why are mfg's limiting .30-06 to 22" barrels??

[cvrover1]

I am curious about this......to me, I would think that being able to max the potential of the most popular caliber in existance would be a marketing value point......

But when I look at the manufacturers and what products they put on the table, I am only finding 22" barrels for .30-06.......why not 24 or 26??

Is it that this would limit the market for mag calibers to a degree they don't want to support?

It is making me seriously look at a custom .30-06 to get what I want.....who has thoughts on this??

[nomosendero]

You can get a Rem. SPS, XCR or CDL in 24".

[victorcharlie]

This is a very good question.....seems when I was a kid most all bolt action rifles had a 24" barrel.......my memory's a little foggy on this but seems that way......

I can only guess at this.....but maybe they make the barrels shorter to reduce manufacturing cost?  Or maybe that's what the marketing department has determined sells the best?

good question.....

[james]

I agree, a longer barrel would enhance the accuracy and range but I woud say that most people that buy them never shoot over 200 yards.  On the other hand the 300 Win mag got its good reputation with 24 or 26" barrels.   Personally, I have not needed more than a 22" barrel on an 06.
I have bought several high quality 270s and 30-06s dirt cheap because the owner thought he needed a a short magnum  or a long barrel to kill a deer, elk or black bear.  I hope I haven't given away my secret. Its the hunter, not the gun that takes the animal.

[cvrover1]

LOL...I can see how you can come up with some nice gear with that little untold secret about shooters....LOL....I think most of the folks shooting the Mags are shooting their deer under 100 yards anyway and gun mfg's understand their market and exploit the opportunity ..... which is why I think I am heading to a custom gun for what I want..

And Nomo, I did check in the Remington catalogue and you are right ....here is the thing though, I was hoping to find a BDL in 24" at the least...really looking for a 26".....

Overall, I understand the short barrel for the quick brush shot under 100 yards....but then, the same would hold true for the .300 mags....

I hunt all deer types and I also am a nut for maxing long range accuracy...to the point of being addicted to extreme accuracy...not range matches in competition, but more from the sniper point of view on longer range game shots.....and I love the .30-06....and I do love Remington....varmint hunt with a VLS .223 that consistently gives me .25 MOA on four shot groups....

I just want a .30-06 that can give me significant accuracy out to 300 - 400 yards for the shots that I am looking to take on game.... I am one who personally doesn't buy into the Mag Craze for the members of the deer family....and also know that .30-06 is more than capable of giving me what I am looking for ....  and without all of the hype, expense and potential difficulty finding ammo in the remote, in a pinch

[nomosendero]

I don't really see why the barrel would need to be over 24", the 30-06
case is not that big & the 308 bore gives it a good expansion ratio. You
will have some gain from 22" to 24", but the gain from 24"-26" would be
minimal with most loads, but of course you would gain some.

The same basic case with a smaller bore would gain a little more like a
270, or 280 & for sure the 25-06, in other words the smaller the bore with
the 30-06 case, the more sense it makes. By the same token the mags. can be helped alot with longer barrels.

If you insist on a 26" tube for a 30-06, you can get it in a Ruger #1, or a
TC Encore, even 28" in the Encore. If for a bolt gun, you probably will have to go custom.

[cvrover1]

here is the way this is looking....and custom is the way I am heading....there is a smith with a very large reputation for building highly accurate long range benchrest competition guns, and hunters, here in Central Pa....went to see him this morning to discuss what I am looking to do and how he would go about doing it....

Keep in mind, I am not looking to build anything but a hunter....but at the same time, don't mind totting a 9 lb. gun to get the accuracy I am looking for...

looks like the setup might be this....Broughton Varmint barrel, 26" stainless....Howe action, bedded in steel (not glass or aluminum) and pillared.... thumbhole laminate stock....probably the Howe trigger, but potentially a Jewel....

He loved the idea of having an opportunity to build on .30-06 again....he tells me most of his hunting builds are Mags....and agrees with me that for  members of the deer family it is overkill, but a product of a lot of marketing in the media and manufacturers....

He regularly produces 5 shot groups at 100 yards that virtually look like two holes cutting each other....and produces 1000 yard bench champion guns that have placed as many as 20 shots inside 6 inches....the guy knows how to build a gun...

I am give it some thought....but it looks like this gun can be produced for about $1,650.....which is considerably less than a typical Weatherby or Sako with sporterized barrels and far less accuracy...

[nomosendero]

Sounds good & good luck.

[beemanbeme]

Why are you having it bedded and pillared?

[Slamfire]

Because people who shoot the .30/06 know that the higher velocity don't make a dimes worth of difference.  

[Brithunter]

Hmmm could it be that folks were not buying the longer barreled rifles?

[azmike]

If you really have your heart set on a 26 inch barrel, you could buy a Ruger #1B.

[jro45]

When I bought my first 30/06 It was back in the early 70's and it had a 22" barrel. I always shot to 200 yds with it using a 150 gr bullet going 2900 fps. It would have been alot nicer to have had at least a 24" barrel back then
It has a 25" barrel now

[Siskiyou]

I would like to blame the trend towards shorter barrels on Winchester and smokeless powder.  The standard issue 1906 Springfield had a 24-inch barrel, but the 1917 Enfield came with a 26-inch barrel.  I believe the 1906 Springfield found favor with the American sportsman and the trend towards shorter barrels.  But another factor was the Winchester M92 and M94 carbines.  Sportsmen like the handling qualities of these rifles and they still produced superior velocity over old black powder guns with long, heavy barrels.  This was brought about because of smokeless powder and nickel steel barrels.

During the period between 1900 and 1945 the 24-inch barrel became the standard in most bolt action and pump action hunting rifles.  While M94 Winchesters could be still be had with 26-inch barrels their days were numbered.  A M94 with a 26-inch barrel is a heavy rifle by today’s standards.  I recall a few old timers still-hunting with them in the 50’s.  

When I started hunting I carried a M94 saddle carbine in 25-35.  Most of the nickel plating had worn off riding in a scabbard.  It was a great handling rifle with a 20-inch barrel.  The other rifle I carried that season was a Savage M99 in .303 Savage with a 26-inch barrel.  

But things had started to change in 1952 when Winchester came out with its Model 70 Featherweight.  To save weight it came with a 22-inch barrel in America’s favorite post-war cartridge, the 30-06.  Winchester advertised the Featherweight heavily.  While every workingman could not afford a M70 they wanted some of those features.  One of them was the lighter, shorter barrel.  Numerous article or columns appeared in the hunting rags pointing out the advantages of a short barrel rifle chambered in a powerful cartridge.  The timing was right because there were not many instruments around to measure velocity.  Everybody quoted printed factory velocities that came from 26-inch barrels.

A few Remington 721’s came out with 22-inch barrels.  Later the Remington M725 came out with 22-inch barrels.  The new Remington 740 and 760 also had 22-inch barrels because that is what the American Sportsman wanted.  The 22-inch barrel was standard on the first M700’s in non-magnum rounds.

The trend since WWII has been lighter rifles, with shorter barrels.  But now there are sportsmen who do not want to give up velocity for the weight reduction created by chopping off the barrel.  I have a Remington 722 with a 24-inche barrel, and I have a Remington 700 with a 22-inch barrel.  I have not noticed a difference in handling when in a brush field or crawling around in a rock patch.  Every once and a while I think about buying a 24-inch barrel for the rifle.  

So I suggest we blame it on Winchester, because Winchester told American Sportsmen they wanted a 30-06 with a 22-inch barrel.

[Sourdough]

I shoot a NEF Handi with a 22" barrel in 30-06.  I have the rifle sighted in for 300 yards, and bust 4" clay targets consistantly at 337 yards.  I use this rifle to hunt Wolves and Caribou during the winter.  If I shot a wolf at 500 yards the pelt is mine.  At 600 yards the wolf has a 50/50 chance of getting away,  at 700 yards 80% chance of  getting away.  I think it's more wind than range that gets me at 700 yards.  Longer barrel would not want it.  A longer barrel would be too awkward, and harder to get around. The short barrel does not seem to make a differance to me.

[Mac11700]

Since I am a single shot nut..I would opt for a real good 26" Ruger#1 or Dakota..for what your going to be spending on the custom gun...With the Ruger...you will have enough left over to by some quality optics for it..The dakata..well..it's double what the Ruger is..so your in the same ball park..

If you want another option...Buy a NEF 25-06 and have it rebored to 30-06...you into it for less than the Ruger #1 and will have some awsome cut rifling if you left Wayne York of Oregunsmithing do the work for you.I have a 25-06 rebored to 338-06 from him and it is simply outstanding..and since you will be saving even more..you can get still better optics with it.. :wink:

Mac

[jro45]

Most of my rifles have a 26" barrel.  A couple have 25" barrels and a few have 24" barrels. Shot out all my 22" barrels and replaced them with longer barrels. Been shooting scence I was 12 Back in the 50's early 60's.
I hope the 22" barrels are gone.

[nasem]

I have no read everyone's responses, just the main thread and my "guess" is this:

nowadays, people mostly use the '06 to hunt everything (small to large) AND they tend to use them for ranges under 300 yards (here in michigan, typical deer kill is within 80-120 yards).  So I guess since your not going to use the '06 for real long ranges (like 300 and above), it makes sence to gun mafs to make them with 22" barrel (little lighter and easier to handle)......  Gun mafs know that if you want a 400-500 yard gun, your most likly not going to get an '06, maybe a 7mm mag and above (300 wm is another winner)..... and those guns ALWAYS (95% of the time) come with 24-26" barrel

[Coyote Hunter]

Ruger makes .30-06 rifles with 18", 20", 22" and 26" barrels - take your pick!