Just Thinking

[holahead]

I have been thinking lately about something. I have always wanted a short barrel 30-06. I was wondering it would it be a good idea to have a handi barrel cut down to 18 1/2 I know that the handis are already a little shorter but I would love to have one cause it would work out real good the way I hunt Reckon how much speed I would lose I feel like I would be ok on this cause I more than likey not going to be shooting over about 150 yard. I welcome any and all input  Would anybody know about what it would cost to have a barrel cut and recrowned .  P.S. I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and that we all get lots of new handis    Thank You                                                                                                                                                                                                 

[kid_couteau]

Hi There

I have shortened the barrels on my NEF shotties but not a rifle yet

I think for a rifle I would probably have a smith do it just cause he would have a lathe and could crown it right.

I love short barreled rifles.  They pack easy and are manuverable.

Kid

[myarmor]

With the loss of velocity and the suffieciency between the 30-06 and 308.. Not to mention the muzzle blast/fire/ and noise coming out of that boom stick.... I would take the 308. Or even better given the actual usage and range of the rifle, perhaps a 30-30
You just loose quite a bit of velocity in an -06 with a short barrel. Slow powders and heavy pills rev up with a long tube. 


-Aaron

[Bill3006]

Ruger sells their Frontier M77 with a 16.5 inch barrel in a 308 and other calibers, so an 18.5 inch in a Handi might be OK. If you do it, let us know how it works. From the FAQs, you only lose about 25 fps per inch, so the 18.5 inch barrel gives up about 100 fps to the 22 inch barrel. A 20 inch handi barrel might be a good compromise. Good luck!

[gimphunter]

Keep in mind that the Handi is around four inches shorter than a bolt-action or semi-auto rifle with the same length barrel, so a 22" Handi is already about as short as most 18" rifles.

If you do chop it to 18.5, you may want to handload with a faster powder. I use IMR 3031 in my 18.5-inch Model Seven in 6mm Remington. It's a much faster powder than the IMR 4350 that's typically recommended for the caliber. I get 2825 fps and sub-MOA accuracy with a 100-grain Grand Slam.

[wcf3030]

Life is short, if it makes you happy do it.
You won't lose much in the vel department.
A good point was made about reloading but the factory stuff will work fine.
the 2-4 in less in barrel did not suddenly change the 06 from the best all around caliber ever to the inbreed 2nd cousin of the 30-30 two counties over.

[Sourdough]

Yes, you will lose some velocity by cutting off the barrel.  But that can b e compensated for by using a faster burning powder.  The 30-06 is the correct cantidate for this, it is more versitale, due to it's larger case capacity than it's little brother the .308.  Cutting and recrowning can be done by a gunsmith or any compatante machine shop. 

Finding the correct powder is the only problem and that is not hard to figure out, just start with the faster burning ones. 

[gwhilikerz]

I have a rem. 742 with 18.5" barrel and have yet to meet a deer that could tell the difference in velocity . Sounds like a good idea and i think I will try it myself.

[holahead]

Thanks to all the replys thats what I love about this place. gwhilikerz what kind of load have you been using in your 18 1/2 inch barrel. Also what do ya'll think would be a good factory load and what would better in the handload department 150 165 or 180 grains.

[RickC.]

Keep in mind that the Handi is around four inches shorter than a bolt-action or semi-auto rifle with the same length barrel, so a 22" Handi is already about as short as most 18" rifles.

If you do chop it to 18.5, you may want to handload with a faster powder. I use IMR 3031 in my 18.5-inch Model Seven in 6mm Remington. It's a much faster powder than the IMR 4350 that's typically recommended for the caliber. I get 2825 fps and sub-MOA accuracy with a 100-grain Grand Slam.

 Right.  I have a Remington 788 in .308 with an 18 1/2" barrel I bought new in 1981.  For years my favorite whitetail load in this rifle was the 165 gr Speer BTSP over 50.5 gr 760.  Incredibly accurate, and has taken many deer over the years, great bullet.  I finally bought a chronograph, and found I was losing about 200 fps from the book velocities with this slow powder.  So I experimented with a bunch of medium burning powders-- 748, H335 (lots of flash, recoil and good velocity, but pressure signs), IMR4064, AA2460, AA2520, and a few others.  I also settled on 3031, which gives me the same accuracy, and only gives up 100 fps from the Speer book velocites, with no pressure signs.  Loads avg near 2600 with the 165, which is not bad at all from the .308 and a short barrel.  And the Speer 165 Boattail at that velocity hits like a hammer, trust me.

 A friend at the hunting club has an old Rem 742 in .30-06 with the 18 1/2" barrel, and that is one LOUD rifle!


                     Rick