards?
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"Shooting the GA Precision Gladius Rifle at 800 and 1000 yards in Byers, CO. The rifle features an 18.5" barrel, and is a light, versatile 308."
GAP Gladius - YouTube
Assuming 308, of course. You need speed (and the right bullet), regardless of barrel length. Over 2600 fps for consistent reach to 1000.
I'd think you might want to check the math. I believe he mentioned 168 or 175 SMKs so I'll focus on the better bullet for the range stated. 175 SMK at 2600fps from any barrel will not be subsonic at 1000y under most shooting conditions, unless your AD goes way, way below sea level. They also seem to transition a bit better for me than the 168s. Here is them at a range near sea level AD 200' 17/25 of a bipod on a 10" plate at 1100 yards. Light charge 43 grains Varget for 2650FPS.
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While I don't have pictures of my 18.5", it managed 2500fps with the same light load and stayed just supersonic at 1k -- it would be best to juice up the load to get 2600 fps. Btw, if you are down range, bullets that have gone subsonic and lost stability, sound differently as they flutter past you.
Jt
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Going short is a compromise, you trade performance of any caliber for portability. So the short answer is... it depends.
I have 3 precision .308s, the long barrel is 20". I haven't been able to shoot the 16" or 20" yet but like a number of guys, I've taken the 18" out to about 1200 or so and had hits and meaningful misses with Black Hills 175s which IIRC tend to run slower than FGMM.
My personal experience with my 20" Bartlein is Black Hills 175's run consistently ~100 fps slower than FGMM 175's (GM762M2).