A Case for Short Barrels - Larry Weishuhn

“A case for short barrels? Hmmm! Are you asking about a cartridge to be used in shorter

barrels, or, are you talking about guns with shorter barrels?”

Before I could follow up, the questioner started laughing. “Had not really thought about it that

way, but now that you, I’d really like to know about both.”

I was at the Choctaw Hunting Lodge in southeastern Oklahoma helping host a DSC Oklahoma

Chapter gathering. I had just finished talking about hunting rifles and rounds and asked those

in attendance if there were any questions.

“Some of you may recall I really like hunting with handguns particularly Taurus’s Raging Hunter

chambered in .44 Mag and .454 Casull, and, for years I hunted with a wide variety of caliber and

rounds chambered in both T/C’s Contenders and Encores. I specifically used those in .308 Win

and my all-time favorite .30-06 when hunting elk, moose, caribou, mule deer, whitetails,

pronghorn antelope and other species, including African plains game. I shot many large bodied

animals with my .30-06, which in the 15-inch barrel had just about the same ballistics as a .308

Win rifle. Big rounds for a short barrel? Not really. Those particular Encores chambered in the

sharp-shouldered rounds were and are extremely accurate. Using a variety of Hornady ammo,

from a solid bench rest I could shoot touching clover-leaf 3-shot groups at 100-yards. From

hunting rests, I could keep those shots within a 1-inch group at 100-yards. Did I ever feel under-

gunned even when hunting moose, elk or other big game? Not really!”

“For several years each spring, I would head to prairie dog country where I shot those little

prairie rats with the same handguns I used to hunt big game. Knowing the ballistics of my short

15-inch barrel .30-06 I frequently shot prairie dogs at 300-yards and occasionally at 400 and

500-yards. Those short barrels, barrel harmonics are minimal. And always remember, the bullet

goes where the barrel is pointed when the trigger is pulled.” I saw several in the crowd nod in

agreement.

“In regard to short-barrel rifles. I suspect many of you, or at least your dad and possibly your

mother, started hunting with a short barrel lever-action .30-30, for years the definitive “deer

rifle”. Thankfully lever-actions thanks to Rossi’s R92 and R95 have recently really made a come

back. I started that way as well. Frankly possibly because of that start, I have always preferred

shorter barreled rifles compared to those with longer barrels.”

“I love to rattle for whitetails, still hunt, spot and and stalk as well. Occasionally when weather

in really inclement I hunt from an enclosed deer blind. In each of those hunting situations a

long barrel, generally meaning rifles with barrels beyond 22-inches are difficult maneuver to

quickly get into a shooting position, particularly when hunting in dense brush or even tall grass.

If I carry a longer barreled rifles on my shoulder with a sling, and the barrel extends beyond the

brim of western hat, it gets hung up on brush and limbs. Conversely if I carry a long-barreled

rifle in my hand at my side, that long barrel keeps hitting or dragging the ground where the

muzzle can get filled with mud or dirt. Not safe, if it does. I tend to carry my rifles both ways

when walking or stalking. With a short barrel I know I can quickly bring rifle to shoulder no

matter how thick the brush, and do not have to worry about the muzzle dragging the ground.

“I frequently hunt with Ruger No. 1s. I love the way the look and for my purpose, seldom

shooting beyond 400-yards, despite of others might say, mine are superbly accurate shooting

appropriate Hornady ammo. I currently own four short-barrel, full-stock RSI Ruger No. 1s; .257

Roberts, .270 Win, 375 Ruger and 9.3x62. I’m currently also looking for a beautiful wood 7x57

or .275 Rigby RSI No. 1. Frankly, if Ruger or Lipsey’s introduce an RSI in 7mm PRC, I want to be

first in line to own one! Each of the rounds mentioned do well in shorter barreled rifles. Yes,

they some may not produce the velocity as the same cartridges in 24-inch or longer barrel.

Generally, velocity and other ballistic factors are taken from “test barrels” 24 or 26-inch long. In

reducing barrel length, the accepted reduction in velocity, depending upon the round, bullet

and load, is 50-feet per second per each 1-inch of barrel shortened from standard test barrels.”

“You’ve heard “speed kills”. It does, but only with proper shot placement and proper terminal

bullet performance. For most hunting I do, I and deal with bullets traveling at 2400 to 2800-feet

per second from a shorter barrel. But not all rounds or cartridges are the same.”

“Later today those of you who have signed up to shoot at 1,000-yard target, you’ll be shooting

my personal 7mm PRC, Mossberg Patriot action with its 20-inch Thunder Valley Precision Avient

Rapid Heat Releasing Barrel, with muzzlebrake. You’ll be shooting Hornady Precision Hunter,

175-grain ELD-X ammo. Interestingly, with the 7mm PRC round the difference in velocities

between a 24-inch and 20-inch barrel is somewhere between 80 to 140 feet per second total

depending upon the load. With my personal rifle that means the 175-grain bullet leaves the

barrel at 2910-feet per second, as opposed to 3000-feet per second in a 24-inch barrel.”

“Right before heading this way I got a 20-inch barrel Mossberg Patriot Carbine, something I

have been asking Mossberg to do ever since the 7mm PRC round was SAAMI approved and the

company started chambering that round. My Carbine topped with a Stealth Vision SVT 3-18x44

scope (www.stealthvisions.com) just like my custom rifle y’all will be shooting In a little while, is

very nicely accurate, especially for a “hunting rifle”. Shooting Hornady Precision Hunter 175-

grain ELD-X it consistently shoots 5-inch and less groups at 800-yards. Still producing more than

sufficient down energy to kill even large bodied big game.”

“While regularly I shoot at steel long-range out to 1200-yards, I hold my shots at game down to

no more than 400-yards when hunting. The only time I will take a shot beyond, is if there is

simply no earthly way to get closer and all conditions mostly meaning wind are right, or, I’m

having to put down a previously wounded animal.”

“While I like and hunt with a lot of different rounds, I have to say the 7mm PRC is fast becoming

my hunting favorite. I’ve now used it on numerous animals shot at distance from 12 steps, in

the case of a big black bear, to taking a wild hog at 390-yards. In each instance the 175-grain

ELD-X bullet performed perfectly. I love and appreciate the supreme accuracy of that particular

bullet, but also its excellent terminal performance. Were I to hunt moose with that round I

would probably opt for Hornady’s Outfitter, 160-grain CX, simply because of its monolithic

copper alloy composition with its deeper penetration capabilities. I have used it on a couple of

older wild boars, to me the perfect bullet test “medium”. Their thick cartilaginous shield covers

their vitals, plus their bones solid and their muscles dense. I was impressed how the CX bullet

performed!

If you’re primarily into shooting extreme long ranges, where you really do not need a “real”

hunting rifle, then to me, the longer barrels are OK. But if you spend most of your time

hunting, may I highly suggest a shorter barrel rifle. Do so surely beats missing an opportunity

because you cannot get that longer barrel rifle up to your shoulder to take a shot!