In this article, we are comparing the ballistics of 308 long range barrels, ranging from 20 inch to 24 inch. Featuring 24" 308 Black Hole Weaponry Upper Receiver Assembly, which is a base for our Moriarti's 24" AR-10 .308 Long Range Varmint Stainless Steel Rifle; it is by far the most desirable and sought after AR-10 rifle.
Scarce to find, this became an absolute favorite of our clients who are willing to wait sometimes months at a time for barrels to arrive from production. These barrels are designed for Moriarti Armaments by Black Hole Weaponry.
PRECISION/LONG RANGE SHOOTING - Why you want a 24 inch 308 barrel?
The .308 Winchester (7.62x51 NATO) is simply the most popular short-action big-game-hunting cartridge in the world, capable of taking down just about any size game in North America with moderate recoil and accuracy beyond 1000 yards.
The AR-10 shoots a projectile roughly 3x the weight of projectile coming out of an AR-15 - higher mass objects will conserve more energy and velocity over long distances (.308 vs 5.56). It is a larger bullet with a higher ballistic coefficient. That means it’s able to retain its energy and velocity while also being more resilient to external variables such as wind. Anything pass 500 yards out, AR-10 is your friend. The .308 is extremely manageable and should not impede accuracy for even an intermediate level shooter. There are of course different bullet styles and weights for the .223 that can make it more competitive in the long range game, but as far as taking a gun out of the box and slinging lead at any kind of distance, the AR10 is the safest bet.
So 20 inch or 24 inch 308 barrel? Always go with a heavy or bull profile for both. We are not addressing pencil profile at all, thus making it easier to compare the two. The answer depends on you. What is your objective?
20 inch 308 barrel gives extreme accuracy and stable performance. It is also widely used for target shooting. However, the 24 inch barrel gave 200fps more speed than the 20 inch in one load. If you are looking for velocity gain, then 24 inch 308 barrel is the answer. According to rifleshooter, with a barrel reduction from 28″ to 16.5″ by one each, the average speed loss of the four types of .308 ammo used was 261 fps total. That works out to an average loss of 22.7 fps per inch.
And there is of course scarcity and cost of 24 inch 308 barrel. Usually custom made to order, these rifles are hard to find. As such, everyone wants one when you go to the range, making you the center of attention. To better days ahead, happy shooting!