Best barrel?

[andym79]

Hi guys,hate to ask this sort of question, but which of these companies makes the best barrels?

Lothar Walther
Shilen
Krieger

Added to that point, which is best a CM or SS barrel?

A centrefire barrel, to be used in competition.

Thanks

[M-Tecs]

Krieger dominates the winners circles. I prefer SS with cut rifled barrels but the other barrels have a very good reputation.

[Tatume]

Stainless steel usually lasts longer before being "shot out." You really can't go wrong with the choices you suggested.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

A long time ago on another very popular forum I saw a number of people of otherwise normal mental health engaging in an astonishingly vituperative confrontation on exactly this topic.

I think individual barrels vary more in ultimate accuracy than top-of-the-market brands, which those all are. If you took an average performance for all the barrels they make, it would take more than mortal shooting to make it show on target. Benchresters might be able to detect it, but ordinary target shots couldn't. I'd be surprised to find any superiority from new in chrome moly or stainless, but there is no doubt that stainless keeps its accuracy longer. How much longer depends very much on the type of cartridge and powder used.

[country gent]

I have seen s few lothar walther barrels on Ars for high power. I believe these were also a polygonal type riifling form. They worked well for the shooters. Douglas used to be a popular service rifle barrel also for the garands and M1As also some for ARs. These were countoured and timed up for the given firearm. A good barrel at a reasonable price and faily easy to fit. Lilja was a big name in rimfire match barrels and did some high power blanks also. Pac nor is a good barrel at a good price also. I haven't seen many shilens on the line but they did well for awhile in bench rest. Harts are a very good barrel and a vary good reputation for accuracy. Of the newer makers Criterions are reputed to be good, the button rifling divison of kreigers. Brux gets good reviews, Mcgowens the same. I used Kreigers for high power service rifle. Both my M1As have kreiger 1-10 SS barrels on them. My long range course bolt gun has a Krieger 243 1-7 twist SS barrel 26" long on it. All are great shooters. My Garand has a douglas med heavy 308 barrel 1-10 twist on it. If you have the time and money the Krieger is the one. I have right now on rifles 4 Kriegers, 1 lilja, 1 pac nor, 2 douglas, 1 mcgowens, 1 shilen and 1 2 green mountain barrels. Not counting factory barrels.

[LynC2]

I was always partial to Obermeyer and Krieger when I shot hipower and Palma. I burned out more than my share of Kriegers and never had a bad one. I believe selecting one of the premium barrels reduces ones chance of getting a lemon, however almost any of them can be excellent or an occasional lemon. Nobade at Score High gunsmith has a favorite brand that they always use unless the customer wants something else. Well recently they built a rifle that just wouldn't shoot for beans. They re-bedded it, replaced the stock with new bedding and it still wouldn't shoot. They bore scoped it and it looked perfect. [smilie=b: They finally replaced the barrel and it was a real tack driver. Sometimes it is the luck of the draw.
Lyn
BTW, their brand of bedding compound is the best I have ever used.

[runfiverun]

don't overlook Bergara.
they were smart enough to get Mark McGowen to come over and teach them how to make barrels from scratch when they started.
the one I have is very, very accurate for a thin profile barrel.
they might be easier to get from Spain to Australia.

[308Jeff]

I read a lot of reviews, articles, and forums before deciding to put a Krieger on my F-T/R rifle.

Ballistics in Scottland is right though. You'd have to be a pretty good shooter to tell the difference, and I'm an average shooter. I probably would have been happy with any choice that I made.

[45workhorse]

don't overlook Bergara.
they were smart enough to get Mark McGowen to come over and teach them how to make barrels from scratch when they started.
the one I have is very, very accurate for a thin profile barrel.
they might be easier to get from Spain to Australia.
I will find out, I just acquired a B 14 Hunter in 308. Have not scoped it yet, time will tell.

[Scharfschuetze]

I used to use Winchester hammer forged barrels turned down to heavy M14 contours for my M1A. They were absolutely the best, but those are a memory now. it's Krieger now.

Surprisingly, my most accurate bolt match rifle ever used a Douglas barrel. Go figure and don't overlook that company. At one point the Army used the Douglas barrels in their NM M14s. If the barrel didn't shoot, the armorers just stuck another one on. They usually shot well.

[Digital Dan]

Have several with Krieger barrels and they shoot well. Have another with a Douglas XX barrel that shoots in the 1/4's consistently. With Nosler Partitions. Another has a Shilen barrel and shoots ragged little holes with as many shots as one cares to take. Lot of good choices out there........

[runfiverun]

I will find out, I just acquired a B 14 Hunter in 308. Have not scoped it yet, time will tell.

you'll like it.
the one I have in 30-06 will shoot groups on par with my custom made and barreled rifles.
I will get another one made by them if I ever buy another rifle.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

don't overlook Bergara.
they were smart enough to get Mark McGowen to come over and teach them how to make barrels from scratch when they started.
the one I have is very, very accurate for a thin profile barrel.
they might be easier to get from Spain to Australia.

Ah, that's a good point. They even list an Australian distributor. A barrel would probably be a special order, but it ups the chances that it can be done.

http://www.bergararifles.com/es_ES/distribuidores/?for_pais=AUSTRALIA&for_provincia=&submit=Buscar

[lightman]

I don't know who makes the best but I've had more Kriegers than any other and they shoot great. Easy to find a load for, don't foul much and easy to clean.

[Alstep]

I've had good luck with Obermeyer on my bolt guns, and Krieger on the M-1 & M-1A over the years. Also have a Winchester heavy blank that shot well. Steve Satern in Iowa makes a great barrel too. They'll all shoot better than I can hold.

[Blackwater]

Barrels are indeed important, but IMO, the person who chambers your barrel is more of a determinant of what kind of accuracy you'll get in the end than the brand of barrel you choose. Even the so-so barrels today would have been considered "primo" not all that long ago now. Chambers need to be concentric with the centerline of the bore, and the throats vary from reamer to reamer, it seems. Mostly, just get a good barrel, and have it chambered by the best 'smith you can find, and you'll never regret it. That's my 2 cents' worth, anyway.

[Tatume]

Well, here's my two cents worth. I once watched a new shooter complain that he couldn't be competitive until he had his rack grade M1 rebarreled and bedded. Another shooter who usually only watched or officiated at the matches walked over, picked up the M1, and (with permission) fired a 200 on the 200-yard offhand target (I forget the X count).

Having a top-notch rifle might help edge out the competition when you're at the top of the heap, but for those below nothing is more meaningful than practice. Money spent on ammo and range time will pay greater benefits than investing in equipment.

[M-Tecs]

One area that most shooters overlook is customer service. Even the best of the barrel makers produce barrels that don't shoot to expections. Krieger is oustanding. They will replace any barrels that have issues unless its gross incompetance by the smith. Some of the other barrel makers will leave you hanging period. Total I have chambered about 300 barrels. About 3/4 of them were Kriegers. Total I have returned two Kriegers. One walked and one just didn't group. I have had 5 or 6 other manufactures barrels that have had issues. Only one was replaced and that was a PIA.

I am dealing with a NOT Krieger barrel the shoots great from 5 rounds to about 50 rounds. By the 50th round the barrel is so copper fouled opens up beyond the point of being competitive. This company basically says we are SOL.

[45workhorse]

you'll like it.
the one I have in 30-06 will shoot groups on par with my custom made and barreled rifles.
I will get another one made by them if I ever buy another rifle.
Cool
Thanks
I just don't know if I should start cast or Jwords first. Probably cast.