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Best .308 Barrel Lengths: Is 16 Inches Too Short?

Talyn

Talyn

SAINT
Founding Member
Recently a question was asked regarding .308 Winchester barrel length, "Do 16-inch barrels give up too much velocity in .308 Winchester?" Without delving too deeply into it, here are my thoughts for you to consider. Yes, the .308 Winchester cartridge was designed with a 22- to 24-inch barrel in mind.

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Best .308 Barrel Lengths: Is 16 Inches Too Short? - Firearms News

The .308 Winchester cartridge is still incredibly popular, but it was designed for longer barrels. By reader request, here is how the .308 Win. Performs in a 16-inch Barrel. Best .308 Barrel Lengths: Is 16 Inches Too Short? best barrel length for .308 Winchester 16 inch 308 Winchester velocities Rug
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We can all say what we like and enjoy...DATA tells the story about what velocity one gets from any barrel length, twist rate, bullet, cartridge load (powder charge), and then what expansion one gets at said velocities....I'll admit I'll go back and read the posted article. I have not. What is your intended result? To each their own....
 
The only problem I have with the article is that the author referenced different ammo and velocity results in a rifle that's different than what was used in the article.

In muse the shortest I have is a ~16" in my Para followed with 18" in a Congo & Scout, with the rest being the standard FAL and M1A barrel lengths.
 
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Talyn said:
The only problem I have with the article is that the author referenced different ammo and velocity results in a rifle that's different than what was used in the article.

In muse the shortest I have is a ~16" in my Para followed with 18" in a Congo & Scout, with the rest being the standard FAL and M1A barrel lengths.
Click to expand...

Agree. I had a 21 in L1A1 a long time ago, and if I ever got another FAL I'd go with the Congo minimum or likely the 21 in Cold Warrior model.
 
I'm not sure the author gave any comparison that's worth noting other than his general conclusion that the SFAR 16" barrel velocity is probably a little slower than someother rifle and some other ammo from sometime in the past. Nothing that any of us here could not have guessed ...

If someone had a sfar 16" & 20" and tested the same ammo in each, side by side, with the same chronograph using the same targets at the same distance ... then there would be a little something to talk about.

Might as well ask if a high dollar 24" bolt action has more velocity and accuracy than a bottom dollar 16" AR-10 using different ammo in each???
 
Talyn said:
The only problem I have with the article is that the author referenced different ammo and velocity results in a rifle that's different than what was used in the article.

In muse the shortest I have is a ~16" in my Para followed with 18" in a Congo & Scout, with the rest being the standard FAL and M1A barrel lengths.
Click to expand...
Cedric said:
Agree. I had a 21 in L1A1 a long time ago, and if I ever got another FAL I'd go with the Congo minimum or likely the 21 in Cold Warrior model.
Click to expand...
I have found with all the FAL’s I have built, that the Austrian barrels resulted in the best accuracy groupings regardless of ammo type.
If you can find an Austrian barrel from Steyr, they are the best.
 
I don't think the velocity loss is much to be concerned about at normal ranges. Say 200 yards or less. Longer distances call for longer barrels.
I have M1As in 22, 18 and 16 inches. Personally, I think the 18" Scout/Squad hits the sweet spot between velocity, accuracy and handling. Its my favorite. (y)
 
To the original question..."BEST .308 BARREL LENGTHS: IS 16 INCHES TOO SHORT?"
My Answer....it depends.
I've had a 24" in an AR-10T, 25" on my USMC M40A1, and now have 16.5" on my POF Revolution DI.
Wildly different missions and usage for each.
What I've found is that my current AR platform on the POF is completely competent for everything from standing next to you, out to 600 yards with confidence. It hits with much more authority than other common AR calibers at any range and offers much better handling than longer barrels for all round use. Particularly in the POF's case due to it being built on the AR-15 size receivers. 6.8 lbs before mounting of any optics...and the recoil just a tad more than my AR-15s.
It's also proven to be a sub-moa rifle at 100yds and can hit a 10" plate at almost 500 yds (465).
image_cropper_F5E2EB75-7A42-4799-A2FF-6093E1BE8EBE-15399-000003263321FA31.jpeg
 
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