Make mine a Walther too.

I ordered my Charles Daly mauser action and I now need a barrel. I don�t need top of the line but don�t want the bottom either. I need it in a target bull style. Anyone use a medium price barrel with good results. This will be a target gun only in some sort of 6mm caliber.

Douglas and Shilen are reasonable in price. Pac-Nor isn't bad and have a huge selection of reamers. Lilja and Kreiger are the top dogs at most of the bench rest matches. some smaller barrel makers have excellent stuff but charge a premium for the product.

You should of ordered it with a .243 barrel, it might of surprised you. These are the same as the old Mark-X's, I've got them from .243 thru .458, and all are sub-moa, with the .243 putting many loads well below 1/2".

It sounds as if you are a new barrel buyer. If this is true, you should buy an ER Shaw barrel right off. That way when you get it and get to shoot it, you will know right off how bad it is to get f*&^%$ed on a cheap and useless product. The next thing you do is have it removed and put on a SHilen or Lilja or some other good barrel and use the Shaw for a jack handle. Oh my, did I let my emotions run with my opinions?

Jim

I have had good luck with dougless barrels. Get one of their air gage barrels and you should have a good one.

How come no one has thrown Hart into the mix???

Without question a Lothar Walter!

Grandview ,LOL

Well, I have read all of the posts so far, and I can tell you this.

They will all shoot well. (yup....even the ER Shaw, and the "factory barrel" from Zastava will also) The thing that makes the most difference is the quality of the gunsmithing.
Yes ER Shaw is slow, but I have used many of their barrels in the past, and the worst one shot about 7/8"
I use a lot of Douglas and Shilen because I can get them from Brownells. I have used all the others named by our fellow shooters too, at one time or another, as well as a few Wilsons and McGowens.

All were good, if the gunsmithing was good.

Make sure to true the receiver, and set up the chamber to minimum practical headspace. (I like to go +.002") and use a GOOD reamer, Make sure that the threading is good, and not sloppy.

Do the bedding correctly when You inlet it, and make sure the receiver is not being stressed and warped by the screws. There should be no "rock" when you loosen the front guard screw, and the tang should not pop up when You loosen the rear guard screw.

Do these things, and You'll be OK.

buchsenschmeid

You nailed it. Excellent post right on the money.

I'm sorry, but if I spent the money for a barrel, gunsmithing, etc, and only got 7/8th's groups, I'd be one P.O'd puppy!

I have a Pac Nor barel I screwed onto a twisted Savage action (don't believe everything you read on the net), and it shoots half inch groups........ If a custom barrel doesn't do half inch groups, why-oh-why would you spend the money? JMO, Dutch.

GRANDVIEW:
You must be one cruel son of a bitch to even think of shackling yur kin with something like a Shaw barrel. Just think about all the times they will cuss you out after yuou are gone. Don't you like your descendants?

dutch: your giving an example that leaves a lot to chance when you do not have to. i believe the above advise about trueing the action and fitting along with proper bedding will go much further to making this guy happy with which ever barrel he decides to use. you got lucky with this one and im glad for you but this guy needs sound advise that will lead to satisfaction. why do a job half when you can eliminate variables that in some rifles will lead to problems that could have been avoided. i use shilen barrels myself and in each case the gunsmith did all the accurizing necessary to insure my satisfaction. it was money well spent. $460.00 for a match grade shilen, profiling the action, lapping the bolt, and polishing the race, fitting the stock as well as bedding and any finish you desire on the metal. matte, satin etc. then he guarantees 1/2" groups or he'll take it and work loads up for you till it'll shoot. if not he'll replace the barrel and start over. can't beat that.

I can only speak for my experience with Lothar-Walther barrels that I have purchased for 2 404 jeffery projects.
The folks over in Georgia have on heck of an operation! They have the time to talk with you and answer your questions. I have spent some time talking with the manager there and I am very impressed with their operation and the manner in which they manufacture "your" barrel.

My two barrels, magnum heavy sporters contours, cost $201.00 each shopped to my gunsmith John Ricks.

Several members of this froum and the African forums speak highly of the Lothar-Walther barrels.

It's your money and you ought to buy what makes you happy!

Lothar Walther. A German industrial product---finest quality ordnance steel, drilled and button rifled with state-of-the art precision tooling by trained craftsmen. A very accurate barrel at an unbeatable price.

Jordan

Snider, my intent was not to suggest the action should not be trued, or proper care should not be taken. My intent was simply to illustrate that in the realm of custom rifle barrels, a half inch, five shot, five group aggregate is LARGE. A good, match grade barrel, properly chambered and installed in a properly bedded, square action, should aggregate in the 3's with match grade components.

In the case of my Savage action, I buggered it up, and somehow got away with it, for the most part. With a straight action, who knows, it might have shot in the 2's.

Even if it's a 30/30, or a 250 Savage, a properly set up custom barrel should be able to shoot in the 3's. A one inch match barrel would make me a VERY upset customer! If I buy a Shilen, or a Hart, a Pac-Nor, or a Match Grade Walther, a Krieger, or any of a number of top tier makers, then I know that it has the capacity to shoot in the 2's or 3's. Even if I don't have that capacity (and, I don't, even on a good day....).

A "one inch barrel" is just not in the same class; a one inch barrel is not even close to half the barrel of a true .5" barrel. JMO, Dutch.

I really feel some are missing the point here. As I read the original question it says:

I don�t need top of the line but don�t want the bottom either. I need it in a target bull style.

This will be a target gun only in some sort of 6mm caliber.

Now to me something here is not quite right. I can't imagine building a Target rifle with something less than a top quality barrel such as Hart, Lilja, Krieger, or something in this class. If you are going to use something than the absolute best then to me you have handicapped yourself in your original intent which I assume was to build a highly accurate target rifle.

Now if it is to be a Hunting rifle that is being built I will say that I have NEVER been able to see how any barrel regardless of maker has been able to kill something DEADER than another barrel. In other words I defy anyone to show me how a Hart barrel can kill something deader than a Shaw barrel. I have had both and it always appeared to me that one killed just as dead as the other when I placed the bullet where it was supposed to be. I have found that bullets make way, way, way more difference than barrels do in a hunting rifle.

Bottom line, use what barrel you want to. As was mentioned above just make sure the smith puts it on properly. If it happens you use a Shaw, I am betting you decendants won't have to eat half dead elk because that Shaw barrel wouldn't kill them dead, dead. This is providing they put the right bullet in the right place, which still makes all the difference in the world.

Don't forget the MRC option either, they are earning a reputation for producing great barrels for comparatively little money. Do a search in here, and you'll see testimonies from quite a few happy customers.

MRC Barrel Prices
- mike

Seeing as how you are in Michigan, why don't you come a bit west and check out Badger Barrels in Wisconsin. They are said to make some very fine barrels, they are made in house, and they are, I believe, cut rifled.



www.badgerbarrelsinc.com





blue

It's starting to sound like you shouldn't buy your barrel from blue, and watch your wallet with Jimmyd!!

Shane

Maybe you should put your reading spectacles on. Jimmmy claims I suggested somebody buy a $1000 barrel. I did no such thing. Just pointed out that there were places that charged that much. I don't sell barrels. I don't know what Jimmy sells, but he did mention something about "smoke".

Blue

sorry didn't mean to read too much into it. i see what you mean. i agree with that. thanks for straightening me out. no offense taken.