decide on custom barrel company....

16 February 2018, 02:53

Wanting to order a barrel for my 300 RUM Rem700, along with a new barrel for my A-bolt in .30-06. May have some others as well but for the time being these are hunting rifles and just need a sporter contour. 24" abolt, 26"-27" RUM.

How did you decide on which barrel company to go with? Kreiger, Lilja, McGowen, Shilen, Bartlein, Douglas...so many choices!

Any information is greatly appreciated..I've never had a rifle re-barreled before.

16 February 2018, 03:04

butchlambert

You have a PM.

16 February 2018, 03:43

ZekeShikar

It might be a little bit of "jump on the bandwagon" but look at which barrels are willing most of the meets.

Bartlein ranks right at the top by a long shot.

With that said, all of them you've mentioned can turn out super fine barrels.

My 300 RUM wears a Bartlein and my 340 Wby sports a Lilja and I really can't say which is better because they both work well for their applications.

Zeke

16 February 2018, 03:52

Lamar

you forgot Bergara.
I think it's harder to pick a bad barrel, unless you buy a Remington take off.

16 February 2018, 04:47

Atkinson

Lothar Walthar leads the pack IMO..and lets not forget Obermyer, but I think you have to buy 20 barrels to get Obermyer to make a barrel for you as he had a govt contract at one time in the past..Don't know today how they are.

16 February 2018, 17:18

butchlambert

Woody soured me on LW and Boots is selling individual barrels.
I've had a 308X11.25 twist Obermeyer for several years, but haven.t decided what to do with it.

16 February 2018, 19:26

LesBrooks

Butch,

When is the Shilen meeting trade days. I may try to get a couple of 17 cal. 1/10 barrels in #2. My son took my 17 Rem and now I feel unarmed. The 20 cal. 1/12 Shilen I bought would shoot better groups than the Krieger. PM me if you would have time.

Les

16 February 2018, 19:34

LesBrooks

I found the Shilen meeting posted down below, so that answered my questions. Hope to see some of you guys there.

16 February 2018, 22:47

butchlambert

Les, It will be 4-14-2018 at their new facility at 2501 N. Interstate 45
Ennis, Texas

16 February 2018, 23:32

Snellstrom

You are really fortunate, right now there are a bunch of great barrel makers turning out really good barrels.
I've had several barrels in recent years and I don't have a complaint about one of them.
I have some amazingly accurate barrels from Pac Nor, Lilja, Bartlein, Shilen, and McGowen.
I wouldn't hesitate to use any one of them again.
Some people and Gunsmiths are dedicated buyers and don't look outside the box much like dedicated Ford, Chevy, Dodge buyers. Besides the barrel makers I mentioned there are many others just as good.
Do your research, pick one and enjoy your new barrel. When shopping for new barrels don't scrimp buy the best one offered. With Pac Nor I ordered their Super Match grade barrel in a featherweight contour for 2 rifles and I'm really happy with both.
Good luck on your project....

16 February 2018, 23:48

dpcd

I use only Douglas; among the best, but as important, they do custom contours that no one else does. Their web site is stuck in 1960, which is why no one knows much about them any more. They don't promote what they can do.
There are some barrels I Won't use (from experience). I won't name them here, as it pisses off some guys who love them for some unknown reason.

16 February 2018, 23:56

butchlambert

Tom, do you deal with Stan Taylor? He is a great guy.

17 February 2018, 00:56

J Wisner

I have used many many brands over the past 40 + years.

Last year, I got a .308, # 2 contour barrel blank with a 1 x 8 twist from Shilen, it went on a Rem Mohawk 600 and is in 300 AAC caliber.

I wanted to play with cast bullets in a 22" barrel length.

All I can say is WOW, so far after about 150 rounds the biggest 5 shot group I have shot at 100 yds is 1 3/8" and the smallest is .780". Most of them are under 1" for a 5 shot group at 100yds.
Mind you this is only with one type of RCBS CAST bullet, and one powder, and just a total 5 grain increment step top to bottom in the powder charge. I am impressed, as I have never been able to shoot those kind of groups before with CAST bullets

And with the way Shilen is now lapping all thier barrels, ( a change a few years ago ), I have not had to do much to clean it afterwards, a couple of patches and it is good to go.

Bottom line is now a days, it is real hard to find a bad barrel as so many of them make excellent barrels.

JW
Life Member, American Custom Gunmakers Guild

17 February 2018, 01:06

Pegleg

When I was shooting benchrest I tried several of the big named barrel makers. I had a new Shilen installed on my heavy gun (13.5 lbs.) for the Nationals in '97. Took third place overall and was sold on the Shilen barrel. Have used several different since but the ones that seem to shoot best for me are the Shilens.

17 February 2018, 03:10

larry miller

Sorry to say Boots Obermeyer suffered a stroke in Dec, He is in a nursing home now. There will be no more barrels.

17 February 2018, 03:17

butchlambert

That is not good. Prayers for him.

17 February 2018, 05:09

boliep

Don't overlook Mullerworks barrels. Limited production but excellent product.

17 February 2018, 06:58

ColoradoMatt

When it comes to A-Bolts, some gunsmiths simply refuse to rebarrel them. You might ask your smitty if he’s up for it. I’ve heard a couple different reasons why they can be a pain in the ass.

Matt
FISH!!

Heed the words of Winston Smith in Orwell's 1984:

"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right."

17 February 2018, 09:03

ForrestB

Of the top barrel makers mentioned, I’d venture that there is a greater accuracy variance among the individual barrels produced by any single maker than there is between the average barrel turned out by any one of them.

Lots of good options out there.

17 February 2018, 17:30

df06

I have had about 20 custom rifles, mostly 22 cal.
I’ve had Lilja and Shilen mostly. They have proven to be very accurate.
Recently got a Kreiger. Also very accurate.

17 February 2018, 17:57

butchlambert

quote:
Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
When it comes to A-Bolts, some gunsmiths simply refuse to rebarrel them. You might ask your smitty if he’s up for it. I’ve heard a couple different reasons why they can be a pain in the ass.

Abolt? Rem. 700 is what he asked about rebarreling.

17 February 2018, 20:47

ismith

quote:
Originally posted by butchlambert:
quote:
Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
When it comes to A-Bolts, some gunsmiths simply refuse to rebarrel them. You might ask your smitty if he’s up for it. I’ve heard a couple different reasons why they can be a pain in the ass.

Wanting to order a barrel for my 300 RUM Rem700, along with a new barrel for my A-bolt in .30-06. May have some others as well but for the time being these are hunting rifles and just need a sporter contour. 24" abolt, 26"-27" RUM.

Abolt? Rem. 700 is what he asked about rebarreling.

17 February 2018, 22:16

NONAGONAGIN

I've used just about all the various barrels except Bartlein and Bergara, but I've used more McGowen in the last few years, probably 5-6 at least. Havent had a bad one yet. They are easy to clean a and more accurate than I am now.

I received my AR 15 6.5 CM 22" bbl a few weeks ago...haven't shot it much due to the weather and various other projects but it shows promise with Hornady "American Gunner" 140 gr,and I just ordered a #7, 32", 7mm bbl for my 28 Nosler "Long Pedro" Feb 2nd.

Good Hunting

18 February 2018, 02:46

butchlambert

quote:
Originally posted by ismith:
quote:
Originally posted by butchlambert:
quote:
Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
When it comes to A-Bolts, some gunsmiths simply refuse to rebarrel them. You might ask your smitty if he’s up for it. I’ve heard a couple different reasons why they can be a pain in the ass.

Wanting to order a barrel for my 300 RUM Rem700, along with a new barrel for my A-bolt in .30-06. May have some others as well but for the time being these are hunting rifles and just need a sporter contour. 24" abolt, 26"-27" RUM.

Abolt? Rem. 700 is what he asked about rebarreling.

Sorry, Misread his post.

18 February 2018, 07:06

ismith

quote:
Originally posted by butchlambert:
quote:
Originally posted by ismith:
quote:
Originally posted by butchlambert:
quote:
Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
When it comes to A-Bolts, some gunsmiths simply refuse to rebarrel them. You might ask your smitty if he’s up for it. I’ve heard a couple different reasons why they can be a pain in the ass.

Wanting to order a barrel for my 300 RUM Rem700, along with a new barrel for my A-bolt in .30-06. May have some others as well but for the time being these are hunting rifles and just need a sporter contour. 24" abolt, 26"-27" RUM.

Abolt? Rem. 700 is what he asked about rebarreling.

Sorry, Misread his post.

No worries, I do the same thing from time to time.

18 February 2018, 19:30

Austin Hunter

Sounds like you are hunting and not shooting targets on the Moon, all those work.

I've used a few Douglas barrels on Mauser and Enfield military actions that had minimal work on them (not all the fancy blueprinting and truing) and all are sub MOA with handloads.

I have a Lilja on order for a 358 Norma build on a Sako L61R since they have a Sako factory contour available.

19 February 2018, 23:30

SmallCal

One that wasn't mentioned, although they only do stainless is Hart.

Sorry, always bring them up as they are local to me and just good folks. Make an incredibly accurate barrel too!

20 February 2018, 00:04

Duane Wiebe (CG&R)

Butch is right on with A bolts...

The receiver threads will probably gall. When I was a Browning warranty gunsmith, this very thing happened..After asking "why" a notice was promptly received to not attempt removal. First generation of "throwaway" gun?

20 February 2018, 05:09

H47

+1 for Hart. Real nice folks to deal with. Been around forever it seems. They make a very accurate barrel. They just don't do all the advertising and hoop- la. Good delivery and reliable.

A good job is sometimes just a series of expertly fixed fark-ups.
Let's see.... is it 20 years experience or is it 1 years experience 20 times?
And I will have you know that I am not an old fart. I am a curmudgeon. A curmudgeon is an old fart with an extensive vocabulary and a really bad attitude.

22 February 2018, 23:26

Atkinson

Butch,
Woody soured a lot of folks I guess, he was always nice and friendly to me, but the bottom line is Woody is now gone an LW barrels are still the very best since Obermyer is no more and that is truly a shame. I feel for him and his family he was the king of barrel makers.

No doubt Hart makes excellent barrels and he wins bigtime at shoots, but he only has stainless steel barrels, not chrone moly, and he has two shelves, one for the every day customer and the private bucket with the best of this barrels for the bench rest boys who buy 20 at a time or so Im told by some that know these things??? but I don't blame him his seconds are more than a hunter requires even a varmint hunter..We do not requie that silly millimeter.

23 February 2018, 00:43

adamhunter

I haven't done much re-barreling myself either so I always took the 'smith's advice on what barrel he liked and worked with most. One did a McGowen, one did a Hart and I'm having a Douglas installed now.

The Hart & McGowen will both outperform my ability and I suspect the Douglas will be no different. I think it would be hard to go wrong with a hunting barrel from any of the top makers. I guess it would come down to who could get me what I want in a reasonable amount of time and/or price.

23 February 2018, 04:36

butchlambert

quote:
Originally posted by Atkinson:
Butch,
Woody soured a lot of folks I guess, he was always nice and friendly to me, but the bottom line is Woody is now gone an LW barrels are still the very best since Obermyer is no more and that is truly a shame. I feel for him and his family he was the king of barrel makers.

No doubt Hart makes excellent barrels and he wins bigtime at shoots, but he only has stainless steel barrels, not chrone moly, and he has two shelves, one for the every day customer and the private bucket with the best of this barrels for the bench rest boys who buy 20 at a time or so Im told by some that know these things??? but I don't blame him his seconds are more than a hunter requires even a varmint hunter..We do not requie that silly millimeter.

Ray, I had a few visits with Ray. He wondered why more BR guys didn't use his barrels. I said a few good ones would use them and give good feedback if happy. He said he furnished some to the top shooters and they won, but they said they were shooting something else. I asked why would they do that as they weren't furnished barrels and had no reason to do that. They didn't have any reason as I know for sure that the only barrels that folks received fopr no charge were the won, given for winning a major match.I'm sorry, I don't think the barrels are bad, but they had the wrong guy handling the phone.

23 February 2018, 18:43

sep

I sent McGowen a factory new Rem 700 magnum length action last winter and had them barrel and chamber it in 338 WM.

I wanted to try Kreiger or Bartlein but they wouldn't make one in a contour I could live with. It seems those cut rifled barrel makers prefer heavy contours for whatever reason. McGowen happily accomodated my request for a 26 inch McGowen #3 contoured barrel.

I also had them square the receiver and lap the lugs and the worst group I have shot with it thus far with my favorite 338 WM handload is a one inch group. I would use them again without hesitation.

23 February 2018, 19:45

skb

I just tried to order a Walther barrel. Boy the website re-design is a mess. I hope to have better luck on the phone Monday.

25 February 2018, 08:22

+Templar+

All are good. Fitting and chambering of the barrel is more important than the brand IMHO. Even an ER Shaw 338 barrel I had shot around 1 MOA, but 5% of the bullet weight must have been left behind in the bore during break in. It fouled like none I’ve ever seen at first.

Please do not forget Brux Barrels. They make a killer cut rifled barrel and they use 4150 ordnance steel in their chromoly barrels.

My current go to’s: For stainless barrels, I use Shilen and PacNor. For chromoly, I use Shilen, PacNor, Lothar Walther, and Brux.

I get “excellent” customer service and lead time from Brux and Shilen. I get “good” customer service from the others.

22 March 2018, 08:00

Atkinson

I prefer Lothar Barrels as I and locally everyone has gone to them..I like Douglas, Kreiger, and some others, most of the higher dollar barrels suit me as my requirements are strict but not outrageous, any thing that shoots 3 shot within and inch suits me fine..Im strictly a big game and varmint hunter.