Recommendations for short-barreled rifle (16-18") with threaded muzzle?

[CORN]

Looking to pick up a new hunting rifle. I typically hunt suppressed, so looking for something with a shorter barrel (16-18") that's threaded. I'm not finding much that's <20" and the options that I do find typically don't have a threaded muzzle. I'm doing mostly whitetails in the east, with a once-a-year trip out west for elk or pronghorn. Not too picky on the caliber, but I'm not reloading so something like .308, .270, 7mm-08 would be optimal. Obviously you give up a little muzzle velocity with a shorter barrel but I'll gladly do that for a shorter stick that's not catching on every branch I duck under. Anyone know of anything that fits the bill?

 

[T Bone]

Sig Cross in .308 would fit the bill.

Bergara also makes a .308 bolt gun in 18" threaded, if I remember correctly.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

You’ll have more options looking for whatever brand and caliber you like best and having it cut down and threaded.

 

[CORN]

You’ll have more options looking for whatever brand and caliber you like best and having it cut down and threaded.

Yeah, that's a good point. Got recommendations on reputable guys to do the job? Always worries me a little having work like that done (mainly concentricity of the threads)

 

[Dsnow9]

Bergara b-14 ridge special purpose. 18” barrel, threaded, .308. And a shooter!

That plate was the 200 yard sight in process. Last two are overlapping.

 

[Farmerj]

Make it…

18” criterion in .280 Remington.

You can get the barrel threaded anyway you want, 1/2”, 5/8” or 3/4”. At any length you want.

 

[turbobrick]

This is a Savage in 260 Remington I had cut down to 16” for my nieces and nephews to use for hunting with a suppressor. It only lost 150fps versus the same gun I have in 22”.



This is the new project, 8.6 Blackout, 12” so much fun. From 165 all the way to 350 grain projectiles, sub and super sonic.

My primary is a 22” 300wsm, I wish I’d had it cut back to 20, I think the performance difference would have been minimal.

 

[Robert N]

Remington 700 SPS 16” Police Special in .308. They were intentionally made short to work with a suppressor.

I have the 20” version and it cuts .4” groups at 100 yards with a 180gr. handload. I have a suppressor on order and am considering cutting 3.5” off it to shorten the Overall length.

 

[shannerdrake]

Have you considered a Browning BAR Mark II or III?

In short, does a Browning BAR Safari Mark II or BAR Mark III make decent varminter?

I have read claims that the BAR can rival many bolt guns in the MOA department. Could you see yourself with a BAR in a chuck field, a prairie dog town or in a field of gophers? Fox and yotes? I figure in .243 one could have a great rat gun as well as a great deer gun in the venerable Belgian...

www.hunttalk.com

 

[GlockZ]

I don't know your budget, but I will tell you that a Ruger American Predator in 308 is a diamond in the rough. Found mine to be very accurate with Hornady SST's in 150gr, and Federal Premium's 165gr. TB's as well as the 165gr. Fusion. Haven't hunted with it yet, just paper out to 300yds. The only thing I changed, was I changed it to accept AICS mags.

 

[CORN]

Sig Cross in .308 would fit the bill.

Bergara also makes a .308 bolt gun in 18" threaded, if I remember correctly.

The Cross looks interesting. Definitely not the aesthetic of a traditional hunting rifle, but the folding stock could actually be really nice for pack-ins. Have you used one? Any disadvantages to the PRS style stock?

 

[CORN]

Not gonna clog the thread by replying to everyone but thank you all for the great suggestions! I'm looking up all of these, some good options I didn't know where out there!

 

[Farmerj]

Plenty of testing that shows down to a 18-20” barrel is reasonable.

.308 Win Barrel Cut-Down Test: Velocity vs. Barrel Length « Daily Bulletin

With barrels, one wonders Can a little more length provide a meaningful velocity gain? To answer that question, Rifleshooter.com performed an interesting test, cutting...

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

 

[jt13]

Remington 700 SPS 16” Police Special in .308. They were intentionally made short to work with a suppressor.

I have the 20” version and it cuts .4” groups at 100 yards with a 180gr. handload. I have a suppressor on order and am considering cutting 3.5” off it to shorten the Overall length.

We've got half a dozen of these for work and they're all solid. Suppressed 20" guns throwing about MOA accuracy with whatever ammo we run through them. I'll get a 16" 308 or 300blk for myself when I find it at the right price.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Yeah, that's a good point. Got recommendations on reputable guys to do the job? Always worries me a little having work like that done (mainly concentricity of the threads)

I’ve used ADCO for a few projects, I think they’re in Ohio but can’t remember and have used Class III Machining as well. Most places are gonna want you to strip the rifle and action down to just the barrel and receiver, just fyi.

I cut a Ruger American Predator down to 16.5”, it’s killed a lot of deer.
Also have one of the 20” Remingtons from the above post and have killed a few animals with it and have dope on it out to 1200yds but it’s really a bit heavy for a true hunting rifle in my opinion.

 

[Farmerj]

Gavintoobe did a video where they threaded a barrel with a rental cutter from 4D reamers.
31:24 is where they show cutting threads for a muzzle brake without a lathe.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Yeah, that's a good point. Got recommendations on reputable guys to do the job? Always worries me a little having work like that done (mainly concentricity of the threads)

Shaen Rifles, Fosnaugh Customs.

 

[turbobrick]

I've had really great success with Morgan at Class III machining, threading is basically all they do now, and they're crazy efficient and proficient at it. He did the Savage I posted above, and 5 other rifles for me.

 

[Gojo03]

Christensen Ridgeline scout or Sig Cross for me. I have a 16" AR that is a tack driving, reliable tank... A little on the chunky side though

 

[brockel]

I’ll have a 17” 6.5 prc by the end of next week