Pac-Nor

[Marlin Junky]

What do you guys thing of Pac-Nor barrels for cast boolit use? Is there enough difference in their bore/groove diameters to be a viable choice? They offer the configuration I'm looking for (10" twist .224 with 5 grooves) but I don't know any more about their products.

MJ

[Houndog]

I have not tried any of their 5 groove barrels, but I have used a couple of their 3 groove barrels. They shot fairly well, but tended to foul a little worse than I would have liked. DO NOT take my sample of 2 and form opinions about the company or their barrels! If it were a sampling of say 20 that would be a better representation.

My favorite PREMIUM barrel choices are a Kreiger 4 groove or a Shilen standard 6 groove, in that order. The only way to find out if you like Pac Nor or not is to try a few and judge for yourself! I will say I found nothing inferior with their workmanship.

[dale2242]

I live 60 miles from the Pac Nor shop and have been in it several times. I was there Friday with a friend to pick up a 17HMR barreled action.
They will reject a barrel blank for even the slightest defects.
The crew was finish lapping some 30 cal and 338 cal barrels when we were there.
The barrels are drilled, hand lapped, button rifled, heat treated to relieve the stress from the rifling process and finish lapped.
My buddy is very pleased with the Pac Nor barrels. They are very accurate and he has had no trouble with fouling.....dale

[btroj]

Never used one for cast but I had them on a couple service rifle uppers for my AR. They shot very, very well. They were installed by a well known, well renowned AR smith.

I would have no problems putting one on a rifle for cast bullet use.

[Larry Gibson]

MJ

Why 5 grooves and the 10" twist for cast?

Larry Gibson

[runfiverun]

that's a good question from larry.
i could see 12 twist...
i know you are looking for a 22-250.
i'd look at 4 with tall square lands.
5r rifling isn't the best for cast either i have it in my 10 twist 7mm ackley and a couple of other bbl's and it is okay at slower velocity's with cast.

[paul h]

One theoretical advantage of an odd number of grooves is that the lands are opposite the grooves so the engraving forces might not be as extreme as even grooves with the lands across from one another.

I've never used a pac-nor barrel but they are well respected.

[felix]

Odd number means better balance. Tripods are such for good reason, by using the lands to straighten the round when the chamber (the ground) is not correct. That's why bore rider boolits shoot mo'betta' in military chambers, and sloppy commercial ones too. ... felix

[Marlin Junky]

I'll need to check again but I don't think it's 5R rifling, just "plain old" 5 groove rifling. Perhaps I don't need to go with a 1:10" twist but 1:14" may be too slow for 70+ grain boolits. I suppose 1:12" would be a better compromise.

MJ

http://www.pac-nor.com/barrels/

[M-Tecs]

Straight from Boots Obermeyer http://www.obermeyerbarrels.com/faq.html

What does it mean when a barrel is said to be a "5R"?

5R is the form of rifling I developed for use in most target barrels and in many sporting barrels.
These barrels have 5 grooves, and the lands have angular sides. I have observed that bullet jackets
will deform such that they remain closer to the R-form lands than they will to the sharp-edged
lands present in conventional-style rifling. This reduces powder fouling at the corner of the
grooves. The angled form of the lands also helps to reduce jacket failures in quick-twist barrels.

[fredj338]

I can't say about lead bullet use, except for one small test run, but I have PacNor bbls on (4) custom rifles, all shoot very well. My gunsmith used to sepc Douglas but after doing my first rifle w/ PacNor, he switched.

[DonH]

Check out ASSRA records and/or match info for a guy named Dale Reynolds. I can't say what twist or how many grooves but he shoots a .308" Pac-Nor barrel chambered in .32-30 Rem with plainbase lead bullets. He has shot many 250 scores at 200 yds on the ASSRA target with 1.5" 25 ring. Dale has fired a 10 shot group measuring about 5/8" +/- at 200 yds.

[Marlin Junky]

I can't tell from PacNor's website if the 5 groove rifling is 5R or not. Is the R designation synonymous with "Polygonal"?

MJ

[felix]

I think the R stands for a radius at the bottom of the lands. If so, fine. Prolly a 5 degree (off) angle (e.g. 85 degree) would be max I would go for unless the land height is higher than 0.004 which would allow for more angle. I think it was BA (bassackwards, John Robinson) who obtained an angled land barrel and he did not like it. His barrel prolly did NOT have rounded corners. Yes, I would gladly go for a rounded cornered land arrangement at about 3 degrees off max at 0.004. ... felix

http://www.bartleinbarrels.com/
will do anything you request. ... felix

[Marlin Junky]

I just noticed that PacNor offers a 3-groove configuration in 6mm with twist possibilities from 1:7 to 1:12 in 1 inch increments... how's that for selection!

I'm also wondering if a 3-groove 1:11" twist wouldn't be the bees' knees for RCBS 243-095. [smilie=6:

MJ

[Longone]

I had a 6mm barrel in the Polygonal rifling and it was horrible to clean, I'm also not sure that a cast boolit would engrave properly in it. This is free advise so you may do as you wish but I would avoid Polygonal at all costs with lead.

Longone

[white eagle]

I have used Pac-Nor exclusively in my customs
my favorite to date
my last was a 3 groove 7mm its a fine shootin piece
A++++

[Elkins45]

I have two of their barrels: a heavy in 243 and a sporter in 257 Wby. They both have been good performers for me, but these are both barrels from the early to mid 90's.