How much performance loss can be expected from a 22 vs 24 inch barrel in a 338 Win? I have a M700 magnum action that needs a new barrel and I was thinking of having a 22 inch barrel put on...I have a 308 with a 22 inch barrel and really like the feel of it. Would faster powders help?

Thanks
Jeff

Well, based on conventional thinking or wisdom, you could expect to loose 30-50 feet per second for each inch of barrel you cut off.

However, it sometimes just does not work that way.
Rick Jamison once did a great article on shortening the barrel on a 375 H&H and not hardly loosing any velocity.

It depends a lot on the bore diameter versus the case capacity. On a 300 Weatherby or Ultra Mag, I would expect to loose a lot, on a .338 Win Mag, maybe not.

I CAN tell you that I owned a Ruger Number One chambered in .338 Win Mag, it had a 26 inch barrel. When Remington came out with the 700 Classic chambered for .338 Win Mag, I had to have one. It has a 24 inch barrel and I was wondering how much velocity I would loose. The chronograph told me I did not loose any. The velocities between those two guns was vitually identical with the loads I tested.

In regard to using faster burning powders, check out some of the articles in the old Speer manuals.
They concluded that the best powders in any given cartridge remained the best powders regardless of the barrel length used.

Having said all this, if you like a 22 inch barrel on your hunting rifles, go for it. It is not likely you will ever tell the difference in the loss of velocity, but you seem to like the handier shorter barrel quite a bit.

R F

A while back I cut 3 inches (26 to 23) on a 257 Wby- I had a total loss of 90 fps.

So I'd be for figuring about 30 fps per inch, or in your case a total of 60 fps big deal!

I have cut most all of my magnums over the years to either 25" or to 23". I've had a number of 340's at both lengths and for the life of me cannot tell the difference.

So if it floats your boat get it cut.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

also I have a good buddy of mine a elk hunter for sure that cuts all his 338's to 22". Now if I could only get him to cut em to 23" then he would kill soome even bigger bulls-grins.

[ 07-13-2002, 00:53: Message edited by: Mark R Dobrenski ]

JAB,
I'll point out that you are comparing apples to oranges here.
I assume that the .308 is a short action with a 22 inch barrel.
The action on the .338 will be longer to begin with and if your goal is to have the same overall length as the .308, you might be looking at an 18 inch barrel.
That would result in a drastic decrease in velocity.
That aside, as others have said, going from 24 to 22 isn't that much of a decrease. Changing powders can help a little or you can move to a lighter weight premium bullet to compensate.