I have a Remington 700 SPS in 300 win mag. I'd like to enter some tactical shooting matches when I get proficient enough with it. It seems every tactical rifle I see has a heavy barrel on it. Am I ok to use a sporter barrel? The gun weights just over 8 lbs and I like the light weight so its also possible to carry for long periods of time. However am I at a disadvantage choosing not to go with a heavy barrel or is it more for the looks of the rifle?
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Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
- Thread starter natesfitness
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Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
In the I play you will probably burn that barrel up in no time
In the I play you will probably burn that barrel up in no time
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
Your rifle will make a great hunting stick but I think you would be very sorry if you entered a match using it. I would not enjoy firing a string of rounds considering the recoil you have. Then there is the barrel life issue-just like REM700MAN said- you will burn that barrel out in no time with high volume shooting. Hell- its not my shoulder or my rifle so have at it.
Your rifle will make a great hunting stick but I think you would be very sorry if you entered a match using it. I would not enjoy firing a string of rounds considering the recoil you have. Then there is the barrel life issue-just like REM700MAN said- you will burn that barrel out in no time with high volume shooting. Hell- its not my shoulder or my rifle so have at it.
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
That's to bad, hunting has never really interested me all that much. The recoil issue doesn't really bother me, my first few times out I was a little stiff after 20 or so but lately it seems like I can shoot all day long.
Is there any kind of precision shooting that I can try that are not such a high volume of shooting without giving the barrel enough time to cool? Or should I just shoot out the barrel and spin on a heavy?
That's to bad, hunting has never really interested me all that much. The recoil issue doesn't really bother me, my first few times out I was a little stiff after 20 or so but lately it seems like I can shoot all day long.
Is there any kind of precision shooting that I can try that are not such a high volume of shooting without giving the barrel enough time to cool? Or should I just shoot out the barrel and spin on a heavy?
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
.300wm are a blowtorch
.300wm got brutal recoil....hence the need for a good brake
.300wm in a skinny barrel will walk as it heats up and change POI
if you want to play the tactical sniper shooting game.....get a .308....one can learn a lot from a .308
.300wm are a blowtorch
.300wm got brutal recoil....hence the need for a good brake
.300wm in a skinny barrel will walk as it heats up and change POI
if you want to play the tactical sniper shooting game.....get a .308....one can learn a lot from a .308
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
Here's a possible solution,
I don't know if you reload or not?If you do then you can try a reduced load.Some 155.5 Berger Palma's going along at 3100fps or so would give reasonable recoil levels and have good ballistics for tactical matches.
Steve
Here's a possible solution,
I don't know if you reload or not?If you do then you can try a reduced load.Some 155.5 Berger Palma's going along at 3100fps or so would give reasonable recoil levels and have good ballistics for tactical matches.
Steve
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
Thanks Steve, I don't reload at the moment but am picking up a starter kit this week. I do have another question, how long of a string of shots can I get away with that are accurate and not damaging to the barrel with my current set up?
Thanks Steve, I don't reload at the moment but am picking up a starter kit this week. I do have another question, how long of a string of shots can I get away with that are accurate and not damaging to the barrel with my current set up?
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: natesfitness</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks Steve, I don't reload at the moment but am picking up a starter kit this week. I do have another question, how long of a string of shots can I get away with that are accurate and not damaging to the barrel with my current set up?</div></div>
you don't get it......its prolly best to take up airsoft and put away the .300wm,,,, till you realize that you fucked up,.... it ain't work out like you think
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: natesfitness</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks Steve, I don't reload at the moment but am picking up a starter kit this week. I do have another question, how long of a string of shots can I get away with that are accurate and not damaging to the barrel with my current set up?</div></div>
you don't get it......its prolly best to take up airsoft and put away the .300wm,,,, till you realize that you fucked up,.... it ain't work out like you think
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
Well, the deck is probably stacked against it, but it <span style="font-style: italic">is</span> possible to make a sporter weight barrel shoot well. With some attention to loads and possibly a pressure pad at the end of the barrel channel, it can also be possible to manage POI migration when the barrel gets hot.
Please note that the addition of a pressure pad will almost certainly require redeveloping the load, as harmonics are significantly altered.
Hot barrels and long strings of fire are a LOT harder on barrel throats, but honestly, they are just as hard on a heavy barrel as a lighter one, and the lighter barrel usually cools off quicker afterward. There's just no getting away from the fact that rapid fire strings are hard on barrels, and lighter weight barrels have less mass to absorb the heat, so they definitely get hotter.
My advice with the handloading is that handloading allows for downloading, and the .300WM can also be loaded like a .30-'06 or .308, and the extra room in the boiler can sometimes help ease the load on the throat. Downloading with slower powders is a nono. Stick with loads that are designed for the smaller chamberings, a rifle that shoots like a .308 or .30-'06 is definitely no handicap, and it just may make the whole process less stressful on both you and the rifle. If you can get the 155 up to Palma velocities, that's a reasonable goal.
If there's any real handicap here, it's not the barrel weight, but rather, the barrel length. Palmas like longer barrels, but that's because they are limited to the .308's case capacity. You don't have that problem, and it's quite possible you can reach your goal without resorting to a full-power .300WM load. Just make sure that when you're downloading you're doing it with powders at the faster end of the burn rate spectrum.
I'm doing something similar with a very light weight .30-'06, which can sometimes be loaded to .300WM performance levels. That's with heavy bullets and stout loads of slower powders. I choose to explore the other end of the spectrum, and sometimes we can make such things work somewhat satisfactorily as well. 150's and 165/168's shoot very nicely, and without a major recoil penalty.
Just remember, I'm just another guy with an idea or two, and that's definitely not something to bet the farm on. I'm not trying to contradict the common viewpoint, I'm simply trying to complement it. That common viewpoint has a lot better odds of being correct, I'm just not your average shooter. My Wife keeps a frypan dedicated for beating sense into my noggin...
Greg
Well, the deck is probably stacked against it, but it <span style="font-style: italic">is</span> possible to make a sporter weight barrel shoot well. With some attention to loads and possibly a pressure pad at the end of the barrel channel, it can also be possible to manage POI migration when the barrel gets hot.
Please note that the addition of a pressure pad will almost certainly require redeveloping the load, as harmonics are significantly altered.
Hot barrels and long strings of fire are a LOT harder on barrel throats, but honestly, they are just as hard on a heavy barrel as a lighter one, and the lighter barrel usually cools off quicker afterward. There's just no getting away from the fact that rapid fire strings are hard on barrels, and lighter weight barrels have less mass to absorb the heat, so they definitely get hotter.
My advice with the handloading is that handloading allows for downloading, and the .300WM can also be loaded like a .30-'06 or .308, and the extra room in the boiler can sometimes help ease the load on the throat. Downloading with slower powders is a nono. Stick with loads that are designed for the smaller chamberings, a rifle that shoots like a .308 or .30-'06 is definitely no handicap, and it just may make the whole process less stressful on both you and the rifle. If you can get the 155 up to Palma velocities, that's a reasonable goal.
If there's any real handicap here, it's not the barrel weight, but rather, the barrel length. Palmas like longer barrels, but that's because they are limited to the .308's case capacity. You don't have that problem, and it's quite possible you can reach your goal without resorting to a full-power .300WM load. Just make sure that when you're downloading you're doing it with powders at the faster end of the burn rate spectrum.
I'm doing something similar with a very light weight .30-'06, which can sometimes be loaded to .300WM performance levels. That's with heavy bullets and stout loads of slower powders. I choose to explore the other end of the spectrum, and sometimes we can make such things work somewhat satisfactorily as well. 150's and 165/168's shoot very nicely, and without a major recoil penalty.
Just remember, I'm just another guy with an idea or two, and that's definitely not something to bet the farm on. I'm not trying to contradict the common viewpoint, I'm simply trying to complement it. That common viewpoint has a lot better odds of being correct, I'm just not your average shooter. My Wife keeps a frypan dedicated for beating sense into my noggin...
Greg
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
I was wondering how the light barrel would burn out sonner as well
blackwidow on the hide shoots a 300WBY sporter out to 1111 yards...repeatablely.....so you are able to shoot a match as well...he gets his barrel hotter than fuck slamming 87grs...give or take...memory is bad.....but his POI seem to hold acuratly for the first 15-20 shots....then it is time to cool down, but at that range across a valley is it the heating up or the wind that is messing the POI? That was with handloads and factory loads, factory stock, trigger and bottom metal....basicly the $399 rifle with a good optics platform.....he should chime in pretty soon......worst case try a match and see what happens....if your POI changes I am sure that no one there will be willing to help you out and figure out the problem......if they are anything like the people on the hide they might be dicks at first
then they will be more than willing to help because it always comes back around!
I was wondering how the light barrel would burn out sonner as well
blackwidow on the hide shoots a 300WBY sporter out to 1111 yards...repeatablely.....so you are able to shoot a match as well...he gets his barrel hotter than fuck slamming 87grs...give or take...memory is bad.....but his POI seem to hold acuratly for the first 15-20 shots....then it is time to cool down, but at that range across a valley is it the heating up or the wind that is messing the POI? That was with handloads and factory loads, factory stock, trigger and bottom metal....basicly the $399 rifle with a good optics platform.....he should chime in pretty soon......worst case try a match and see what happens....if your POI changes I am sure that no one there will be willing to help you out and figure out the problem......if they are anything like the people on the hide they might be dicks at first
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
Nate,
I'm no expert to start off with but the few tactical matches I've attended have an average of 5-6 shots per course of fire.The longest string I think was 11 shots.By the time it's your turn to shoot the next COF your barrel will be cool again.If you use a reduced load then IMO,POI shouldn't be to much of an issue on shorter strings.When you get your reloading kit you can experiment with the barrel heat/POI changes then and determine how many shots it takes to effect POI.
There is of course better choices in chamberings for tactical matches but don't let that hold you back.The whole tactical match shooting arena is a alot of fun and huge learning curve.You're going to make many mistakes(as we all do)but that's part of the whole experience.Learning from your mistakes and overcoming them.If your 300wm is the only rifle you can use then go have fun with it!
Steve
Nate,
I'm no expert to start off with but the few tactical matches I've attended have an average of 5-6 shots per course of fire.The longest string I think was 11 shots.By the time it's your turn to shoot the next COF your barrel will be cool again.If you use a reduced load then IMO,POI shouldn't be to much of an issue on shorter strings.When you get your reloading kit you can experiment with the barrel heat/POI changes then and determine how many shots it takes to effect POI.
There is of course better choices in chamberings for tactical matches but don't let that hold you back.The whole tactical match shooting arena is a alot of fun and huge learning curve.You're going to make many mistakes(as we all do)but that's part of the whole experience.Learning from your mistakes and overcoming them.If your 300wm is the only rifle you can use then go have fun with it!
Steve
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
the only problem that i run into with the beast weatherby is after i have fired 50-75 rds the groups open up but that is with a super full power load. 180 gr e-tip at 3320 out of a 24" tube of a vanguard. i am changing my load to a heavier match bullet and shoot until the tube is gone and spin on a match heavy. if i were you try the match but bring a cleaning kit to clean the rifle after 40-50 rds. it took 30min give or take to cool my tube after 10 rds in 2-3 minutes. good luck
the only problem that i run into with the beast weatherby is after i have fired 50-75 rds the groups open up but that is with a super full power load. 180 gr e-tip at 3320 out of a 24" tube of a vanguard. i am changing my load to a heavier match bullet and shoot until the tube is gone and spin on a match heavy. if i were you try the match but bring a cleaning kit to clean the rifle after 40-50 rds. it took 30min give or take to cool my tube after 10 rds in 2-3 minutes. good luck
Re: Sporter barrel on a tactical rifle?
Thanks some great replies here. I was at the range today and shot off some strings of 5 or so and the heat wasn't too bad, I could hold onto the barrel, after that though it got a little hot to touch. I'm still going to do a tactical comp when one comes into the southern ontario area.
Thanks some great replies here. I was at the range today and shot off some strings of 5 or so and the heat wasn't too bad, I could hold onto the barrel, after that though it got a little hot to touch. I'm still going to do a tactical comp when one comes into the southern ontario area.
