22" barrel too short to make the .30-06 the "poor man's .300 Win Mag"

[ChrisBCS]

I remember reading, I believe it was here, that some folks once developed .30-06 loads that nipped the heels of .300 Win Mag external ballistics using heavy (200 gr plus) .308 bullets over RL-22. Mule's leg recoil aside, is a 22" barrel long enough to get the job done using the RL-22 powder, or do you need to go longer to squeeze everything out of the powder? What pressures are generated at max with a load like this?

I think I might have read that it was MontanaMarine doing this?

 

[Nortex]

There are a couple long threads revolving around the ole Springfield but I believe most are running pretty long barrels. Another site for info is riflemansjournal.com

 

[richidaho]

I think the power was RL-17. I have been using RL-17. In my 26" barreled .308 and shooting heavy bullets (185g VLD, 2700+ fps) with great success. I'm going out today to try some 208g Hornady's and see what they shoot like. I started my load development at 43g of powder and worked up tell I saw primer issues around 47g. I'm going to look around and see if I can find you some links. Whoops RL-17 not RL-12 I got the load data from USMC-Fury and others.

Thanks,

Rich L

 

[wxl]

Believe you will be ~350 fps below a 300 WinMag 24" bbl (and many are 26")

 

[roggom]

I sent you a pm

 

[steve123]

Chris, no need to push the velocity because an extra 100 fps will not make much of a difference in wind drift or drop. Much better off with a tight "low ES" and consistent load where the rifle shoots best.

A really awesome bullet to try is the Berger 215gr hybrid. I ran a test using them a few years ago "preproduction" and was super impressed. BC somewhere around .7 G1.

 

[BoilerUP]

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...-30-06-208-hornady-hpbt-rl22.html#post2080473

 

[Greg Langelius *]

If you're reloading, brass life is important, especially these days. I would simply forget about trying to get .300WM performance out of a 22" .30-'06, and go for a more moderate and accurate load.

For anything you need that rifle to do, .30-'06 performance will suffice; unless you're nursing a mental block on the subject.

Lots of people are, but a .22" .30-'06 is not optimal for peak .300WM-like LR performance; and the .30-'06 in its own realm is no slouch. Just please don't try to make it something it ain't.

If you want to make .300WM-like LR performance, I suggest you rebarrel in .280 Rem, 24" long at least. To get better performance from that size case, I'd go down in bore diameter, and up in length. For more than 168gr in the .280, use a 1:8" twist. More bang, less buck; it's picking up more popularity these days among the LR folks.

Greg

 

[shoot4fun]

If you want a "poor man's" 300WM then just save a little extra dough and buy a 300WM in a Savage Axis, TC Venture or Ruger American. Not sure they sell 300WM in all these but the idea here is to buy a 300WM in one of the budget categories. You can then load down to 30-06 levels or up to the max performance level offered by the 300WM. Oh, well I just realized another point. if you load down 300WM then you could even trade to '06 in.

 

[ChrisBCS]

unless you're nursing a mental block on the subject.

This, sir, hits the nail on the head. The question is more a hypothetical posed for the purpose of self-edification.

I'm a bit of a .30-06 fetishist, it's no secret. I love the poetic fact that one of the greatest all around rifle cartridges to be made even yet, was the first to even use smokeless powder in mass production (I know, there are plenty of folks that disparage the cartridge, let me have my fun).

 

[ChrisBCS]

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...-30-06-208-hornady-hpbt-rl22.html#post2080473

Thank you sir! That's one of the exact threads I'm remembering.

 

[GhostFace]

I have a 22.5 inch barreled '06 and I reached just shy of 2850 doing LD with a 190 cc. I backed off to just over 2800 and this was using RL22. I have since switched over to H4350 and I am down to 2735 but the accuracy is phenomenal! I was basically called a liar by a member here because he didn't believe my numbers and other things but a few know that these numbers are achievable and with good accuracy too you just have to experiment but do it carefully. ...

 

[40xs]

You are going through something that most of us have in the past, which is trying to make one cartridge do the same as another cartridge is able to do. That's why there are over a hundred different cartridges out there. A 300 mag. is a 300 mag. just like a 30.06 is a 30.06. With the newer powders you may improve the performance of an '06, but, newer powders will also improve the 300 mag. So what do you want? a hot 30.06 or a hot 300mag. It's still lagging behind due to newer powders improving everything. the barrel you have will never get you what you want. I shoot a .308 with a 29 in. custom bbl. and I'm beating factory velocities of '06s in the same bullet weight if the 06 is shot using a 22inch bbl. Not so if everything else is equal though. You are just going to beat your gun up trying to make it something it's not.

 

[BuzzBoss915]

Yeah, I'm agreeing with the above. Your mission is to make the most of what you got. You "got" a 22" barrel chambered in '06. Pay special attention to bullet weight and powder choice to get optimum performance. Don't waste time chasing 300 numbers, it's not in the cards. BB

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I think it's a question of barrel length more than chamber capacity. A .300WM at 22" would be similarly hobbled; still capable, but not of its entire potential.

Shorter barrels can be quite accurate, due to their comparative stiffness per inch of length. A lighter profile could have similarities to a heavier one of a greater length.

Finally, I have great love of the .30-'06 myself, with two bolt guns and a Garand having this chambering. I put my Son-in-Law onto it and he's harvested 2-3 deer per year for the past three years.

Greg

 

[BuzzBoss915]

Seems like an '06 is one cartridge that is not very harmed by a short barrel. And, yes, short barrels deal with harmonics better than those more than 26", generally speaking. So, what motivate a man to cut performance, (velocity) back to 22 inches? I would guess "handling"? You wouldn't do it because you are looking for stiffness; and accuracy. I wouldn't. On the other hand, most accuracy numbers like weight forward, as you get with 26-28 inch barrels, not to mention the PERFORMANCE. It's all a series of tradeoffs, do you want handling or do you want velocity? Then, what's the mission? That makes all the difference. Hunting or targets? Etceteras. BB