I have one of the Remington 7600 patrol rifles, 308, 16" barrel. I love it, it is handy getting around with in the woods, treestand, or blind. It is plenty accurate and of course reliable. With the Remington R3 recoil pad it recoils like a 243. It is louder than a longer barreled rifle, you don't notice it when shooting at game but off the bench (the range where I usually shoot has covered benches) it is quite noticable. There is also a more pronounced muzzle flash with the shorter barrel but that is not really a concern for a hunting rifle. If you hunt using an ATV the rifle is short enough that it doesn't stick out past the racks/handlebars which is a nice added benefit.