Barrel Recommendations for Plains Game rifle in .300 RUM

[GA Hunter]

I built a very similar gun a few years back. 300 RUM Defiance Deviant. I used a Krieger #5 bull sporter with a 1 - 10 twist. Finished it at 26”. If I had to do it over I would have it fluted to save a little weight. My scoped rifle weighs in right at 11 1/2 pounds.

The 200 grain Accubonds do quite well in mine.

 

[YancyW]

I'll be using Bergers up to 210 grain max, most likely the 190 grain VLD pushing it at 3K+ fps. Using their twist calculator 1:10 works. If I were to use their 245 grain then I'd have to go to 1:8.5 for sure. If I ever have the need to shoot a 245 grain bullet though, I am switching guns

Certainly can't disagree. The only thing I might add, 190-210 will shoot just fine in a 1:9, I have shot out a couple 9 twists with 210s, no issues at all. This was mostly done at a staggering altitude of about 500 feet.

 

[GA Hunter]

I'll be using Bergers up to 210 grain max, most likely the 190 grain VLD pushing it at 3K+ fps. Using their twist calculator 1:10 works. If I were to use their 245 grain then I'd have to go to 1:8.5 for sure. If I ever have the need to shoot a 245 grain bullet though, I am switching guns

You won’t find much love for the Bergers in Africa. I used them one year and pretty much every PH in camp looked down on them. Of course they were effective but it didn’t sway any opinions.

 

[mikecatt13]

He is kinda set in his ways. This will be the fifth rifle he has built for me. I am not nervous at all.

Well that's good. Personally, I'd be getting what I want 100%, and doing a lot of walking in vast plains that definitely would be saving weight with carbon. To each their own, all the other major brands shoot well too so if weight isnt an issue to you they will shoot and kill just as well

 

[Tanks]

You won’t find much love for the Bergers in Africa. I used them one year and pretty much every PH in camp looked down on them. Of course they were effective but it didn’t sway any opinions.

PHs also were skeptical of my B&M wildcats with CEB bullets until they saw the results. I am going for hunting, not for validation of my choices Heck, I remember a while back one PH on these forums that had posted in discussions that a .375 is all one needs for an elephant and he wouldn't have a client use anything else and only heart shots!!!

People are comfortable with what they are used to and the choices we have here in the States are not available to folks in Africa.

 

[Tanks]

... Personally, I'd be getting what I want 100%, and doing a lot of walking in vast plains that definitely would be saving weight with carbon. To each their own, all the other major brands shoot well too so if weight isnt an issue to you they will shoot and kill just as well

Without stock I am at about 6 pounds with a #5 or #6 barrel. Stock will be laminate this time and if my other rifles are an indication I think I am looking at around 9 - 9,5 lbs max maybe a bit lighter as laminate is lighter than the Turkish wood on other stocks I have. Scope probably will add close to a pound I think.

I will have the barrel fluted as well to help with cooling as well as weight.

 

[bruce moulds]

years ago I had built a rem 700 7 mag with a 27" hart barrel of rem varmint profile.
thinking I had the ultimate long range rifle I went hunting.
where I had underthought the whole deal was that the rifle had very bad balance, it was heavy to carry, and while long shots might come along, normal range shots are the most encountered.
to take advantage of the rifle's accuracy (the action was trued, neckturned cases, etc) was impossible in the field positions used.
my current 7mmstw long range rifle has a shilen no 3 profile 26" barrel and is a joy to shoot in field positions and to carry.
for the cartridge in question here I would prefer a shilen no 4 profile at 26".
be wary of fluting barrels of these profiles, as they can be weakened.
you can see shilen's profiles on their website, and relate to other brands.
once you are up in the hills or out on the plain, you cannot change rifles at a whim.
most shots are NOT long range.
bruce.

 

[Hogpatrol]

@bruce moulds You can go with a #3 fluted but it better be short, 22" or less and for a cartridge that doesn't have a large powder capacity. I hunted RSA with a 6.5-47 Lapua, 22" fluted #3 and it was well balanced and a pleasure to handle.

 

[bruce moulds]

you could not call the 7stw or the 30rum low capacity cases.
they benefit from 26" meaning even more weight in heavier profiles.
interestingly Krieger talks about stainless barrels splitting in the cold, and make minimum profile recommendations.
bruce.

 

[Hogpatrol]

you could not call the 7stw or the 30rum low capacity cases.
they benefit from 26" meaning even more weight in heavier profiles.
interestingly Krieger talks about stainless barrels splitting in the cold, and make minimum profile recommendations.
bruce.

Tall powder column cartridges, I wouldn't go with a fluted barrel less than a #5.

 

[Tanks]

...
be wary of fluting barrels of these profiles, as they can be weakened.
...

Interesting article about fluting here:

https://www.buckmasters.com/Magazines/GunHunter/Articles/ID/3064/Barrel-Fluting-What-Does-It-Do

 

[bruce moulds]

spending big money on a quality barrel blank and the fluting it can be a waste of money, ruining what you paid for.
the reason is that as metal is removed, new stress balances occur within the steel, potentially changing the bore/groove dimensions.
quality barrels are hand lapped to very fine tolerances, and this is part of the reason they, in lighter profiles will often shoot better than so so barrels of heavier profile.
we are talking here numbers like +/- 1/10 of 1 thou or less.
fluting should be done to the blank after deep drilling, but before reaming and rifling.
then internal dimensions are not disturbed.
just because it looks a bit special does not mean it is better, even if it costs more.
and speaking of cost, when you throw the barrel away, you also throw away the fluting!
spiral fluting might make some get their rocks off, but it reduces stiffness more than straight fluting.
the 3 prominent claims of fluting is that it increases stiffness, reduces weight, and promotes cooling.
actually, for that profile, a fluted barrel is less stiff than unfluted.
if you take the flutes off the safe profile of a barrel, it will be lighter again.
if anyone needs barrel cooling, it is fclass shooters who often fire 20+ shots rapid, yet they tend not to use them. of course hunters will rarely treat a barrel like that.
another way to get some cooling is to bead blast the barre, effectively increasing its surface area.
this also has the effect of being non reflective, and to my eye at least, pleasing in appearance either blued or stainless.
bruce.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Some hunts require it. My Elk hunt in Montana the outfitter required hunters to hit a gong at 500 yards as part of checking the sights. I was lucky that my elk was at a bit over 350 yards. Two guys got theirs at over 600 yards.

I wanted to build a flat shooting rifle with some power. I don't have anything between a .308 and a .375 and the .308 is not good enough for all PG, for example I wouldn't trust a quartering shot at an Eland with it. I also don't care for .338s.

At my 2021 hunt I doubt I will need to shoot at 400+ yards, but if I need to I want to be able to do it. This will be my PG rifle and the .458 B&M my DG rifle.

@Tanks : 500-600 yards shots for elk in Montana????????? Just my opinion, but you are hunting with the wrong Montana Outfitter. I've hunted elk in Montana for 20 years and if we can't get to within 300 yards, we keep stalking or we wait for the elk to come to us.

Don't care for 338s????? To each his own, but you are missing out. The 338 WM is one of the greatest all round calibers, IMHO and many others.

 

[Ray B]

Unless you're pushing the rifle through brush, to get the potential of the RUM case, I'd go with a 28" barrel.

 

[Tanks]

Thanks for all the replies. A lot of choices to ponder and research.

 

[Ray B]

spiral fluting might make some get their rocks off, but it reduces stiffness more than straight fluting.
the 3 prominent claims of fluting is that it increases stiffness, reduces weight, and promotes cooling.
actually, for that profile, a fluted barrel is less stiff than unfluted.
bruce.

I have no fluted barrels, so have to side in this discussion, but I'm wondering if any research/conclusions have ever been reached regarding the direction of the spiraling relative to the rifling. If the fluting is parallel to the rifling, then the bullet spin would be following the fluting (to the extent that the twist was approximately the rate of spin for the fluting. If the fluting was counter-clockwise while the twist was clockwise, then the highs and lows of the fluting would be somewhat perpendicular to the bullet spin. Just wondering.

 

[Tanks]

...
spiral fluting might make some get their rocks off, but it reduces stiffness more than straight fluting.
...

Hmmm, according to their website the spiral fluting actually provides more stiffness than straight fluting.

https://www.shawcustombarrels.com/barrels/barrel-fluting/51

 

[One Day...]

... I am going for hunting, not for validation of my choices ...

... to take advantage of the rifle's accuracy was impossible in field positions...

Unless you're pushing the rifle through brush, to get the potential of the RUM case, I'd go with a 28" barrel.

A lot of wisdom in these...

I would add a few additional thoughts...

• Fluting weight reduction (a few ounces) is meaningless in real life hunting terms...
• Reducing weight meaningfully proportionally increases recoil significantly. Not a totally irrelevant thought with a .300 RUM...
• Light rifles are easier to carry but harder to shoot from any position but a bench, which are rather rare in the bush...
• Removing metal by fluting inevitably reduces barrel rigidity...
• Fluting heat dissipation is largely irrelevant for a few shots per day African big game hunting (never mind one shot per year American big game hunting)...
• Etc. etc.

I personally would want a .300 RUM to have a barrel no shorter than 26" and to weigh, scoped, no less than 10 lbs.

 

[Tanks]

An update I had a long talk with my gunsmith. He recommended either Douglas or Krieger like he has used on the other 4 rifles he has built for me.

So, it will be a 26" barrel with helical fluting. He will make sure the blank diameter accommodates both the fluting and the caliber.

Overall weight should be around 10.5 lbs with a scope if I add up all the components. Almost a pound lighter than my .458 B&M. I guess the extra 8 inches of barrel and heavier and longer action makes a difference.