Cut a 270 win barrel down to 20" ?

[valvesinmyhead]

Maybe I am crazy but would like to cut my 22" barreled T3 down to 20". Opinions please. This would be for stalking deer and shots would be 75yds or less. I have a 24" Vanguard already for longer shots. Using Hornady SF 130gr SST. If I used this ammo with a 20" barrel would the powder completely burn?

[Lloyd Smale]

youd probalby loose a 100 fps at the most. Not enough to effect anything out to 300 yards.

[LanceR]

You will get more muzzle blast and more muzzle flash, particularly at twilight or in deep shadow.  If you reload you might get less of both with a relatively fast powder.

Lloyd is correct.  Some years back Lyman conducted a test of what the effects were of varying barrel lengths from 20 to 26" and found that for bullets traveling in the 2500-3000 FPS range that each 1" change in barrel length equated to about 20 FPS. Bullets at the faster end of that range, like a 130 grain .270 load tended to lose more velocity but even if you lost 60 FPS it would have no practical meaning to a deer.

Lance

[valvesinmyhead]

I see Ruger makes a No.1 that has a 20" barrel. So it must be fine. Maybe cut to 18"?

[Brithunter]

Maybe I am crazy but would like to cut my 22" barreled T3 down to 20". Opinions please. This would be for stalking deer and shots would be 75yds or less. I have a 24" Vanguard already for longer shots. Using Hornady SF 130gr SST. If I used this ammo with a 20" barrel would the powder completely burn?

Yep your crazy 


Now honestly what real difference in handling is shortenign the barrel by 22 going to make?


Just because some makers offer or offered a 20" barrel in .270 does not me it's optimal.. I have a BSA CF2 "Stutzen" (full stocked)with 20" barrel and have always wondered why they really bothered with the 270 Win in such a rifle with normal loading and factory ammunition the muzzle blast and flash is really noticeable so I developed a handload using faster H-380 powder to reduce it. I also have a BSA Majestic with 22" barrel and can really tell no difference in the handling in wooded country.


However it's your rifle to up to you..... still think your nuts though  .

[Lloyd Smale]

opinions and tastes differ. Personaly i think a lightweight 20 inch gun is alot handier then a 22 or 24 inch gun. I guess i dont see much advantage to whacking off the barrel on a sporter weight 22 inch gun to 20 as the weight savings arent much. But a 20 inch featherweight barrel does cut off enough weight to matter. Ive got lightweight guns that outshoot some of my standard weight guns so thats not a consern. So I guess i see advantages to it and no disadvantage. Now if your talking magnum chambered guns 24 inch barrels are about needed. But not a 06 308 270 ect.

[bill439]

I have a old model 700 bdl carbine 20" bbl.  have used this rifle to shoot out of tree stands.  The shorter bbl aids in moving the rifle for shooting at deer.  I don't think the deer know the bbl is 20" they just take one jump and fall over. I say good luck, bill439

[SHOOTALL]

FPS is only one aspect. Has anyone looked into what effect the extra unburned powder following the bullet out the bbl has ? Thats alot of flash behind the bullet can it disrupt flight ?

[valvesinmyhead]

Would these work good in a short barrel? Still more powerful than a 6.8 SPC.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=882105

[Brithunter]

I have a old model 700 bdl carbine 20" bbl.  have used this rifle to shoot out of tree stands.  The shorter bbl aids in moving the rifle for shooting at deer.  I don't think the deer know the bbl is 20" they just take one jump and fall over. I say good luck, bill439

   Sorry Bill but I cannot see how 2" is going to make any difference to the swing of the rifle.


It's all Mind over matter:-


If'n I don't mind it don't matter 

[Lloyd Smale]

i doubt it does a thing to it. Lots of benchrest guns are short stiff barrels. Britthunter it may be mind over matter  but the way something feels goes along ways toward the way something works. If  a gun even seems to swing better in your hands your going to shoot it better.

FPS is only one aspect. Has anyone looked into what effect the extra unburned powder following the bullet out the bbl has ? Thats alot of flash behind the bullet can it disrupt flight ?

[SHOOTALL]

most bench rest guns have custom loads that only pack enough power to get the max accuracy out of them . The 708 rem XP 100 I had shot full power loads poor .

[Bigeasy]

I have a Ruger 77 Compact in 7mm/08 with a 16 inch barrel.  No real big difference in muzzle blast over similar horsepower rounds with normal 22 inch barrels.  Never ran it over a chronograph, but whatever loss of muzzle velocity (I am guessing about 200 fps under a 22 inch barrel) has had no effect in deer killing performance, and makes the rifle easier to handle in thick brush.
 
Larry

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got a model 7 20 inch stainless gun that will shoot its best load into 3/4s of an inch at a 100 and a ar10 with a 16 inch barrel that will do even better. Also a tc conderdor hunter with a 14 inch barrel thats actually a ported 12 that does just under an inch at a 100 yards with full power loads and it has a muzzle crack that you dont want to experience without ear plugs. Escaping gases sure dont seem to bother either of those. By the way many bench rest shooters are loading pretty much factory level pressure in there guns. Most centerfire rounds tent to shoot the best with full power loads. Sorry buy i just cant buy into the theroy that muzzle blast or unburned powder have any effect on accuracy. I dont really even think theres going to be much  unburned powder in a gun like that anyway. Another way to look at it is i have a 257 wby with a 24 inch barrel. Now if any gun was going to have unburned powder a 257 wby is the one. Pressure of gases leaving the muzzle are going to be much greater then a 270 out of a 20 inch barrel. Why is it the 257 has allways been know as an accurate round.   

most bench rest guns have custom loads that only pack enough power to get the max accuracy out of them . The 708 rem XP 100 I had shot full power loads poor .

[valvesinmyhead]

In the Hornady handbook they have reloading info for a 15" Encore pistol. 2700 fps for a 130gr bullet. That is plenty for what I want to do.

[Freezer]

Why destroy the value of a  good rifle? Sell it and get a shrot action rifle that was designed to do what you want. There are better tools for the job you want to do. I have a Savage 99f in 308 and a Remington Model 7 custom in 7TCU. Both handle fast, are lite weight and will drop a deer in excess of 200 yards the 308 out to 350. The 7 TCU is very quiet and has litte muzzel blast. It's a great stocking and tree stand rifle. I still hunt and there's a lot of bear and cougar in the area so the Savage sees more time in the woods.

[parkergunshop]

I have to agree with not cutting the barrel down on the T3,  I would trade it for a shorter barrelled rifle.
And yes as Lloyd notes two to  four or even six inches shorter does make a big difference in a tree stand where you have to be a contortionist to aim and get a shot off on occasion.
My favorites from a tree stand are;
A Iranian Mauser in 8x57 with a  18 inch barrel.
A Springfield 1903 in 30-06 with a 19 inch barrel.
A Ruger No. 1. in 47/70 with a 22 inch barrel which is actually as short overall as the above two.
My 24 inch barrelled guns are used from a box stand where I can rest them and take my time aiming.
 
 
 

[Lloyd Smale]

I probably wouldnt cut it either. If i want a short gun i also want a light gun and cutting a couple inches off  a sporter weight gun does little toward making it lighter. Id probably sell  it and buy something like a model 7 or a ruger ultra light.

[RaySendero]

Maybe I am crazy but would like to cut my 22" barreled T3 down to 20". Opinions please. This would be for stalking deer and shots would be 75yds or less. I have a 24" Vanguard already for longer shots. Using Hornady SF 130gr SST. If I used this ammo with a 20" barrel would the powder completely burn?

Well for what its worth - I think a 270 deserves a 24 to 26" barrel!
 
But since your T3 is already 22", cutting off another 2" should not make much difference.  Go for it and let us know how much velocity loss.