So I have a Wilson combat 308 on order. I went with the 14.7" barrel, but now I’m thinking of changing it to a 16" or more. What kinda accuracy can I see shooting 100-300 with this short of a barrel. I didn’t think much about it, but I’ve come across threads where most AR10s have 20" or more barrels so I hope I didn’t make the wrong choice of barrel length. I honestly don’t plan to shoot beyond 400-500 yards ever with this rifle anyway.
308’s do better with a longer barrel so that powder has a longer time to burn. A 14" 308 will be a flame thrower with standard rounds. At a minimum I would go with a 16" but you need to weight what your uses are for the rifle. I am sure you can get acceptable accuracy from a short barrel it really comes down to velocity.
My only experience is with a 13" 308 (Mk17 SCAR) - and it was not a flame thrower at all. Didn’t even flash enough to mess with night vision. I only ever shot for groups out to 100 (it held just above MOA with MK319), but hits at 700 on steel were a cake walk.
Rick
Alright I might see if I can still get it changed to 16 or 18". It’s mostly just for shooting 100-300 yards currently and a Shtf rifle. I planned on putting my Trijicon 1x8 scope on it. I wouldn’t mind shooting past 300 sometimes, but right now all our local ranges only go to 300. As long as it’s sub MOA at 100 with match ammo I’m ok with that.
100m accuracy will not vary greatly between barrel lengths. Shorter barrels are inherently more accurate - a quick search will provide more detailed information. Longer barrels increase velocity which is used to increase accuracy at range.
Rick
Awesome thanks. Ya from what i found i have read the longer barrels tend to flex a little bit. i think i’m going to try to call tomorrow to get it changed to a 16" at least. What if i was shooting out to 300 yards?
Accuracy is only significantly affected by velocity when the bullet is slow enough to transition between supersonic and subsonic flight. A 14.7" barrel will be completely fine out to 500 yards.
Considering the cartridge’s capabilities, I personally won’t go less than 16" with a 308. I consider 18" to be a very useful length, giving reasonable overall length and weight, while retaining precision out to 800 plus yards.
I shoot the DD .308 with a 16" barrel. Very accurate out to at least 600. I don’t believe I’ve stretched it further. I’m sporting a 1-8 DMR type scope, so this gun isn’t truly set up for long distance. Most folks will tell you that 16-18" is plenty of barrel to get full powder burn on a .308. I have found this to be true.
I’d say go with a 16" and you will have plenty of gun for your stated purpose.
To the OP, I’ve shot many .308 barrel lengths. Shorter than 14.7" and much longer than that. With a 400-500 yard max range, you can do it with most any well with the right stuff.
Depending on your loadings, going down from 20" to 16" may be as little as a 50 meter loss or less.
I personally recommend the 16" as a minimum for most to avoid the NFA possible confusion than look at some being fixed with a MD that they may not want be what you want there “permanent” or pay the tax and wait time issues.
Accuracy at 100 won’t be affected. The accuracy that people talk about with shorter barrels is honestly trajectory and having to hold more or the distance the bullet doesn’t stay stable because of less velocity. 308 is not affected as much by a shorter barrel like 5.56, now i do agree that if you want a distance 308 then yes get a 18-20 and slap a 4-16 on there but since you’re rocking the 1-8 (becoming my favorite optic for 3gun) and you’re already wanting a 14.7 or 16 then I’m guessing you want a thumper in close battle rifle but still have the ability to utilize the 308 round. Make sure you get a solid brake like a surefire socom.
I wouldn’t worry about it OP - Wilson Combat has a sub 1 MOA guarantee pending you don’t shoot surplus and know how to shoot. I have one of their barrels and it is fantastic. For 300 and in, a 14.7 is fine.
I’m not so sure about some of the posts, but I generally think the “accuracy” question was about a level of precision potential at distances for proper impacts. Not PBZ or holds of that for trajectories, etc… The two are are not mutually alike, even though they can come together at times.
Wilson barrels can shoot well, some others can as well. Many barrels can be adequate, just depends on the pro’s and con’s for the use to better suit a user or users for that.
Hey Rick, was that MK319 designed to be a ‘barrier busting’ round? I thought I read through a presentation by NAVSEA that indicated the round was designed to penetrate barriers and to have better flash results in SBR’d SCARs. I think I saved it on my laptop somewhere… CRS strikes again.
The 700m gong hits were with your MK17 also? That’s some serious shooting.
I think there won’t be a lot of gain or loss within the range you specified for your usage. Looks like the purpose is more like a battle rifle, SHTF stuff. For me, that means I want to have a maneuverable weapon. Believe me, I’d much rather clear a building with one of my SBR’s than I would my 18" SPR or 18" DMR. It’s not what it was designed for. So if you’re looking for something more multipurpose, than specific to a shorter barreled rifle (I assume you’re going to pin your MD?) and expecting to go beyond 300, then maybe the 16" is a better choice. But if you never see yourself shooting past 300 (outside of the end of the world etc.) then I don’t see any issue with the 14.7. I should confess my sin also. I am one of those guys who really sees value in a 14.5 5.56 rifle. It’s still very maneuverable and no loss of accuracy at the range my 14.5 is intended to shoot at. What prompted you to go with the 14.7 in the first place?
Joey,
Did you search the forums in doing your research? I’m asking because BooneGA posted on some other threads about using his MK17 with the short barrel, even posted some muzzle velocity data. and c) it’s not the first time a question similar to yours has been asked. I searched “308 SBR” for example. I think also there are some threads that address the preferred ammo (MK319), but the best is BooneGA’s post with all the bullet velocity data. (link below)
If you haven’t read threw these threads, it may be worth your while before you go changing your barrel. Besides the fact that Boone gave you firsthand shooter information.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?196128-SCAR-17-CQC-why-or-why-not/page2
Also from an archived thread this:
After I built my DMR (18" .308), the very next build I wanted to do was an SBR’d 308. I was really impressed with how smooth my 308 shot. The knock-down power, plus increased accuracy over the 7.62x39, but the longer range over the .300BLK were my selling points. However, at 10 ARs I had to really slow my roll. Also I built my DMR for the purpose of having a longer, more powerful reach than my SPR, and so I accounted for the increased cost of ammo to be manageable, because maintaining my precision gun skills doesn’t consume nearly as much ammo as my normal training I do with my SBR’s for example. So I decided to hold off…
You didn’t state this, but are you planning to suppress? I have read the shorter 308’s are a tad loud.
Good luck.
Lotta good info here. If my max was inside 600 yards, you could use a 13.5. But to be able to change brakes etc and not have to worry about NFA stuff, I would go 16 inches.