Hey gang, could use some brain storming. Got a CZ 550 Varmint in .308 with about a 26" bull bbl. I've had it out deer hunting but the weight and length just make it a PITA sometimes. I love the action and everything about it except those two things. Thinking about having the barrel cut down to about 18- 20" and re-recess crowned and threaded.

It's pretty much lived it's life as a bench rifle and is boringly accurate in it's current configuration. (not that that bothers me). I want to make it more deer-hunting friendly.

It's had many, many rounds through it, but I don't load hot, plus it's a .308, so the barrel is still in excellent condition.

I think lopping off nearly a foot of that big heavy bull barrel would make it even a more capable hunting rifle, with the added benefit of, um, adding barrel accessories.

Sure, I could thread the barrel as-is, but that would be borderline pornographically long with anything screwed to the end.

How much weight am I looking at losing cutting off 8" or so of that heavy-[censored] bull barrel?

I'm really not sure I'll be sacrificing much performance since .308 isn't really sensitive to barrel length.

I also have a Ruger Gunsite Scout and have worked up a load they share with very acceptable results for hunting, so I have no doubt I could work up another if needed.

I could spin the compensator off the Ruger and can that rifle, but I really want to shorten and can the big fat barrel on the CZ!

I doubt the CZ will ever have any collector value, even though it was discontinued in 2015. Maybe in 100 years?

Ugh.....I'm torn. I love the rifle the way it is now, (the way it shoots) but really want to make it more user friendly for what I want to use it for.

All comments and suggestions are more than welcome and appreciated. I'd really like to hear from Morgan and Chad on this, as well.

Thanks all for reading my dellima! Safe shooting and tight groups!

SD

Cut it and thread it.

18" to 20" is plenty for a 308.

If you’re not going to add a muzzle accessory then I would say 20” is optimal for a .308. I would like to guess if properly recrowned at 20” it will shoot better than it does now. You may have to develop a new load but you will have less harmonics. Velocity loss on a .308 is negligible at 20” as well. If you’re going to add a can that’s completely out of anything I know.

I'm a huge fan of the 308, and I have multiple 308's. I will be sitting in the stand this season with a 16" 308 suppressed shooting 125 Ballistic Tips at 2902 fps (actually, I think my son said he's taking that rifle, and he does most the shooting anyway!!) That's plenty for us. The 150's were running 2760 fps in same rifle.

Accuracy wise, it will still be there after you cut it down. But you give up some velocity. In a 308, you'll lose about 20-25 fps per inch (on average). But for hunting, it will be fine.

On the weight, you'll lose about 4 oz to 4.5 oz per inch on the heavy varmint barrel contour. So, going from 26" to say 18", that should be about 2 lbs worth of barrel. I like the 308 and keeping it short makes it much more handy for hunting and hunting out of a deer stand. I say go for it.

I’ll find an 8 inch drop from my buckets and see what an 8 inch section weighs, bet it’s bunch.

I’d personally cut it if it was mine, I can’t stand 34 inch barrels once a can is on.

Edit: Chad answered the weight :-)

Cut it to 16".

It'll still shoot well, maybe better, It'll just be slower.

Want to pick up speed again? Go to a 155 gr bullet, and load a faster burn rate powder.

Enjoy!

Thanks all for the input, and I think I will have it cut to 16". That will likely cut the overall weight substantially. I appreciate all y'all's input and I'll get with Mr. Morgan to get this thing circumcised, if he'll do the honors. (Don't worry, I don't need it this season!)

Man, what a great bunch. Thanks.

Op, I did the same thing with my model 70 varmint .308. Do it!

Judy chop to 16.5" and don't look back. You have to be shooting a very long way for it to matter in a real world, non-internet ninja use case.

Every one of my hunting rifles is 16.5" or shorter. Do it.

Yessir just let me know and I will get it knocked out man. Thanks!

I Dallas Shooting Supplies chop my 20" CTR to 16"
All I run are the 178 ELDX for it..
Headshot a doe at 200 yards yesterday morning and watched impact through scope and deer drop.

I run a FFP/MIl/MIL scope and dial in for elevation past 200