For those of you guys that have tried a few different barrel makers, what would you consider the least fouling maker of a barrel. This would include Dan Lilja, Kreiger, Shelen, Hart or even others. Don't mention douglas. Bad experience by me. I am about to order a Kreiger #7 contour in .308 but want experience of others before I order the barrel. I am so ticked off about copper fouling out of factory barrels due to my failed firelapping experience that I want the best lapped barrel out there but of course want the best accuracy.
Also, have any of you guys had a barrel teflon coated before. I have never even seen one. Frank at Krieger barrels suggested instead of getting a CM barrel and having it parkerized, to get a SS and have it teflon coated. He thinks it would match the parkarization of my 700PSS action well with a SS barrel.
BC - If you follow Krieger's break in procedure, you will find it to be one of the best non-fouling barrels made. I have switched to Krieger on all my target/varmint guns. I am continually amazed at how easily they clean. I have had a slew of different factory and premium barrels, so far, nothing compares.
Posts: 10780 | Location: Test Tube | Registered: 27 February 2001
Basically, I lived in Charleston, WV for 5 years, and some locals that lived there conviced me they were sound barrels. So I talked my brother into rebarreling a 30-06 he had. It shot worse than when he took it there and copper fouled pretty bad. Also, had it borescoped and the lapping sucked. So douglas replaced the barrel and all was fine. Since we live 2 hours from the plant, it was easy to deal with without shipping.
quote:Originally posted by bigcountry: For those of you guys that have tried a few different barrel makers, what would you consider the least fouling maker of a barrel. This would include Dan Lilja, Kreiger, Shelen, Hart or even others. Don't mention douglas. Bad experience by me. I am about to order a Kreiger #7 contour in .308 but want experience of others before I order the barrel. I am so ticked off about copper fouling out of factory barrels due to my failed firelapping experience that I want the best lapped barrel out there but of course want the best accuracy.
Also, have any of you guys had a barrel teflon coated before. I have never even seen one. Frank at Krieger barrels suggested instead of getting a CM barrel and having it parkerized, to get a SS and have it teflon coated. He thinks it would match the parkarization of my 700PSS action well with a SS barrel.
I don't know what kind of problems you have with Douglas barrel, but I have an custom STW with a 27' barrel that I can cover three shots with a dime. Thats good enough for my shooting skills. I don't shoot anymore than three shots at a time, so I don't know what it would do in a five shot group. What I like about this particular rifle is it shoots very good with every powder I have used. I do believe that other barrel makers also make fine barrels. fws
You can get a bad barrel from even the best manufacturer. However, the chances are lower from Krieger, Shilen, Hart, Lilja and K&P. Assuming you get a good barrel,how you break in the barrel will determine how much fouling you get. Remember JB id your friend when used sparingly.-Rob
Posts: 6314 | Location: Las Vegas,NV | Registered: 10 January 2001
Thank Toto for your post. As the original question asked, have you tried barrels from different barrel makers and what was your best for not copper fouling? Thanks
I understand that fully Rob, but if you bought a lemen car, that broke down on you all the time, would you go out and buy the exact make and model just cause toto had great luck out of that car?
Rob, do you have any experience in teflon coating of gun barrels? Is that like powder coating?
[This message has been edited by bigcountry (edited 05-09-2002).]
All of my aftermarket barrels are Douglas & Shilen. Honestly, I can't see a difference in accuracy or fouling in any of them. (Read; excellent & minimal).
Thanks for the advise. I went ahead and ordered the krieger. I will let you know how it turns out. The reason I hate copper fouling so much is, I have a 700PSS in 300RUM. It was accurate but while testing loads you had to clean ever 8 rounds or so. A huge pain in the ass. So out of desparation, I fire lapped the barrel with tubbs final finish kit. I could not get the accuracy back. My groups averaged 1.7" or so from .7". I took to a gunsmith and saw all the edges were gone on the rifling. Probably due to the lapping. But also noticed the bore was still so rough. So now, I am a hardcore anti fouling advocate. So if remington would have made the barrel right in the first place, I wouldn't have been in this mess. So I want a barrel where I have to touch it with a rod as minimal as possible with very little scrubbing to ensure this won't happen again and to be sure it wasn't my aggresive cleaning that I had to do that ruined the barrel.
BC - Once your Krieger is properly broken in, all you will need is a few patches of Butch's Bore Shine and no brushes. In fact, take your brushes and JB Bore Paste and throw them away. Seriously, do not us a brush on your Krieger, there is no need. Shame not all barrels perform so well.
Posts: 10780 | Location: Test Tube | Registered: 27 February 2001
So if remington would have made the barrel right in the first place, I wouldn't have been in this mess. So I want a barrel where I have to touch it with a rod as minimal as possible with very little scrubbing to ensure this won't happen again and to be sure it wasn't my aggresive cleaning that I had to do that ruined the barrel.
Jim Brockman told me years ago that all the Remington barrels he had experience with fouled badly. I had sent him a Remington M700 .416 RM because the barrel was fouled after as few as three shots using monolithics. This rifle came from the Custom Shop and was one of the first available .416s from Remington.
I have had good experience with Shilen barrels, and also with Douglass top grade air gauged barrels. I want to try the Lothar Walther on the next one built.
jim dodd
------------------ "if you are to busy to hunt, you are too busy."
Posts: 4166 | Location: San Diego, CA USA | Registered: 14 November 2001
I always favored Krieger and Pac Nor but once I used my first Lothar-Walther barrel I have never used any other brand since. Lothar-Walther have a special polishing process and the minute you run that first patch down the bore you know that bugger is gonna shoot..and they do that...
Fouling is part of shooting rifles, they all foul about the same, the bullets you shoot are the guiding factor as to how much..of course the smoother the barrel the less fouling for the most part.
My experience is that Lothar-Walthers shoot about as well fouled as clean. I clean those barrel about every 100 to 200 rounds when varmint shooting chucks and pinheads in Idaho. While varmint hunting I use a pull through rope to clean. Might shoot 1000 rounds in a day or two.
One does not have to get all the fouling out every time he cleans the gun, least we would all be cleaning between every shot.
