I have a new to me rifle chambered in 338 win mag with a barrel longer than I prefer (26"). I haven't hunted with it yet but have been in the field with rifles with longer barrels (25+") that I've found unwieldy in the woods. I've read that shortening a barrel will not adversely affect accuracy (if a barrel is inherently accurate, removing some length doesn't change inherent accuracy). However there is some degree of performance loss with each inch of barrel reduction (20-40 fps-ish) from my reading. Question I have is, as long as I'm willing to give some degree of cartridge performance to enhance the rifle's handling, what else haven't I considered? This is a venture I've not ever taken and would love to hear feedback from others as to the pros, cons, and experiences from those more sage and thoughtful than I am before I go chopping up a perfectly fine rifle.