Which barrel to shorten

evolution

Active Member
If you had two identical 24" barrels, one in .270 and one in 6.5x55 and wanted to keep one original and cut the other one back to 20" for use with moderator, which one would you shorten?




Regards

Evo
 
My thinking is that the .270 will be kinder on the ear with the Mod.
Save the 6.5x55 for a longer shot, 300 metres plus on the plain after Springbok.

Stan
 
My old .270 sako had a 20" barrel when I bought it, it's very nice handy rifle with a T8 up front. I don't think I have lost very much velocity as it's shooting around about 1.5" high at 100 yrds and bang on at 200. It's a great set up on the hill when your lugging it about all day and when you maybe want to get a second shot off. I don't have much experience with the 6.5 but I understand it's a very accurate cartridge maybe keep it long so you don't lose any speed and it would be nice for longer shot's, but it depend's on what your using each one for?

Snag
 
OK I'll play devils advocate ;) now looking at this logically, to me anyway, the .270 has more power and is a larger cartridge in all ways and being a long (64mm/2 1/2") cartridge can utilise the slow powders to get the bullet of choice out to the target with authority and as it's also of slightly larger diameter should in theory at least have a larger surface to area to transmit it's payload of energy to said target. Although the .270 can work in a shorter barrel one is giving up some of it's potential :!:

Now the 6.5x55 Swedish cartridge seems more at home in a 20" barrel. The powders it likes are more medium burning in range and better, to my mind at least, in that shorter length it's just more suited plus the 6.5x55 is probably a better foxing round than the .270 Win.

Of course all this is just my take on it and I do happen to have a 20" barreled .270, no mod as it's a BSA CF2 Stutzen (Full stock), and on the other hand the 6.5x55 has I believe a 22" barrel that I threaded for a mod.

So me I would cut the 6.5x55 ;).
 
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OK I'll play devils advocate ;) now looking at this logically, to me anyway, the .270 has more power and is a larger cartridge in all ways and being a long (64mm/2 1/2") cartridge can utilise the slow powders to get the bullet of choice out to the target with authority and as it's also of slightly larger diameter should in theory at least have a larger surface to area to transmit it's payload of energy to said target. Although the .270 can work in a shorter barrel one is giving up some of it's potential :!:

Now the 6.5x55 Swedish cartridge seems more at home in a 20" barrel. The powders it likes are more medium burning in range and better, to my mind at least, in that shorter length it's just more suited plus the 6.5x55 is probably a better foxing round than the .270 Win.

Of course all this is just my take on it and I do happen to have a 20" barreled .270, no mod as it's a BSA CF2 Stutzen (Full stock), and on the other hand the 6.5x55 has I believe a 22" barrel that I threaded for a mod.

So me I would cut the 6.5x55 ;).

Or you could leave both barrels unmolested and use ear defenders.... just a thought :coat:
 
Dont do it, I think you will regret it, I most certainly agree with Tamus leave them both alone and buy yourself a good set of defenders.

Best wishes Martin
 
Good input, Thanks.

My thinking is that the .270 has plenty of velocity so could afford to loose a little whereas 6.5x55 is a nicer calibre to shoot unmoderated.

It is for use on red deer so the extra punch of the .270 would be welcome. I think I am going to cut the .270 to 21" which will give a nice snug fit for the mod and keep the 6.5x55 original for when I just want to use a well balanced classic rifle.
 
Evolution,

That's why I have two 6.5 x 55.
One with a 20" barrel and Mod for use "near habitation" to avoid upsetting the public and a 24" barrel for my Mauser MO3 for the hill and abroad.

Stan
 
In my view, both calibres need 23 or 24 inches of barrel to give their best. However, if I had to chop one, it would be the 6.5, just because it has a bit less powder capacity and you can reload 120gr bullets with a slightly faster powder (Re17 is ideal). I could make the 6.5 work pretty well with a mod and a 20 or 21" barrel.

Truth be told, the '08 based rounds are better suited to chopping and modding.
 
Oh forgot to mention if you do shorten the .270 and fire more than 2 shot's DON'T! touch the moddy made that mistake (yet again:rolleyes:) today checking my zero after reassembling it from a big clean. I'm sorry not trying to teach you how to suck egg's but for some reason I keep forgetting steel retain's heat rather well.

Snag
 
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