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16" or 18" barrel length for deer hunting


Navistar82

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Looking into somewhat building an ar10 in 308 for mainly deer hunting but also paper punching out to 500 yards.  Deer will be 350 and under, might try paper out to 500.   Looking into a complete upper from aero precision with either a 16" or 18" barrel, (will build the lower). Ive read an 18" is the sweet spot for weight and still keep velocity up for ethical kill shots for deer hunting out to the distance I'm referring to. But the info i read was on a random forums, wanted to some info from the 308 forum.

 

Thanks in advance 

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For the most part, stainless barrels have shown a greater potential for better accuracy over steel barrels, but that's old school mentality.  It doesn't take into account new manufacturing methods, for either barrel material.  There are steel barrels out there that are highly accurate, and even mass produced.  As long as you get a barrel from a reputable barrel manufacturer, it will shoot very well, no matter what it's made of.  The definition of "reputable barrel manufacturer" will typically not included budget barrels that you find on sale for $99, either.  I'm talking about companies that only make barrels, and few other items... 

16" will get it done.  That's plenty of barrel.  Depending on the weight of the projectile in the loaded ammo,  you'll have enough power to make clean kill shots at 500.   Example on loads, 178gr Hornady BTHP projectiles loaded to 2400fps.  That's 1100 foot pounds of energy at 500 yards. 

Lot's of variables in your questions,though they might seem like basic questions.  Tons of answers available. 

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3 minutes ago, Navistar82 said:

  Are aero precision barrels considered reputable?

Yes.  Aero Precision bought Ballistic Advantage, so the AP branded barrels are Ballistic Advantage barrels.

You can calculate your specific load data via this program:

http://www.jbmballistics.com/ballistics/calculators/calculators.shtml

Edited by 98Z5V
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    You don't say what Lower Receiver you are using with the Aero Upper , I would recommend the same Manufacturer for both Upper & Lower Receivers. Seems we see more fitment issues with miss matched Uppers & Lower Receivers .

    If your getting a complete built Upper , you may not have much choice in Barrel manufacturers . 16" will work fine , I have very small group differences in a 20",18" & 16" , of course there would be even less if you custom tailor your loadings for one Barrel length .

   The 20" did print the best , but all were the same loadings , I do not custom load for the Barrel length , I look for the best all around loading for the different barrel's. 

  I'm using various 155 gr. Match & Hornady Amax , Bullets with very good results & I really like the Amax . I would go more with a 168+ for longer ranges then 500 though . 

  Just remember , on a 308AR platform , every ounce makes a difference when your humping it around all day & the Barrel is where a lot of the weight is .

  I'm a Criterion Barrel pusher , you can get a complete Upper with their Barrels from Fulton Armory . Nothing wrong with Aero as a choice .

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Yes, I'll be buying an Aero lower with their LPK, minus trigger group.  Gun will be essentially a full Aero minus trigger group, buttstock, buffer tube, spring, buffer and grip.  I wont be shooting past 500 yards and that might not even happen, farthest range around my area is 300...hes talking of stretching it out to 500.  Main shots on deer will be under 200 yards and with the possibility of one hunting spot out to 350.

Thanks

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SS barrels are really only more accurate if you're stretching the maximum out of the cartridge. At sub-500, you'll get very minimal performance change. SS also wears faster than a quality CMV barrel with a quality melonite finish, by almost double... 7k rounds vs maybe 4k rounds. 

I think is was Faxon or Criterion that wrote a great article on how "less expensive" doesn't mean "less quality". They point out that melonite (in any of its forms) is exponentially better than chrome lining, in longevity and performance, AND it costs less to apply it. Utilizing the benefits of modern technology reduces costs and increases the quality of he product. 

So an SS barrel is technically more accurate, but will you be able to take advantage of that with what you are doing? A high quality CMV barrels is likely more accurate than 90% of the people who use it. 

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Good advice, had no idea the round count was that big of a difference, I'll go the CMV route.  For those who have shot or heard an 18" vs a 16", how much louder is the 16", is it loud enough to jump to the 18" to help tame it for not much more weight difference?  I'll be using a hellfire muzzlebreak on it, which I know will make it louder.  I know it'll be louder than what I'm used to but I don't want go deaf shooting a deer either...regardless of adrenaline pumping when i see a deer.

Thanks to all who posted to help a newb.

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I understand but my main purpose will be deer hunting with paper punching on the side so I would rather have a barrel that lasts a long time then match grade accuracy when i dont need it.

Don't get me wrong, I practice all the time and make clean ethical shots on the animals that I hunt.

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Either on the gas system.   16" will almost always have a midlength gas system, and that's a good combination.  On 18" barrels, you'll find midlength and rifle length equally, in a barrel search.  I've got an 18" miglength gas stainless barrel from Rainier Arms that is an absolute tack driver, and it doesn't kick like a mule or anything like that.  It runs well.  16" midlength gas steel barrel from Faxon, and it is wonderful.  Not overly loud at all, to the shooter, even with a 2 chamber brake on the end of it.  It certainly sucks for anyone beside me, though...  :lmao:  There are a couple more barrels in the large frame ARs I have, but those two above are great examples.  

A 16" barrel will accomplish what you're seeking, as you stated above - 350 hunting, paper range out to 500... An 18" barrel might give you a little more in the fps range, but not much. The 16" is going to be more maneuverable, for sure, and 2" of extra barrel will affect the swing weight of the whole rifle, during hunting.

Edited by 98Z5V
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14 minutes ago, Navistar82 said:

What buffer/buffer tube setup are you running with the 16" midlength?  I've made up my mind on a 16" cmv setup.  Thanks for your help, been greatly appreciated! :thumbup:

3 of my large frame ARs are running collapsible stocks, and only one had a fixed stock. 

On the 3 collapsibles, all parts are the same.  Armalite AR-10 Carbine receiver extension, Armalite AR-10 Carbine buffer spring (Part # E1095), and an AR15 Carbine H3 buffer.

^^^  Reliable, consistent, and always performs.  :thumbup:

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I don't run any adjustable gas blocks on any of my rifles - so, they'll work without adjustable gas blocks. I think I understood you correctly.

Port in gas blocks should be 0.125", across the board - that's the maximum gas port size you'll ever find in a barrel.

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