16.5" .243 Win ?

[smokey262]

I am getting a rifle ready for one of my kids and am contemplating cutting a barrel down to 16.5" like the Ruger Compact rifles. Will be cutting some off the butt end of the stock too, and adding a Pachmayr decelerator recoil pad. Will be using 85 or 90 grain bullets at around 2500 to 2600 fps to start him out.

My concern is muzzle flip and blast with this short of a barrel.

Anyone here have experience with this Ruger, or similar rigs?

 

[rangerruck]

the old remmy 788's had 18 inch bbls, and 22 inchers, and the old 600/660/mohawks had 16 inch and 18 inch bbls. You will still get some decent speeds, proly faster even than that. Muzzle flip is no big deal; it is too small to worry about , really. But muzzle blast? You will def get all that you can want; like a Mosin 38!

 

[AzBuckfever]

I don't have the same caliber, but I cut my 30-06 down to 20" and after shooting it the other day to chrono it, my gunsmith noticed that there is a little more muzzle flip (rise) from the reduction in forend weight. I don't think it'll be a problem once I throw the scope on and if so, I'll probably just add a little weight to the forend by use of maybe a Harris bupod or just inlaying a weight into the forend of the stock.
Otherwise, muzzle blast didn't seem to be an issue but the resonance of the blast seemed to be louder. I was impressed with the velocities of the roudns though. Average of 3 rounds (180 grn. Nosler partitions loaded with Hodgon 4350 -forgot the grain-) was 2750 fps.

 

[Silent Sam]

Don't think muzzle flip will be a problem. That dog will bark though.

 

[thomis]

yes it will. bark that is.

I have the Rem Mohawk 600 in .243 with the mentioned 16" bbl. It is as loud as any rifle or any gun for that matter, that I ever have heard.
I load my own to help compensate for it. IMR 4064 is a good one. It is a bit faster burning. I use 37.5 grains to push 100 grain Hornady SP bullets at a little over 2600 with supreme accuracy. I took the scope off this rifle as the open sights were so darn easy to use. Its my go to carry gun and would make an excellent starter rifle for an entry level youth.