Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

[mstennes]

I decided I'm gonna get a OBR, but I can't decide on smarten length. It's gonna be used for long range shooting, at our course here, we can shoot out easily to a mile, but for all intents and purposes it will be used from 600 yards to maybe 1200? What does the 18" give up to the 20" at longer ranges? Since it won't be used for anything other than target/match shooting plus long range varmiting I easily ruled out the 16".
Thanks

 

[bm11]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

Probably 30-50 fps difference. Run the numbers and see if it makes a difference for you.

 

[EXSOCAL]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

My input - you can always cut a 20" bbl to be an 18" bbl if you want shorter but you can't go the other route.

 

[nfoley]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

I would go with the 18". But I prefer shorter barrels on 308. I don't think the velocity difference between 18 and 20 will be much at all. I went more radical and bought a 14.5" barreled POF, but mostly cause it is gonna be suppressed soon (if gemtech ever decides to send my dealer the HVT).

 

[BCP]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

Get the 20".

edit: I have an 18" dpms barrel, best I can do with a 178 amax is 2530-2550 and that is loaded hotter than I would like. It's borderline at 1k, some supersonic but most not according to guy pulling my targets. It's dead on at 600 though. So if long range is your thing I would really get a 20" as you will want to be at or near 2600fps. That is about what factory match 175 ammo comes out of a factory 24" barrel at.

 

[pipeinspector]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

There is a good article in Sniper magazine this month about semi-auto vs. bolt guns for military sniping in the middle east. I can't remember the exact difference but I believe there was only about 175 fps between the 24" bolt gun and 16" OBR with mil-spec ammo. I guess it depends if you want to shoot flatter or have a rifle that is a little easier to pack around.

 

[pipeinspector]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

I too have been flirting with the idea of getting an OBR, does anyone know what kind of barrels they are using, I couldn't find that info on the LaRue website. I've heard they are very accurate rifles.

 

[Turk]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

http://www.lothar-walther.de/3.php

 

[bm11]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pipeinspector</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I too have been flirting with the idea of getting an OBR, does anyone know what kind of barrels they are using, I couldn't find that info on the LaRue website. I've heard they are very accurate rifles. </div></div>Lothar Walther LW 50 barrels.

 

[Turk]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

bm11, where are you getting the "50" from? Btw 11.25 twist poly rifling; not like HK's though. Some bolt guys like them; some would use them as tomato stakes!

 

[DPRoberts]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Turk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">bm11, where are you getting the "50" from? Btw 11.25 twist poly rifling; not like HK's though. Some bolt guys like them; some would use them as tomato stakes! </div></div>

LW 50 is the barrel steel I believe.

 

[Turk]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

Got it, thanks.
http://www.lothar-walther.de/397.php

 

[RockSteady]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

For the purposes you listed, I would go with the 20" If you were going to 3 gun it or shoot from cqb-~800 yards usually I would get the 18" but for designated long range, I would go 20"

Goodluck!

 

[ARsR4ME]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"

Never looked at LaRue guns before, what does the OBR stand for?

 

[RockSteady]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"

Optimized battle rifle

 

[TallShot]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"

For a semi; I'm a 16 or 20 kinda guy. Dont like the in-between.

If I were in your shoes; I'd go 20".

 

[Penguin81]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

I don't know about the 20", but I've got an 18" OBR which I've used to make hits out to 1400 yds using 175gr FGMM.

Just for thought, the class I was in also had a guy with a 16" KAC SR-25 EMC, which made repeated hits on the same target, so you're probably good any which way you go.

 

[jakhamr81]

Re: Gonna pul the trigger on a OBR, but 18" or 20"?

We had a chance to T&E a 16 inch OBR today that Mark sent us. I was very impressed with it. It seems to have a great balance. We shot it all the way out to 1,000 yards and only had to come up 35 moa. I don't see an advantage to having an extra 4 inches on the end of your barrel. I'm shooting an 18 inch AR10, and now I wish I had gone with a 16, or even a 14.5.