I am considering custom barrels for two of my hunting rifles. Both Remington 700's, one 7mag and one 338 win mag.

I know longer barrels do not determine accuracy, but I dont want them so short the loads get too finicky, or velocity starts falling off too much. Could I get away with 22" on either one of them? They are 24" now .. I could deal with that, just would like shorter if possible.

.... anyone have experiences with these calibers and shorter barrels? Or know what a practical "shorter" length would be?

I have a 338 with 22" barrel that I use for mixed terrain and haven't noticed enough difference to worry about at the distances I hunt with that particular rifle, inside of 250 yards. It does handle somewhat better though, and I have been pleased with the results.

The 7mm RM would probably notice more of a difference. At 22" I would probably opt for a 280 Rem. unless I was going to use heavier bullets such as 175 grains.

My own 338's have been as short as 22" and I think even 21" would be fine. However, with a 7mm RM I wouldn't go less than 24"...

I have 24" barrels on my .338 Win. Mag. and 7mm Rem. Mag. rifles. I don't like them any shorter or any longer than that. You couldn't pay me enough to haul a rifle around with a 26" barrel ever again.

You can get by with a shorter barrel in .338 Win. if you want to and still get full velocity, although this phenomenon is sometimes a matter of individual barrel characterisitcs. Brad likes 22" barrels and has had good results with that length, and I have other friends with 23" barrels on their .338s, and they've used them well for years. One thing's generally true: The .338 Win. Mag. is just about the only belted magnum cartridge that can deliver full velocity with a barrel of less than 24" in length.

One advantage to the longer barrel, and this is the main reason I have a 24" tube on my .338, is that muzzle blast is noticably less with that length, and I've lost too much hearing from gun blasts already.

The 7mm Rem. Mag. really needs 24" if you expect it to live up to its potential.

AD

I agree with AD on the 7mm Remington mag 24†– I own 3 Custom Win’s Pre 64 in the .338 cal - barrels - 24†– 22†- 21†I like the one with 21†barrel the best – Which coincidently, shoots more accurate than the other 2.

Roland

I had my Ruger 77 in 7 RM rebarreled at 25 in vel. is 3300 w/140gr and 3200 w/ 154 gr. I wouldn't go less than 24" on your rifle as the above good advise states.

quote:

Could I get away with 22" on either one of them?

Absolutely.....both have enough power to spare and the small loss of a very little velocity is nothing.....get the barrel length you like to hunt with and forget the velocity and accuracy issues.....it's nothing in the long run but having the gun you like is everything.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Could I get away with 22" on either one of them?

Absolutely.....both have enough power to spare and the small loss of a very little velocity is nothing.

Yes, but you will get more muzzle blast from the shorter barrel. That may or may not matter to you. If you shoot from a benchrest a lot and there are other shooters near you, they will definitely appreciate the lower muzzle blast.

There are a number of folks on this board with 22" 375 H&H's, and they seem to love it. The bigger the bore - for a given case - the better your chances of good results cutting the barrel down. It has to do with expansion ratio, or the volume of the barrel vs the powder being burned. The 7 Rem and the 338 Win use about the same amount of powder, but the 338 has much more space in which to burn the powder, inch for inch.
Myself, I think (assuming I had plenty of rifles to start specializing like this) a 338 with a 20" bbl would be sweet. Yes, you'd lose about 100-125fps from factory velocities, but that round can spare it. That said, I'd actually give it a .375" hole, but that's for another thread.

My personal opinion, having shot neither, is a 26" on the 7mmRemMag and 24" on the 338WM. In my eyes the 7mm is not something carried in the deepest thickets, it's designed to reach out so give it every inch of barrel it needs to do that. The above reasoning has me currently rebarreling an 8mmRemMag with a 26" tube. The 338WM should be fine with a 22" tube but I prefer longer barrels. Maybe if your not attaching front sights then keep your barrels longer and trim later if it suits.
Cheers...
Con

I have a 7mm Rem Mag that I trimmed the barrel to 22", and I regret that decision. A 338 wouldn't bother me as bad, different use for that rifle and caliber. The 7mm is really designed for longe range shooting. Cutting the barrel back gives you a 280 Rem that holds one less in the magazine, and recoils more. Plus the ammo is heavier and you have more muzzle blast.

Not worth it in my opinion

I'd go with a 24 to 26 inch barrel...they shoot better off hand and and a couple of inches of barrel has little to do with anything except in someones mind...A little something our forefathers knew and most African still know...24 is a good compromise but I still have mostly 26 inch guns or my bigger rifles...

I'm kind of a split the diff. guy. On the big bores & 08/06 based carts. I like 23"bbls. On the fast 7s & 30s, a 25" bbl. is a good compromise. Ray has been carrying heavy rifles for about a century now & his arms have streched long enough to handle those 26" tubes!

I like the 26 inch barrel on my 700 BDL 338 WM. I would not own a 7 mag (too ineffecient) chosing the modern 7x57 instead with a 22 inch barrel.

My 7mm Magnum has a 26" barrel, my .338 has a 24" barrel. The older I get and shorter a certain part of my body gets, the longer I like the barrels on my rifles! I try to balance bore size with the amount of powder being burned. Is the powder being consumed in the barrel, giving me the best ballistic or am I providing everyone with early hearing loss and retina burns.

I agree with Con. The 7mm mag is not intended for short shots in the thick stuff. I am no expert, but I think you need the 26 inch barrel to maximize the effectiveness of the cartridge. JMHO. I know nothing about .338's but it sounds like a 22 or 24 inch barrel would be fine.

I have an older Rem. 700BDL in 7mm Rem. Mag. that has a 24" barrel on it, and that has always seemed ideal to me. I don't really see the benefit of anything either shorter or longer. I can't speak of the .338 having no desire to ultimately become a spastic cripple. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal