300 roy 24 vs 26 inch barrel velocity difference?

[Alberta Bigbore]

How much fps do u lose in a 300bee. For ex. 180 gr pill using a 24 in barrel over a 26 inch using the same load? Just curious. I know game wont notice much.

[elkhunter11]

You will probably see about 70- 80fps difference, about the difference for 30-40 degrees difference in temperature, for many loads.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore

How much fps do u lose in a 300bee. For ex. 180 gr pill using a 24 in barrel over a 26 inch using the same load? Just curious. I know game wont notice much.

My quickload program says 61 FPS difference, but there are many variables involved, and tgatcwas with just one powder (4831sc) as an example .
In the real world is is not a big deal, oarticularcrifle many deliver a higher muzzle velocity, for example.
Cat

[Lefty-Canuck]

Mine has the 26” and if I had it rebarrelled I would go with the same. Fair bit of powder capacity best burned up in a 26” barrel in my opinion.

LC

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Mine has the 26” and if I had it rebarrelled I would go with the same. Fair bit of powder capacity best burned up in a 26” barrel in my opinion.

LC

Mine also had a 26" barrel, as did my 257wby,my 300RUM rifles, my 8mmremmag, my 338x8mm, and all of my 7mmstw rifles. If I am going to bother with the larger capacity cases, I want to get the extra velocity that a 26" barrel produces. Then again, I don't use brakes, so there isn't 2" of brake added to the barrel length.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Mine also had a 26" barrel, as did my 257wby,my 300RUM rifles, my 8mmremmag, my 338x8mm, and all of my 7mmstw rifles. If I am going to bother with the larger capacity cases, I want to get the extra velocity that a 26" barrel produces. Then again, I don't use brakes, so there isn't 2" of brake added to the barrel length.

Spot on. If you want a short barrelled gun with a 19-22" barrel, go 30-06, 308, 280, 7-08 and the like that burns half the powder. I would do a 7 Rem mag or 300 WM, 338 WM in 24" as they burn 65-75 grains of powder. Any Bee, Rum or cartridge that uses 90+ grains of powder needs at least a 26" or 28", maybe even a 30" barrel to optimise the extra powder being burned.

[catnthehat]

If I were looking at a new rifle ,I certainly would want to get a 26".
A 24" woukd not be a deal breaker though.
Not something I am looking for however!
Cat

[fps plus]

Using a 26 inch barrel vs a 24 inch barrel will get you 2 inches closer to your target .

If I’ve got the choice and both rifles are the same i would choose 26 inches. If I had 2 rifles to choose from and the 24 inch had nicer wood as some Mk V weatherby’s had that would be the one

[Pathfinder76]

24” for me. 2” of barrel is the same whether it is on a 308 or 300 WBY. Making one 24 and the other 26 doesn’t make them the same. Powder doesn’t burn for 26”.

[Mr.Piker]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

If I am going to bother with the larger capacity cases, I want to get the extra velocity...

X2.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

24” for me. 2” of barrel is the same whether it is on a 308 or 300 WBY. Making one 24 and the other 26 doesn’t make them the same. Powder doesn’t burn for 26”.

There is truth to that, all cartridges give up velocity in shorter barrels, but the smaller capacity ones tend to lose less than the overbores. That said, if you are going to burn an extra 45 grains of powder to gain 150 fps, why would you leave 200 fps on the table to save a few inches of barrel length?

[stob]

As an outlier I had styer in 270win in a 20 inch barrel...it lost 350fps from book load and what it did in a 24" custom 270...each barrel is different but I think mine was xtreme

[JBE]

With a 26" barrel out hunting it is like carrying a flag pole haha

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by JBE

With a 26" barrel out hunting it is like carrying a flag pole haha

I have carried rifles wirh 26" barrels for over 40 years, and I haven't had any issues. That includes hunting the timber, open fields, the mountains, by horseback, boat, atv, and on foot.

[Pathfinder76]

I’ve packed 24” 300 and 7MM magnums for 30 years and haven’t had issues either. What am I losing? 50-60 fps.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

I’d I’ve packed 24” 300 and 7MM magnums for 30 years and haven’t had issues either. What am I losing? 50-60 fps.

I am carrying different cartridges, with more powder capacity, so the difference between your cartridges and mine would be be significantly more than that. If I was going to go with a 24" barrel, I would have chosen
7mmremmag or a 300winchester magnums instead.

[leo]

I’ll settle for an accurate 24” pipe over a so so 26” any day. I’ve had both 24/26 inch 300 Bee’s. I don’t own a chronograph either, so my ignorance is bliss.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by leo

I’ll settle for an accurate 24” pipe over a so so 26” any day. I’ve had both 24/26 inch 300 Bee’s. I don’t own a chronograph either, so my ignorance is bliss.

A chronograph often leads to disappointment for many people, especially those using factory loads.

[Dean2]

I have hunting rifles with barrels from 18.5 to 29". I have a 45-70 with an 18.5 and a 375 Ruger with a 20" barrel, both heavy hitters designed for game with teeth in close quarters. I have small, mid, large and very large capacity cartridges. I have hunted and killed game with all of them and I choose the rifle to carry depnding on terrain and game. A 29" barrel is no handicap at all hunting antelope and you can reach out a really long ways with a properly setup 7 RUM. Chasing a wounded bear in willow thickets, not what I would pick given a choice.

The gun I use the most the last 12 or so ywears is a 20" 308. Very handy, and sling, scope and full mag it weighs 6 lbs 6 ounces. It spits a 150 grain boattail out at 3050 fps. I am not recoil sensitive but I would not want to be shooting that gun in 300 Win mag let alone 300 Bee.

All that considered, what I do not own is anything that burns 100 grains of powder with a 20 or 22" barrel. The. Flame and muzzle blast would be ridiculous not to mention the other draw backs. The question wasn't will a 24" work, yes it will, the question was how much speed will you lose in a 300 Bee. Two inches will cost you about 100 fps, so my point is, why shoot a Bee rather than a 300 Win Mag if you don't care about 100 fps.

[Pathfinder76]

If it lost 100 fps I’d be shocked. If it lost 75 I’d be shocked. I’ve cut so many barrels over the years I’ve lost count. I think the maximum I’ve ever lost is 30 fps an inch.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

If it lost 100 fps I’d be shocked. If it lost 75 I’d be shocked. I’ve cut so many barrels over the years I’ve lost count. I think the maximum I’ve ever lost is 30 fps an inch.

Well in that case, just make it 20" and call it a a day.

[Pathfinder76]

Dean, the question was 24” vs 26”.

[elkhunter11]

The amount of velocity difference per inch will vary with case capacity vs bore size, and the actual barrel length. When I got into the 7mmstw, I saw data listing about 40fps/inch difference, going from 26" to 24". The 300wby has a larger bore for similar case capacity, so the difference should be slightly less than 40fps/inch. The 6.5x300 may exceed 40fps/inch, because of the even smaller bore diameter, but then again, the 6.5x300 is less efficient, and that may effect the results.
Now as you cut the barrel shorter and shorter, the difference per inch should grow, because the pressure is higher when the bullet is 20" down the barrel than it is when the bullet is 26" down the barrel.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Dean, the question was 24” vs 26”.

If you read my previous responses, which you have, I pretty much had the question figured out. The issue I was trying to highlight in the last post was anything can be trivialized if you work hard enough at it. Done with this discussion, guys can decide on the info posted what they want to do. I know what my choices and decisions are. I have clearly posted them, and not likely to change based on 55 years of experience and learning. The fact others think differently is perfectly fine by me. None of this matters enough to get upset about, it is just a discussion of choices and alternatives.

Stay well.

[C&C Outdoors]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

A chronograph often leads to disappointment for many people, especially those using factory loads.

I have both hand loaded and used factory loads for my 300 Bee's.
I chrono'd some 180gr accubond factory loads last spring and was getting an average of 3257fps, 3278fps on the high end and 3231 on the lowest. The box listed the muzzle velocity at 3175fps.
That was out of a 24" barrel. I did not chrono those loads out of one of my other 300 Bee's with a 26" barrel as I had just mounted a scope on the one I was shooting that day and cannot provide a measured difference for the OP with the same load.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by C&C Outdoors

I have both hand loaded and used factory loads for my 300 Bee's.
I chrono'd some 180gr accubond factory loads last spring and was getting an average of 3257fps, 3278fps on the high end and 3231 on the lowest. The box listed the muzzle velocity at 3175fps.
That was out of a 24" barrel. I did not chrono those loads out of one of my other 300 Bee's with a 26" barrel as I had just mounted a scope on the one I was shooting that day and cannot provide a measured difference for the
OP with the same load.

It sometimes happens, that the factory turns out a hot load and it seems more common with Weatherby or some of the early WSM loads. I tested one factory Weatherby load that produced even more velocity than that in my rifle with 26" barrel, and the fired cases displayed extrusion into the ejector cutout. I measured .0025" expansion on the belt, and new primers were too loose in the primer pocket, to reload the cases. Some people might be happy with that velocity, but it was obviously excessive, and the cases had to be thrown away.
However, that was a rare exception, most factory loads fall short of published velocities, often up to 100fps, sometimes up to 150fps or even more. And the same is true for many loads listed in loading manuals.

[C&C Outdoors]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

It sometimes happens, that the factory turns out a hot load and it seems more common with Weatherby or some of the early WSM loads. I tested one factory Weatherby load that produced even more velocity than that in my rifle with 26" barrel, and the fired cases displayed extrusion into the ejector cutout. I measured .0025" expansion on the belt, and new primers were too loose in the primer pocket, to reload the cases. Some people might be happy with that velocity, but it was obviously excessive, and the cases had to be thrown away.
However, that was a rare exception, most factory loads fall short of published velocities, often up to 100fps, sometimes up to 150fps or even more. And the same is true for many loads listed in loading manuals.

That was the impression I was under with factory loads having a lower than published velocity and to be pretty much the norm. I did find it interesting to be getting the higher velocity.
I haven't noticed any signs of over pressure but also have not measured the cases to be more accurate in that statement.
The last time I bought factory nosler ammunition in this caliber was close to 4 years ago and it will be the last time for me unless the current pricing of this particular brand changes drastically..

[Alberta Bigbore]

Thanks for all the replies. Learned a few new things from the thread.


Im going to be ordering a cds dial for the scope on my 300 weatherby which has a 24 inch barrel. Probably best to hust fire through a chronograph.


I was going to get my 300bee bead blasted back to a new finish
To get rid of any safe kisses, and debated putting on a 26 inch barrel.