The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Ideal barrel lengths, 308 and 35 WhelenGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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What do you think the ideal barrel lenghts are for both 308 and 35 Whelen. I picked up a couple of gunsmith unfinished projects both are 24-47 Mausers, both have fairly heavy 24 inch barrels. They look like a 5 contour. I know the 308 wouldn't be hurt at 22 or even 20 inches but what about the Whelen? These will be strictly utilitarian guns nothing fancy. They will have Bold triggers one piece scope mounts that came with them. I need a stock for the 308. Which of the less expensive stocks would you suggest? I know they are not the most desirable actions but the price was deffinitely right. | ||
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usually it's considered 10 to 20 FPS per inch of barrel change from factory load data. So chopping back a 24 to 20 of 22 would not mater much. Try Richard's Microfit stocks good stuff better prices. And for a few buck you can make then look like a real rifle. www.KLStottlemyer.com Deport the Homeless and Give the Illegals citizenship. AT LEAST THE ILLEGALS WILL WORK | |||
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ideal for what? hunting, as short as you can stand, a 308 needs 19" or more per jeff cooper. a 35 whelen would seem to need more to me, I would not go less than 22. a richards laminate would be a nice stock. | |||
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I have hunted and killed game with 308's with barrels from 18" to 26". I really like them around 18 to 20" for all but LONG range antelope hunting. I have killed javellina at 412 yards, lazered, with a 19 3/4" bbled 308. I had a 350 Rem Mag with a 20" barrel and liked it. Also my favorite 375 H&H's have had barrels at 20" and 19 3/4". Oh, I like long barrels too my primary elephant cape buff gun has 28" barrels. So ballistically I do not think it matters much. Just build the rifles the way you like. If you hunt in the thick, in blinds, in and out of a vehicle, or on an ATV, then short barrels are very handy. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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For the 35 whelen i would think that 22-24 in should be ok.Can't say about the 308.Good Luck | |||
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My 35 whelen AI has a 26" tube on it, and I really love the way it balances. I'm not sure why everybody hates long barrels so much, I don't find it to be a hassle hunting, and I hunt in the sierras which aren't the most open and easy hunting. the thing I find most inconvenient about rifles is weight. I say go 26" you can cut it back any time. build it, see how it shoots. if you don't like the length, or the velocity is sufficient, go 24", then 22". but start longer. Red | |||
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23 inches on both...good compromise Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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My Whelen barrel is 23" long. Doug | |||
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Thanks all, I think the 308 will go to 20 inches and the 35 whelen will stay at 24. I have done a couple of Richards stocks, they are rough but usually a higher grade of wood than what they are rated. I think that a select or A grade should be ok for the 308 in old classic style. | |||
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I'm coming in with my 2c a little late, but, we have a remington 600 in 308 with am 18-1/2 baqrrel which is an extremely handy deer rifle and very effective. I have a ruger 77 ultra light with a 20" which makes a good deer rifle. I would say that 20" would be good for a .308, and 22" better for a 30-06, due to the volume of the cases. Small cases are more efficient for short barrels. As to the 35 Whelen: I would be using a 35 for large big game and would be more interested in power and range, and less interested in handiness. I don't readily imagine a jump shot on an elk or moose. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Ideal barrel lengths, 308 and 35 Whelen
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