26" (.243 Win) Barrel, Cutting Down To.......?!

[ARELL]

Hi

I am considering cutting my Rem 700 SPS Varmint .243 26" barrel down as far as possible without affecting accuracy (500yrds max). I use a can which weighs a lot and the extra barrel weight (and length, multiplying the cans weight) is killing me on long hikes! If I could move the Reflex can in closer to the stock I am sure the rifle would be far more balanced and comfortable to shoot. This is obviously a personal thing which I understand is important, however my thought is: why do Remington supply this barrel at 26" if it can seemingly be cut to 22" with no performance deteriation? I have read that cutting Varmint barrel back to 20" - 22" will not change my groups out to 500 yrds?

Essentially: What is the shortest I can cut it without being paranoid about screwing up accuracy?

Cheers

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: 26" (.243 Win) Barrel, Cutting Down To.......?!

My dad's first .243 had an 18" barrel. It came stock from Remington like that in the early sixties. Mine had a 20" barrel.

I usually advocate for keeping the longer barrel but with a can I understand.

Also, as long as it has a 1-9" twist it will shoot up to the 107/108's and with a 1-8" twist the 115's. Some folks like to make double-sure and get a 1-7" or 1-7.5" twist. But, that'll be down the road for you.

-good luck

 

[ARELL]

Re: 26" (.243 Win) Barrel, Cutting Down To.......?!

Thats interesting, what was the twist on your fathers .243 and how accurate was it?

Yeah, it does have the 9 1/8" twist which, considering the velocity of the .243 rounds and using the 'greenhill formula' seems to suit a lighter bullet. So far I have only used 55gr Silvertips which work very well. Presumably a heavier bullet will stabalize better when fired down a shorter tube?

Thanks for your help sandwarrior!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: 26" (.243 Win) Barrel, Cutting Down To.......?!

Buy another barrel. Get the length, twist, and contour you want. Keep and switch with the other barrel, or sell it to subsidize the new barrel. I suggest Lothar-Walther, they do good work, did for me.

Presumably, a heavier bullet will <span style="font-style: italic">not</span> stabilize better in a shortened barrel (less velocity = less RPM = less stability). Accuracy is not a function of barrel length, but a shortened barrel <span style="font-style: italic">might</span> shoot tighter because of less whip. Whatever the other effects of shortening, one thing is certain, the optimal load will be different, because the barrel will have new a harmonic frequency characteristic.

If you want to stabilize heavier/longer bullets, the best approach is a faster twist; which is why I suggest a new barrel, because no matter what length you cut the barrel to, you can't change its twist.

Greg

 

[steve123]

Re: 26" (.243 Win) Barrel, Cutting Down To.......?!

If you are only shooting to 500Y then it doesn't matter on the length.You might as well go 17-19 for your hiking purposes.For the twist rate the 88 grain Berger is a very accurate bullet.For hunting deer and such a 95G Nosler would probably be a good choice.

 

[toddconley]

Re: 26" (.243 Win) Barrel, Cutting Down To.......?!

I have a 243 AI with a 20 in barrel. I am hitting 3000 fps with 105 amaxes and rl 17. My barrel is a kreiger and it is 8 twist. It is a little loud however. Shoots like a house a fire and is the handiest thing you will ever own. Would have rather had a 260 for bigger bullets but this is good for now.

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: 26" (.243 Win) Barrel, Cutting Down To.......?!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ARELL</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thats interesting, what was the twist on your fathers .243 and how accurate was it?

Yeah, it does have the 9 1/8" twist which, considering the velocity of the .243 rounds and using the 'greenhill formula' seems to suit a lighter bullet. So far I have only used 55gr Silvertips which work very well. Presumably a heavier bullet will stabalize better when fired down a shorter tube?

Thanks for your help sandwarrior!</div></div>

Depending on how well he liked the bullets the thing could drive tacks or couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. My dad has selective memory. One the other hand I shot everything quite accurately from 70 gr. to 100 gr. Back in the day, when I was reloading for it, we didn't have all the lighter bullets. That rifle had a 1-10 twist and would stabilize up to 105 gr. Speer round nose bullets. They were just a little longer than the 100 gr. Hornady and Sierra spitzers we also used.

Your 1-9 1/8" twist will stabilize 105-108 VLD type bullets. that includes the 107 Sierra's.

Specifically addressing what Greg said about maybe not being able to stabilize longer (heavier) bullets: You will still have enough velocity using those bullets to stabilize them in a short barrel. Velocity isn't usually near the issue that just plain old twist is. And, to a lesser degree, what type. Cut rifling has shown it will stabilize a marginal bullet where button rifling or hammer forging won't. Again, not to worry as your rifling should stabilize up to the weights I stated without issue. It is true that a shorter barrel is stiffer and therefore usually more accurate. That's been a benchrest thing for almost thirty years. They aren't ones to argue with when it comes to superb accuracy.

Added: Very important you have quality loads coming out of the barrel BEFORE you put a can on this. If you change loads...test that load @ 5-10 feet and see what that bullet does when coming out of your barrel. You pay too much money for a can to have a bullet strike in it.

Added II: FYI, Overgassing behind the bullet as it leaves the muzzle can cause disruptions as well. This happens on bullets that would ordinarily be well within the stability range. If the gas still has enough force it can disrupt the flight of the bullet. Think of the bullet like a top that is stable. When the gasses strike the bullet and move it from it's rotational axis, it will make it want to yaw.

To alleviate this use a faster powder than what you would normally use in the longer barrel.