Shortening barrel a good idea?

[ShootingInTheShires]

I have been thinking about shortening my 6.5 creed from a 22inch down to a 17inch to make it easier to carry around woodlands etc. I know I will lose a bit of velocity but that doesn't concern me really. Is there anything else i should be aware of?

I only use the rifle in open fields and also in woodland. Sometimes take foxes over 300yds with it but if I'm shooting deer its always under 200yds.

 

[kenbro]

This might give you an idea on velocity.
As you see, his barrel is 15.3” and he quotes figures using factory ammo.
Hope this helps.
KB.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I have been thinking about shortening my 6.5 creed from a 22inch down to a 17inch to make it easier to carry around woodlands etc. I know I will lose a bit of velocity but that doesn't concern me really. Is there anything else i should be aware of?

I only use the rifle in open fields and also in woodland. Sometimes take foxes over 300yds with it but if I'm shooting deer its always under 200yds.

My 7x57 was rebarreled @ 18” not by me to add but it works fine

 

[enfieldspares]

Only thing to be aware of other than less velocity (but increased muzzle blast) is that a barrel under twelve inches or an overall length of below twenty-four inches will be s5. Which unless your 6.5 is in a bullpup configuration (or has a folding or detachable butt) shouldn't be an issue. There were, now an again, bullpup stalking rifles believe it or not. Pfeiffer SR2. There even was one back in the 1980s using a BSA action? And a Mauser 98 Crapahute.

 

[HandB]

I love my Sauer Hardwood in .308, which has an 18 inch barrel. It's so handy to carry and yet I have still shot it accurately out to 1000yds.

 

[webley701]

Each to their own but with a 6.5 Creedmoor (or a 6.5x55) I’d far rather suffer the minuscule inconvenience of a 22” barrel (in woodland) than the real disadvantages of a 17” one.

 

[muddy42]

Go for it and never look back

As you say the ballistic loss is meaningless and the muzzle blast is handled by a heavy moderator.

Woodland stalking with a top heavy rifle is miserable - rifle slipping back off your shoulder, hitting every branch and the car boot at 5am with associated fear for loss of zero.

 

[Malxwal]

Why are foxes okay at extended distance, being a smaller target ?

 

[enfieldspares]

Being 6' 4" tall I've never (except in a Winchester 94) looked at any rifle with a barrel under 24" but I also never have used a moderator except on my French Unique X-51bis

 

[moeggesit]

I had a custom rifle built in 7x57 and 18” barrel for thick bush. It’s awesome and despite what some people will tell you it makes no difference to accuracy and very little difference to velocity. It has one hell of a muzzle blast but if you use a moderator you won’t notice it. Personally I won’t go less than 18”.

 

[Border]

I had my 6.5x55 barrel reduced to 53cm from 58cm. I recently bought a new chrono and instantly regretted losing those 5cm. Especially with non lead ammo requiring decent velocity.
So for me the answer is no, don't chop it.
I am thinking about either a 24" rebarrel in original cartridge or 270w/30-06.....

 

[TringSaint]

My remy 700 in 308 has a 16” barrel and works just fine

 

[wytonpjs]

Mike Norris shortened my Sako 75 .243 to 20” (all of my cf rifles have 20” barrels) and it totally transformed the rifle’s handling especially as I went to a FW149 moderator. Quite simply, I fell in love with the rifle again and it’s my muntjac/roe go-to. I run a 16” barrel on a Ruger 10/22 and that’s certainly “pointable” and compact at legal overall length.

 

[Tim.243]

I had my 6.5x55 barrel reduced to 53cm from 58cm. I recently bought a new chrono and instantly regretted losing those 5cm. Especially with non lead ammo requiring decent velocity.
So for me the answer is no, don't chop it.
I am thinking about either a 24" rebarrel in original cartridge or 270w/30-06.....

.270....

 

[tackb]

I love short barrels on a rifle , long barrels can give more velocity which you need for two reason one to move your transonic zone further out for long range accuracy or to deliver more energy at longer range neither of which is really needed for most deer stalking

Go for it you won’t regret it

 

[CAVHUNT]

A couple of things come to mind. In thick cover remove the sling so there's no temptation to sling it on the shoulder. Opportunities in thick cover occur quickly and unexpectedly. If the rifle is in your hands you may get one quick aimed shot away but if you're fumbling with getting it off your shoulder And then re orientating it and finally aiming it....ummm...at what? Your quarry is long gone. Slings are for after the shot when the work of recovering your prize begins.

Short barreled rifles..almost mandatory in thick cover and balance well between your hands. Fitting a moderator will ruin the balance...it becomes muzzle heavy and requires an effort to get on target which is slow. So...either put up with the noise from one well aimed shot or wear electronic hearing protection. I demand several things from my rifles. One is that - they are well balanced between my hands. When shouldering the rifle I must be looking straight through the scope or with iron sights they are lined up perfectly with my eye. No jiggling around to try and get a good sight picture. Another is weight...the less the better - within reason.

 

[n3al]

I chopped my 6mm creedmoor from 24 to 16.5, best thing i ever did compact, pointable and made it much better to use.

I just make deer legal with 100gn pro-hunters and should do with 80gn lead free

 

[NullMac]

It depends.

Purely from an external ballistics perspective.

Monolithic bullets are the limiting factor. We need plenty velocity on impact to ensure proper expansion on impact. Therefore it depends how far out the target is.

65CM factory ammo is a bit pathetic to start with.

The CM is only a wee case so kind of needs the barrel to make up for its lack of puff.

So lead, not an issue.

Woodland monolithics, probably fine at the ranges you are talking about but best check what your load needs before getting the saw out.

Looking at Hornady ammo there is a loading for the 120gr CX giving 2925fps out a 24” barrel allegedly. You would be 7” less so using the normal 25fps/inch rule of thumb then we would be looking for 2850 fps. Running that on JBM suggests 2415 fps at 200, 2315 at 250 and 2215 at 300. All the numbers are wrong in the real world of course and your standards may vary but personally I would be happy with it if most of the shooting was at 200

FWIW I would not cut below 18” for resale purposes. YMMV.

 

[Smellydog]

I've never understood this.

A; why people stalk in such thick foliage the rifle is so long as to be a hindrance.

Just lose the can and use ear protection.

B: why people must have a high powered cartridge then hamstring it down to medium powered cartridge performance by shortening the barrel.

Do stare at performance figures, you probably won't need all of it.

C: buy a heavy barreled model to shoot at short range.

Just buy a light weight rifle from the get go.

 

[Rutland lad]

Only thing to be aware of other than less velocity (but increased muzzle blast) is that a barrel under twelve inches or an overall length of below twenty-four inches will be s5. Which unless your 6.5 is in a bullpup configuration (or has a folding or detachable butt) shouldn't be an issue. There were, now an again, bullpup stalking rifles believe it or not. Pfeiffer SR2. There even was one back in the 1980s using a BSA action? And a Mauser 98 Crapahute.

Really ? That’s new to me. Surely Blaser barrels come in takes than that length and are held on a normal FAC ?
I need to be educated here !