I think a 24" barrel .308 is not a bad idea at all. The .308 is such a versatile round that it can be made to perform well with nearly any barrel length.

I bought the 2004 Classic in 8x57mm Mauser. I love it, and am having a lot of fun working up handloads for it. I sure would like to see the 7x57 and 6.5x55 again, too.