how short can i go?

bburke1989

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Minuteman
Nov 12, 2012
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garland, tx
I have just purchased a thunderbeast 30ba and was looking for a hunting rifle to attach it to. i was thinking of buying a r700 and chopping it down to 16 inches for a really short brush gun? after talking to my brother which has been on this site for awhile he says that will be pushing a 308 too slow. what say you all? by the way hello! been looking for a year or more, decided to many questions i need to ask so i signed up.
 
Re: how short can i go?

How far do you plan to shoot? I'd say 16" limits it to a 500-600 yard gun realistically, 18" maybe 600-800 yards. Some will say you can get to 1k with an 18" 308, but that doesn't mean you're doing it well.

Go 18" imho, it's a good mix of length and handiness.
 
Re: how short can i go?

I will be hunting with it in east texas woods which is really think, maybe 300 yards at most, but trying to take down pigs and deer. maybe going to the 500 yard range with my brother if i can shoot that far(skill not ability). farthest i have shot was 500 with 284 rifle my brother had built.
 
Re: how short can i go?

How far to do plan on engaging game at? For most hunting engagements 0-300yds a 16" should be fine. It's only when you get out passed 600 or so yard where the loss in velocity will be a problem, although, if you watch the Magpul Precision rifle DVD they'll have you believing you can shoot it at a mile...
 
Re: how short can i go?

no way i can shoot past 500. just dont have the ability yet. sorry, still a beginer. but i do have a brother than can teach me. he has a rifle and building another than can shoot that far and has the ability. realistic shots maybe 200 at most.
 
Re: how short can i go?

does anybody have a picture of a 16 inch bolt gun and suppressor? i have been thinking i want the manners new folder but i dont know if that will make it too heavy. bottom metal is not a worry for me since follow up shots are neer impossible as thick as our woods are. to get an idea look at my brothers video thread named My hunting area in the hunting section. thnk you
 
Re: how short can i go?

16 inches of barrel, plus 9 inches for the suppressor puts you at 25 inches. That isn't all that compact. The 16 inch barrel is just fine for what you wish to do with it. You already bought the suppressor, but maybe a quik detach from Surefire might have been the way to go. Just a thought. There is a post already on here with picks of 16 and 18 inch barreled rifles. Here you go.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2378062#Post2378062
 
Re: how short can i go?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bburke1989</div><div class="ubbcode-body">no way i can shoot past 500. just dont have the ability yet. sorry, still a beginer. but i do have a brother than can teach me. he has a rifle and building another than can shoot that far and has the ability. realistic shots maybe 200 at most. </div></div>

dont count yourself short. shooting is shooting as long as you follow the basic fundamentals and account for wind. wind is always a bitch lol
 
Re: how short can i go?

Here is a .308 with 18.5 in barrel.
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Re: how short can i go?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ColdBoreMiracle</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Cart before the horse?
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Been trying to talk him into getting a rifle so he can shoot with me and it hasn't worked yet, but I did talk him into getting the cans, He wanted an osprey so it was gonna be easier to do two at once then have two wait to separate times, Getting the rifle is easier than getting the can.

Walter
 
Re: how short can i go?

I don't think he went wrong with the 30BA, that is a sweet can from what I read. 'm in the same boat on an 18 inch .308 - thinking of chopping it again but I don't have it in hand yet.
 
Re: how short can i go?

thanks for all over your opinions. i have been debating between that and a pof 308 but, unlike my rich ass brother i have a house and bills like anyone else and cant get myself to spend 3 grand on a pof. but its soo badass. i just want a compact accurate weapon that i can run suppressed at our cabin.
 
Re: how short can i go?

If you ever plan on doing long range shooting. It doesn't matter how long your barrel is... It's the muzzle velocity, type of bullets, and the scope you're shooting. If your shooting a bullet that stays stable when going trans-sonic at a decent velocity and your scope allows for the adjustment your good. I'm shooting 178gr hpbt at 2650fps out of my 18.5" 308ar and i'm staying super sonic at 1200yds. I think you'll be good with 16".
 
Re: how short can i go?

I shoot a .308 with a 13.5" barrel on my scar17 and have put down many animals out to 300 yards (laser range finder), although that was pushing it big time. With a bolt gun at 16", i do not see why you couldn't reach it out to 400+ easily and accurately..but that will come down to your personal skill level, a battle rifle is completely different and not as accurate as a bolt gun. Every one of my buddies who shoot precision rifles would never go under a 20" barrel. Thats plenty short. but what do i know..:)

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Re: how short can i go?

2 inches isn't going to make it much more handy in the Tx brush nor much lighter. As a hunter who hates to loose chances on long sought game I would keep the 2 inches for when you have gained the confidence to poke around 600 yds. If you hate 18 then you can always cut, thread and crown to 16 later.
 
Re: how short can i go?

i appriciate all of the info. and out at our cabin there is only one spot i can set up to shoot past 200 and have to use my neighbors propertyfor the shot. would i be ruining a brand new tikka if i cut it up? or should i jump on one of the black friday remingtons from dicks?
 
Re: how short can i go?

No, you would be fine with the Tikka as long as you send it to a decent smith for the job. Think the Tikka T3 Lite is listed on Buds for under $500 right now. Hard to beat that price.
 
Re: how short can i go?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jasonk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How far do you plan to shoot? I'd say 16" limits it to a 500-600 yard gun realistically, 18" maybe 600-800 yards. Some will say you can get to 1k with an 18" 308, but that doesn't mean you're doing it well.

Go 18" imho, it's a good mix of length and handiness. </div></div>

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Frank might disagree with that. With the right ammo and shooter, anything is possible.
18.5" on a 308 seems to be the cats ass for a short, handy rifle. I ran a Gladius for a while then moved on to flatter calibers.
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Re: how short can i go?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: STR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">16 inches of barrel, plus 9 inches for the suppressor puts you at 25 inches. That isn't all that compact. The 16 inch barrel is just fine for what you wish to do with it. You already bought the suppressor, but maybe a quik detach from Surefire might have been the way to go. Just a thought. There is a post already on here with picks of 16 and 18 inch barreled rifles. Here you go.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2378062#Post2378062 </div></div>

He's got the 30BA, which has a nice repeatable attachment to a brake mounted on the gun.