Not sure if this is the best sub forum, but I finally have suppressors in jail. Wanting to hunt with a can and not positive the best way. I have a .308 stevens that I bought cheap and has been my deer gun. The factory sporter barrel is .650 at 16" and .625 at 18". Most of my research was showing that most want .680 for a shoulder when doing a cut/thread for a muzzle device.

should I buy a  ~18-20" threaded shilen/criterion (savage) barrel? I would be ok with hogging out the stock Tupperware stock for a slightly heavier profile.

or should I sell the stevens and move to a different factory threaded .308? Tiger american type?

thoughts? I'm wanting something handy, light, and reasonably accurate. Last shot on a deer was 172 yards. Probably 200yd max. Looking to stay with .308.

I have the same gun.  My first dedicsted hunting rifle.  I had it cut down to 18 inches and threaded 9/16 x24. Then found out the standard was 5/8x24 for .308.  At the time I only had a L1A1 and this in .308 and they were threaded the same, so no big deal.  Eventually I sold the L1A1, and put a 9/16x24 to 5/8x24 adapter on the barrel. Then I standardized on 13/16x16 adapter, to make it easier to swap around the suppressor.

Any way, at 18 inches it did quite well for me.  Killed my first three white tail deer with it.  A doe, an 8 PT and a 10 PT.

@garyd Yeah, same. First dedicated hunting rifle. I think I picked it up around 2008 but didn't start hunting until a bit later in life. Wears a leupold vx-2. It's not super sentimental, but I like it and wouldn't mind keeping it.

After your post, I went to check and Griffin (I have an explorr and rev9 in jail) makes a .30 cal ez brake in 1/2 x 28. Would that work at 18"? Hmm, that doesn't seem like a lot of meat though. They don't have anything in 9/16 it seems. Mixed results on .308 and 1/2 x 28 from a quick google.

did you have adco cut it or where did you take it?

I had a machinist friend do it.  I personally think 1/2x28 would be suficient, but a lot of people probably won't.

I did not take my first white tail till I was 35.

I’d buy a new rifle.

The shilen barrels I've put on savages were hammers.  Like head to head shooting with a buddy and his GAP at a grand.
If you like the rifle definately upgrade the barrel. It will most likely outshoot whatever rifle you would of replaced it with and you probably won't get much out of the stevens.

I've gone through several iterations of deer rifles from 20" heavy barrel bolt guns to 18" bb ar10 to 20" hbar ar10 to 16" hbar ar10 to 18" ar10 in 6.5cm.  Then I found a compact 16" Thompson center compass in 6.5cm and it is my hands down favorite. With the suppressor on it, its shorter than a 24" bolt gun.

When the barrels get in that 16-18" range I like to step down in bullet weight to keep velocity up so the bullets expand properly.  In 30 years of hunting, my two biggest deer were both taken with 16" guns. An ar10 running 125grn ssts and the 6.5cm TC with 129 interlocks. At 180 and 145 yards.

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't the Steven 200 actions basically cheaper Savage 10 actions? Because I remember like years ago(probably like 10) they were sought after as a base for cheaper precision rifle builds. If I got it mixed up with another action(so many number) forgive me. But if so, go for for it. Don't need to go crazy, but a good barrel should not be much and you can change it yourself. Then you will have exactly what you want and a good accurate shooter.

I am a huge fan of short barrel precision guns. Mainly because they went against the norm of what a long range gun is supposed to be. I wouldn't hesitate to make a 16 or 18 inch gun and throw the can on it. It would be nice and compact. But it also depends on what distance you are hunting at. Like one user posted, you might want to tailor your loads to the barrel if you go short. But not exactly needed. I have seen people take whitetail death with a 12 inch barrel 6.5 creedmore and softpoints.

Remove the current barrel and thread 5/8-24.

Correct on the action.  Should take standard savage prefits.