Short barreled 30 06

[Goshawk]

Any body know how the 30 06 will do in a 20" barrel with factory loads? I have a model 70 with a 24" barrel that I like to shorten to make it alittle more compact but not sure about powder burn, etc. in a short barrel. Thanks

[BrownBear]

I've had two- an old Remington 760 pump carbine with an 18.5" barrel and a Ruger 77 Ultralight, which I believe had a 20" barrel. You will notice some extra noise, but you will need a chronograph to note any difference in velocity or trajectory. You should experience a loss of well under 100 fps with the 4" clip, and I wouldn't worry about it if the rifle is more convenient.

I dingled around with faster burning powders in my handloads, but the medium to slow varieties still gave better velocities than the faster ones, even if they were louder. With really slow powders, muzzle flash could be seen in the shade, not just early or late. I settled on 4895 behind a 180 in the Rem and 4320 behind a 165 in the M77.

[Goshawk]

Thanks for the info.

[Rufus]

22.5" barrel

I just got my M 70 30-06 back and had it cut to 22.5" from 24". I did not fire it yet but I could see that it will be more compact. I believe it to be a good move for me.

[Goshawk]

Maybe a 21 or 22" barrel will be a good compromise.

[Float Pilot]

I built an 18 inch barrel (one in ten twist) 30-06 Mannlicher style carbine on a 1950s FN military contract action.
My buddy John bought it immediately and we tried various loads for accuracy.

I only have a couople written in my handloading book since they were tack-drivers. Both shoot 3/4 inch groups from this little carbine.

1. 200 grain Speer Spitzer SP, WW Brass, 56.0 grains of 4831. Velocity was 2379 fps +/- 10fps.

2. 130 grain Speer SP. (he wanted to shoot little Sitka black-tail deer with this )
59.0 grains 4831. Velocity 2550 FPS.

Out of my 22 inch 30-06 the first load went 2595 fps. A loss of 216 feet from 22 to 18 inch barrels. About 54 feet per inch with that load.
That was not the powder I would havce used. But he had lots of it and it was pretty accurate.

[Rick]

short barreled 30/06

I have a 30/06 with a 20" barrel that I've used for 25 years.... In recent years I have used Federal High Energy ammo with Nosler 180 grain Partition bullets.... They are supposed to get 2880fps from a 24" barrel....In my 20" barrel they chronographed 2797fps (average for 5 rounds), or a "lose" of 83fps (21fps/inch)....A small price for the increased handling and utility.

[.338-06]

In the last issue of Rifle there's an article on this very topic. The bottom line seems to be that a 'tight' or 'loose' chamber has a bigger effect on velocity than cutting 4-6 inches off a gun.

[stevelyn]

I have a Ruger #1 RSI in .30-06 that has a 20" barrel on it. Moose don't seem to notice or appreciate any velocity loss from it. The compact size makes for a nearly perfect boat gun.

[imauspilot]

Tika T3??

Ok, this is a little off the subjuct but I have a Tika T3 in .338 Win Mag. and was wondering how this would do with a 20" barrel? I assume it would kick harder, but thats not an issue for me. How do you all think it would perform? Thanks

[BrownBear]

I think there's another thread, whether here or reloading, where Murphy talks not only about performance of a shorter-barreled 338, but also specific loads. Wish I could be more specfic, but as I recall he was really impressed.

[imauspilot]

.338 shorty

Brownbear, thanks for the reply. If you happen to remember the location of the other thread please let me know. Thanks again.
Mark

[BrownBear]

I found it. The title had nothing to do with 338, so it probably wouldn't show up in a search.

[AKJOB]

How about a 300 Winnie?

I'm thinking about doing the same with my model 70 300 win mag. It has a 26 inch barrel now, and I'd like to cut it down to 24 inches, it's just a little too long for my taste. Any idea how that would affect accuracy, velocity etc?

[barrowdave]

Short 30-06

I have a Ruger Ultra light in .30-06 with a 20 inch barrel. It has been my favorite rifle for the last 7 years. Of the 6 whitetails taken with it 5 have been dropped in their tracks and the sixth went 10 yards shot in the heart. I use Hornady 180 grain SP and love the combo!