I want to build a rifle for medium to large game ( up to Caribou and Sambar ), out to a distance of up to 400+ metres ( pronghorn and NZ mountain Tahr ), and I would like it to be a reasonable weight to be able to carry but also to be able to fire up to three shots before the barrel gets too hot....if this makes sense?
This question is about barrel weight / profile...nothing else....for the sake of this exercise the calibre would be 8x68S, vz24 action, 24" barrel, 180 to 250gr bullets, synthetic stock, blah, blah, blah....
I need diameters, not number so and so.
I apologise if this sounds a bit rude but I have pretty much everything else sorted and now need to work out barrel size.

Roger

Check out Remington "Magnum Sporter" contour. Their No. 5, I believe. Douglas Barrels has dimensions on their site. Stiff and chubby, but not a bull or varmint. Their std contour on the 350 Rem rifles.

I had a 300 H&H built recently in a similar setup. I requested a contour as close to the H&H small bore as possible. Dimensions are available on the Walther website.

I prefer thinner barrels.

Lijia barrels on their contour page has barrel weights and the wt./inch
PacNor barrels has similar table for their contours and an on line barrrl weight calculator for any custom contour.
I think a Lijia or PacNor contour #3
Fits that cartridge, around 0.620” muzzle diameter.
Steve

well, that's kind of round about answer, but several barrel makers have their profile dims and weights -

i was going to suggest a short and slightly stouter than usually 338, but the 8x68 would do it, as well -

could go short(<21"), thick (stiff) and have it heavily fluted -- it MIGHT go 3 fast rounds without moving much, but not 4 --

3 and 4 will suit you but if you go to a carbine barrel go with a #3 as 3 and 4 barrels tapered and get thicker towards the action..

If you have a quality barrel, installed by a competent smith.....3 fast shots are nothing......

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
If you have a quality barrel, installed by a competent smith.....3 fast shots are nothing......

This. Any No. 2 (or 3) contour from Kreiger, Brux, Bartlien, Benchmark, Lilja et al... will easily put the first 3 shots and probably 4 & 5 shots on POA without much concern for the barrel walking due to heating up.

I only use Douglas barrels and they are properly stress relieved, unlike some others I have actually used in years past. So, firing more than 3 shots will not walk.
All these other makers are newcomers to the market.
As for profile, yes, magnum sporter will work for you.

IMHO, a heavy sporter profile that would taper from 1 - 1.25 inches in diameter at the breech to 0.670 - 0.700 inch at the muzzle (@ 26 inches) would be about perfect.

630 at the muzzle. 780 six inches ahead of the breech. A 4in radius transition to a 1.2inch shank. The shank should be about 1.750 long. Adjust the start of the transition to accomplish this. Regards, Bill

The rifle currently has a military 8mm barrel re-cut to 8-06. 6" out from the ( barrel end )face of the action, the diameter is .806", at the muzzle of this 22" barrel the diameter is .603".
I have been using a friends 7mm Rem. Mag. built on a Parker Hale M98 ( 7x57 re-chambered ) and have not found it uncomfortable to shoot even from the bench...I had to sight it in for him as he said it kicked too much !
My rifle weighs just on 7lb's, unloaded and without 'scope......Thoughts ???....too light, too short ????

Roger

I missed the action in the OP. I do not like to use the Mauser action for the 68mm cartridges. If I was going to rebarrel, and wanted to shoot an 8mm, I would neck up the 7mm Rem Mag (or neck down the 338). In actual fact, the 338 Win, unaltered, would be my first choice. Regards, Bill

quote:

Originally posted by yumastepside:

My rifle weighs just on 7lb's, unloaded and without 'scope......Thoughts ???....too light, too short ????

Roger

No, it will be fine.

Sorry Bill, I used 8x68S only as a reference point because people recognise the cartridge...the actual round I am using is called an " 8mm Mazon ", a round designed by a chap in Spain, Alvaro Mazon, who used an 9.3x64B case necked down to 8mm with no other changes...basically the same as the 8x68, a non belted case, but slightly shorter to fit the '98 action.



Roger

You know, I was going to mention the 9.3x64 as a parent cartridge. It's a much better fit. Regards, Bill.

Roger, you could do a lot worse than by the Lothar Walther #722 8x57 pipe for sale locally at the moment, and re-chamber it to your wildcat. Assuming the twist rate is what you want. I doubt you'll get a barrel locally of that quality, to that point of completion, at that price. Without the wait and messing around, to boot. Once fitted it would be a little under 26" to the bolt face and .650 at the muzzle.

Would a 1 in 9.4" twist be to fast for this ??

Roger

8x68 - 1:11" I believe.

8mm Rem Mag - 1:10"

Personally, I see zero point running lightweight (shorter) bullets in a large(ish) capacity case. With the future looking unleaded I'd welcome that faster 9.4" twist to try, but that is just me. I'd make sure I could run mag length and throating to match or else what's the point? What the availability of long/heavy unleaded 8mm bullets will actually be like in the future I have no idea.

If you have particular mono bullets in mind, you can work with known values and run twist/stability calcs quite easily. I'd do that before looking into COAL, mag dimensions etc.