.308 Barrel Types

[spqrzilla]

I am a big guy, and it seems to me like we're talking about a pound or so weight difference, which seems almost irrelevant to me, slung on my shoulder.

Not at all irrelevant. Not least because it won't always be slung.

[waxthis]

Don't under estimate factory barrels. Factory barrels are capable of pretty good accuracy with little or no tweaking. Give the rifle a chance to prove its self before you drop big money on a custom barrel and gunsmithing.
I have 2 Remington 700 VS in 308 and 7-08 that will shoot way better than most.

^^^^^^^

Good advice...

[buckshotbarlow]

I love all my savage tubes, they shoot great. For custom barrels I run shilen. For hunting a 3/4 contour is very nice, and not 2 hard on the body.

[CO Hugh]

I have a barrel with a #1 contour, featherweight, and noticed that it is hard to group after 5 rounds, it gets hot and has to cool. So you may want to compare differences in weights and contours for your intended use.

If you are using for hunting and will probably never fire more than 5 shots at a time, go with a light barrel.

[bigmyk2k]

I would be using it for hunting, but I would also be using it for grouping and range practice.
So, in the field, it is unlikely to have heat issues, but on the range...
On a standard barrel, how long between shots to avoid overheating, or how long between groups to allow cool down.
I know this will vary by rifle and barrel, but I am just asking for ballpark. Are we talking a few minutes, or an hour plus?