looking for advice. can anyone shed light on the proper length barrel for the 7mm/08.

There is no proper length barrel....it's all a matter of personal taste.

Personally I'd like a 20-22" barrel on this cartridge.....but that's simply my preference.....you may like a 26" barrel and that's what you should get!

23" sounds about right to me. But like vapodog said, length depends on your preference and the terrain you hunt.

I had a Remington CDL with a 24" but I think a 22" is just the ticket for this great cartridge.
You will really enjoy it, and it probably won't be your last.

Have fun!

I put a 23" tube on my custom rem 600, but that was more for balance.

quote:

Originally posted by acsteele:
I had a Remington CDL with a 24" but I think a 22" is just the ticket for this great cartridge.
You will really enjoy it, and it probably won't be your last.

Have fun!

This is a great caliber. My model seven has an 18" bbl and my Blaser R93 has a 22". My son has confiscated my model seven so the R93 is my go-to gun.

I like the balance of a 23-24 in. barrel on most any rifle. I am not a light rifle nut, would rather have one that holds well offhand.

Sam,
I agree with Vapodog on your preference and location of hunting would dictate your barrel length. I have a Rem Model 7 with an 18.5 inch barrel. No factory ammo ever shot well in this rifle neither hand loaded Sierra boat tail bullets that I gave up fussing with last week. “No complaint about Sierra bullets†But I just attained a 1†group from Hornady 139 grain Interlock # 2820, this is good for this gun. Maybe the short tapered barrel has a NY attitude…sigh

This is my light weight fast handling hike far into the woods NY/PA ridge runner deer popper. Never the less I plan on buying a NEW 7mm08 next year and have just recently handled both the Model 70 feather weight that Vapodag just purchased and a Kimber Montana. I prefer the SS barrel synthetic stocked Kimber but the feather weight would suit me fine if they equip it with a SS barrel by then. The Kimber has a 22 inch barrel and over all is lighter than my M-7. “Important to meâ€

If I were in the open country - long range shooting States I might opt for a 24 to 26 pipe if hunting consists of getting out and laying it over my truck hood for the shot…..
Not to say that’s how they all do it out there, but I need to leave weight room for my Chicken Cutlet Parmesan hero’s, grunter, soda, candy, nuts, tp, gps, gum, rope, deer drag, beer, compass, scent, cell phone,…on and on.. …lol



vg

My 7mm08 wears a 19.5" tube and is up to 300fps down on book velocities. I went into it with my eyes open (I didn't really believe the speer books assertion that moving from 24" to 18.5" would lose only 80-140fps) but still 300fps lost is a bit much.

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
My 7mm08 wears a 19.5" tube and is up to 300fps down on book velocities. I went into it with my eyes open (I didn't really believe the speer books assertion that moving from 24" to 18.5" would lose only 80-140fps) but still 300fps lost is a bit much.

This is surprising.....is the loss measured with factory ammo?

Had 2 different 700 Rems, chopped to 21", both ran 139-140s at 2900-2960 w/Varget. A 20" Model 70 Syn/matte ran 2850.

Those are good speeds, barrels vary, but loads do as well depending on powder, or if one is using factory ammo.

I'd be content with a 20-21 for a compact, but if I built one, I'd go 23", same as my old 6.5/308 and it worked/fit me very well. If you want max speeds and like muzzle heavy, a longer bbl can give you that, but handling might suffer which may/may not affect one depending on hunting style.

I'd look for 30-35fps loss per inch-based on what I have seen.

quote:

I'd look for 30-35fps loss per inch-based on what I have seen.

You might be very right here....

Actually the shorter the barrel gets the more per inch the velocity loss is.....cutting a 26" barrel to 24" might only loose 15-20 FPS per inch but cutting it again from 24" to 22" might result in a loss of 25-30 FPS per inch and cutting it again to 20" might result in a 35-40 fps loss per inch.....eventually we cut from 12" to 10" and the loss could be over 150 FPS per inch....or in other wrds the velocity loss is not linear (continuous).....it's more exponential based on the physics of the functions.

Some rifles , just have slow barrels.
No matter the length. In a 7mm08, I would go with nothing longer than 22".
In my opinion, the advantage of a short action cartridge , is quick handeling & light weight.
If you plan to use it in the west , open country , I recomend a long action cartridge and a 24 inch tube.
I am one of the few shooters I know who has had bad luck with the 7mm08.
I had a A-bolt micro hunter , that was a decent but not stealler preformer.
also a Model 7 that was about the same.
However I have had grea luck with the .308 so that is the cartridge I choose now.
...tj3006

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
My 7mm08 wears a 19.5" tube and is up to 300fps down on book velocities. I went into it with my eyes open (I didn't really believe the speer books assertion that moving from 24" to 18.5" would lose only 80-140fps) but still 300fps lost is a bit much.

This is surprising.....is the loss measured with factory ammo?

Nope - handloads. Never tried it with the full 24" so I'm not talking actual loss to this rifle rather loss compared to hand loading claimed velocities.

So max loads of H4350 and 140gr partition yield 2,650fps, max loads of RL19 and 139gr hornady btsp give 2,600fps, max loads of N150 and speer 130gr give 2,750fps, max loads of H4895 and 120gr BT give 2,800fps and max loads of varget and 120gr BT give 2,850fps. I can't complain all go into tiny groups but I've never believed this 30fps per inch figure. Both 243s I've had shortened have also been much more affected.

1894, I had a 20" 243 Ruger #1, it suffered on speed, but shot fast enough, 3100/85x did a hog at 240 yds, DOA....heck my 6BR did 3000/95gr but it had a 26" tube, larger bores need less length.

Vapo makes a good point, and I actually almost added in my message above, 30-35 fps "assuming say 26-20", an 'average' as I have played with enough bbls to know 20-24" how they vary....also every bbl is different, some slow, some fast, tight/loose bores and chambers, etc....I do believe larger bores are affected less from bbl to bbl but that is my gut theory, heard to many variations from gun to gun in say a 270 than 30/06. Tests have proven it such as one done long ago by Ed Matunas. Factory guns used.

As to TJ, short bbl goes well with short action true, remember a short 22.5 is close to a long action 22. I think it's splitting hairs but I always felt 24 a tad long for me w/handling, but a 22-23 feels right for an all arounder...the longer the less blast and further from ears so that I will take, along with any minute difference in speed.

My favorite custom and chopped lengths have been 21" on 7BR and 7/08s, 22.5 on a chopped 338 mag, 23 on custom bbl 338/06, 6.5/308, though my 20" 260s I felt suffered in speed more than I wanted...always would build a custom 6.5 in 23", unless I wanted a carbine in a short action, and it would be 21-22, if not a smallish 6.5 like grendel/BR=then I'd go even down to 19-20 due to powder burn/efficiency and blast as well.

All personal preference but I typically do not want a 24-26 unless it has a magnum chambering (not fond of usually) i.e. 264 mag, or a varmint set up for steadiness, max speed, and blast reduction. Handling goes out the window if toting alot, going thru brush, out a deer blind window, or even a truck window on varmint shoots...which is why I chopped a 26" VLS 223 down to 22.5" finally, being miserable in the handling of the longer tube, and wondered WHY on earth I never chopped it earlier, day 1...still shot 3400 fps w/50gr and 2015BR.

708s don't need a long tube pure and simple to perform, not unless you are milking them for 600-800 yds and further shooting IMHO.

Handling and blast are more important to me than pure velocity assuming w/in reason, so I try striking a happy medium in those areas, shorter tubes Do often get stiffer and more accurate for a given diameter so no harm there....usually. No absolutes....

I'll let you know how long the barrel is on the new Winchester Model 70 Featherweight I ordered as soon as it arrives. That will be the perfect length.

quote:

Originally posted by sam184:
looking for advice. can anyone shed light on the proper length barrel for the 7mm/08.

What barrel length do I like and recommend in 7mm-08? 22 inches.
In a single shot 24 is ok.

I would lean towards a the 22". Just about right to me for some reason.

But like many have stated, it truly is a personal preference.

Most rifles in 7-08 come w/ a 22"bbl. I would be fine w/ that but if making one up, I would go 23" just because I like that length.

I have a 20" M7 Rem. and a 24" M700 Rem. in 7-08. With my 140 gr. hunting loads there is only about 60 fps difference - go figure. Some rifles just seem to be faster than others. I have a 24" 270 that I can't get 130 gr. bullets past about 2950 fps, I guess this is one of those slow ones. We all know 100 fps or so really doesn't make any difference........

with it being a short action, i like mine in a 24" i'm shooting about 2940 fps. with a 140. in my rem.700 s.s.

Sam - This is all in fun, so please don't get exercised with me for the following response:


The one and only perfect length for a 7 m/m-08 barrel is 22.097466171" long. ANYTHING else will be a disaster!!

Most folk will also tell you that their gunsmith can duplicate that perfect length exactly, snd that one who can't (or won't) is incompetent and you'd be better off hacksawing it off yourself.

There, you now have the eternal secret. Now when you have found a gunsmith who will work to that stated preference without a BIG smile (and a bit of head-shaking), have sent in and received back your completed rifle, you're in good shape.

IF you ever miss, or hit but fail to kill instantly, you'll know why, and have the perfect explanation. No need to look further. Your gunsmith screwed up!! The length is not exactly what you ordered and paid for.

Believe me this works. My shooting buddies and I discover & use those kinds of alibis for OUR mess-ups all the time!!

Seriously....go with whatever length you like to carry, and enjoy. It's a great general purpose hunting round. Your personal choice will be the right length for you.