Suppressors Barrel Length for Suppressor Suggestion

[vetman1]

I have two Remington Model 700 rifles in sporter barrel profile. One is a .30-06 and the other is a .243. I am having both shortened and threaded for a suppressor.

I doubt I will ever shoot over 300 yards with either gun and both will be used for deer hunting. What length should I cut the barrels on both calibers?

 

[itieknots7]

Are you looking for manufacture minimums or along the lines of the smallest barrel to still make use of the cartridges' velocity?

 

[vetman1]

I will be shooting a Silencerco Specwar 7.62 and a Harvester.

My initial question has to do with what would be a good compromise between barrel length and ballistics of the two calibers. I wanted to compromise between having an extremely long overall rifle length with the suppressors mounted versus maintaining a decent ballistics.

Most of my hunting shots will probably be under 200 yards, but I wanted at least a 300 yard rifle just in case.


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[SilentG21]

I'd say 16"-18" just my 2 cents

 

[Red343]

18"

 

[boovan]

I use my tikka varmint .308 for the same thing & i've decided on 17"
Have you shot with a harvester yet? If so, how do you like it?

 

[itieknots7]

To get the most technical response.

Chronograph the ammo you use (either factory or reloads) with the current barrel length. Then take off so many fps per inch (do a Google search to see how much 30-06 and 243 drop off respectively).

Now run that new velocity for each theoretical barrel length through a ballistic calculator and you will be able to tell how much energy and velocity is left at 300 yards. Determine what you want your minimums to be and go from there.

The Specwar is a tough can, but the Harvester is a lightweight ti. I would contact Silencerco and get their recommended length for 30-06/243 so you don't void the warranty.

Edit to add: I personally wouldn't cut soo much off the 30-06 that you lose the ballistic advantage it has over a 308. No point carrying a heavier, long action rifle out into the woods when you could have brought a lighter 308 and achieve the same ballistics/energy.

 

[Conrad101st]

My 20 inch 308 (with can) shoots just fine on the p-dog town.
My 26 inch sendero in 300 win mag (with can) does as well on the dog town too, but its awful front heavy.
Both barrels are fat though and I wouldn't hump with them (or climb a tree) with the can.
Not sure I would even bother using a suppressor on deer unless you are blasting does for deprivation.
Suppressors really only matter if you are popping multiple targets or you have a reason to utilize them like your neighbors are close, and bitch and moan when you shoot deer in your semi rural subdivision.
So, I would keep what you have unaltered and get you a shorter medium contour barreled rifle for using on those special occasions.

 

[vetman1]

This is what Silencerco suggested for the two suppressors I will be using.

For the Harvester the minimum barrel length for non-magnum calibers is 16” and for magnum calibers the minimum barrel length is 20”.

For the Specwar 762 the minimum barrel length it is rated for is 7” for 5.56, for .243, .308, and .30-06 the minimum barrel length is 12”, and for magnum calibers the minimum barrel length is 20”.

I have not shot either suppressor yet. I plan on using them to reduce hearing damage and recoil. During some of my visits to see my suppressors the Specwar is a tank and I barely notice the Harvester on the end of my Micro 7 Blackout.




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[vetman1]

I am considering 18" on both barrels. Any opinions on a .243 or a .30-06 with 18" barrel?


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[BullyDog]

Here in the deep south standard old 30-06's are used all day or shall I say for decades in the deer woods with barrels of 22in. With that said, the 243win. needs more barrel length to burn up that powder. The case volume to neck/cal. ratio is why. But, with that round also 22in. is standard in any old deer woods (out to 300yd. max.) type gun. All you need to do is calculate out the ballistics of these two, with your loads, and see what your lb./in.(pounds per square inch=energy) is. Jack O Conner and other well known professional hunters, past and present have agreed that 1,200 lb./in. is what is needed to efficiently (shock there organs) kill deer size game. 1,500 lb./in. on elk size game. So, sacrifice barrel length for better handling with a suppressor, at a length that you can efficiently obtain the energy within that range you plan to hunt. Terminal performance is all it is and do not forget bullet selection. Use bonded bullets for velocities impacting at around mid-two thousand ft./sec. or on quartering type shots. For low velocity impacts below 2000fps, use fragile type bullets(ballistic tips, standard none bonded bullets.) Remember the way the bullet expands is how you translate that velocity into kinetic energy. Just look up online at different types of bullets impacting at different velocities into ballistic gel. It will help wrap your mind around this. I learned about all this as a young teenager when reading magazines like Shooting Times. I think it was around '93 or something when Larry Simpson came out with the 7mmShooting Times Westerner in their magazine. Lol, then a few years later Remington offered it in the 700DM stainless steel model and I had to buy it. Still have it with less then a few hundred rounds down the pole. He also came out with the 7mmSTE(Shooting Times Eastener) and the 358STA (Shooting Times Alaskan.) Hope that will help a little.

 

[Donr13]

18-20''

 

[PatrickChewing]

18-20''

My vote as well.

 

[raider1v1]

was doing some interesting searching and found this. Burn rate and Barrel length - Shooters Forum

243 barrel length vs powder - Page 2 - Long Range Hunting Online Magazine

While perusing this forum I found a comment by Rocky Raab that seemed to debunk my assumtion that faster burn rate powders would perform best in shorter barrels(and vise versa) for a given cartridge. Upon some more searching I found this nugget from Unclenick that sums it up very nicely. It seemed like it should be brought out into the light a little more in a separate thread. The amount of knowledge shown here on this forum is amazing. Thanks to all those who take the time to share!

"On barrel length: Depending on the powder, in typical rifles peak pressure occurs when the bullet has moved somewhere between one and three inches down the bore. Just before reaching that peak, the initially ignited powder will switch over frôm progressive to digressive burning, at which time the remaining burning powder mass is around 20% or so. That number combines the tiny digressively burning pieces with the powder thrown forward with the bullet that never got started burning very well in the first place (the stuff that burns when you put a match to floor sweepings at an indoor range; not recommending you do that, btw—lead hazard). It burns in ever decreasing temperature and pressure, so it doesn't contribute much to velocity. Once the bullet has got maybe five or six inches down the barrel, you could stop burning the rest and would still get to about the same muzzle velocity as if you'd left it burning.

The result of the above is, until you get down to a barrel length under around five or six inches, the same powder that produces the most velocity in a long barrel will also produce the most velocity in a shorter barrel. Period. So, be clear that if you move to a faster powder for, say, a 16" as opposed to a 24" barrel, you are doing it to reduce muzzle blast and recoil. That can help accuracy, so it is often a good idea frôm that standpoint, but it will come with a velocity penalty."

 

[Hollywood 6mm]

You should be able to go 18" on the .243 if you desire, but I would go no shorter than 20" on the -06. That is purely from the aspect of potential wear or damage to the can, and not with any regard to ballistic performance.

 

[BullyDog]

I am considering 18" on both barrels. Any opinions on a .243 or a .30-06 with 18" barrel?


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I tell you what. Since the Harvester is a light, mid length can, if I were you I would go 18in. on the 06, and 22 on the 243., just off the top of my head, and keeping what I said earlier in mind. Use the 06 for tree stand brush type hunting and if you need something for higher velocity for any reason, you'll have a compromise with the 243win. The goal here is not to be tactical cool but to efficiently kill game. Don't worry about muzzle blast or recoil with the 06, the suppressor will eat it all up. I have an old Win. model 100 carbine, 308, semi auto with a 18in barrel that I love to carry in the deer woods that's a super pleasure to shoot. Were not talking but around 10-12gr. powder differents, plus I have no suppressor. You will be fine with muzzle blast, it will be like shooting a 30-30 or a 35rem. lever action. "Mark my word." As for length, you want be adding but 8 or so inches. Save that 243win. for your 3100fps gun, and you will be happy.

 

[tkp401119]

I don't have any experience with .243 or 30-06, but I have a 24" 308 Savage and a 16" 308 Remington 700. I use a 9" MK13-SD can at all times and the 16" gun makes it a LOT more practical. For 308, the extra barrel length doesn't make much of difference under 300 yards. I pretty much only shoot the 16" now.