The next 12.5

[texasplinker]

Maybe one of you has experience that will sway me!

I've been working my way through some 12.5 barrels over the last few years, looking for the sweet spot barrel in the sweet spot length.

So far, larue, aero, arp and noveske have had a go. Aero and Larue were ultimately passed over for the arp and noveske. Much better velocity on similar accuracy with the arp and crusader.

Now it's time to try the WOA or BHW! Who's up next? Or, who is missing?

I'm partial to the WOA for two reasons. One, I have an 18" WOA (which is awesome) and I would like to feed the 12.5 and the 18 the same hand load. Seems like the WOAs should play nice on the same hand load. Second, I ran my preferred bulk ammo, wolf gold, through the 18" today. It averaged 2.1" at 100 yd. Seems pretty solid for bulk ammo.

The BHW has a strong reputation for accuracy, and velocity. My 16" usually shoots well, but today it only printed 3.5" with the wolf gold. I haven't shot it for real groups with this ammo... Ever? (fail to torque the scope well? Maybe.)

All shooting today was off the same lower with the same glass swapped around.

The standards to beat!
Arp did 2.25" at 3047 fps eek: right!)
Noveske 2.5" at 2911

The arp is actually 12.8" and a lighter profile. If it was a bit stiffer I'd probably just have two arp and call it. The heavy noveske shows almost no noticeable droop with the suppressor. A real plus for me. While the arp show about 3" straight down at 100yd.

Man. Looking at the data, that arp though!

ok. Thoughts?

 

[padom]

I have 10.5", 16", 18" and 20" WOA's and they are shooters. I recently received a 20" Bartlein 1:7 From compass lake and boy it's a shooter. My next barrel will be a 12.5" from them.

 

[Benito]

My personal take is that on a short barrel like a 12.5", the cutting edge of precision isn't my highest priority, due to the decreased muzzle velocity and thus decreased range, wind bucking ability and what have you.
I'd just go with a Noveske 12.5" Chrome Lined Cold Hammer Forged barrel, although those are pricier than other decent options like Ballistic Advantage, BCM, etc.
Either Chrome Lined or Melonite/QPQ for anything under 16" for me.

 

[texasplinker]

I've really impressed by the 12.5 tubes Benito! Especially velocity wise. 85-90% of the velocity of a 20" in 60% of the barrel is pretty sweet!

Like I said, I'm splitting hairs at this point.

 

[JMcBurn]

Are you using this in an SBR or is there some muzzle device that will get you to the 16"OAL?

 

[texasplinker]

This is on an sbr. That would have been worth noting.

 

[padom]

My personal take is that on a short barrel like a 12.5", the cutting edge of precision isn't my highest priority, due to the decreased muzzle velocity and thus decreased range, wind bucking ability and what have you.
I'd just go with a Noveske 12.5" Chrome Lined Cold Hammer Forged barrel, although those are pricier than other decent options like Ballistic Advantage, BCM, etc.
Either Chrome Lined or Melonite/QPQ for anything under 16" for me.

why is a 12.5" not on the cutting edge of precision due to decreased muzzle velocity???

accuracy has nothing to do with velocity. I have some very accurate 10.5" barrels that make boring hits at 500yds. Loss of velocity is all your dealing with in shorter barrels, not loss in accuracy. I think a 12.5" barrel is the perfect length. I'll be ordering a Douglass 12.5" from CLE

 

[Potss]

Padom on the money, go CLE, Bartlein if you can afford it.

But of the two, I'd try BHW.

 

[Benito]

why is a 12.5" not on the cutting edge of precision due to decreased muzzle velocity???

accuracy has nothing to do with velocity. I have some very accurate 10.5" barrels that make boring hits at 500yds. Loss of velocity is all your dealing with in shorter barrels, not loss in accuracy. I think a 12.5" barrel is the perfect length. I'll be ordering a Douglass 12.5" from CLE

Yeah I get that precision is technically not dependent on muzzle velocity and that shorter barrels are stiffer, all else being equal, etc.
However, my rationale is that more muzzle velocity means it is practically easier to be more precise farther out due to there being less drop, not having to be as precise in range estimation, etc.

To each their own. If someone wants a stainless precision 12.5" barrel, that's cool. I'm just saying my reasoning, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. There are pros and cons to stainless match barrels, just as there are with Melonite/QPQ and Chrome lined ones.

 

[346ci]

I have one of the 12.5" ARP's in .223. It shoots just as good as my 18". I'd have to spend twice the $$$ to gain maybe another 1/8" tighter groups, not going to happen...

 

[texasplinker]

I need to wring my arp out some more. Most of its time has been under an aimpoint. What kind of loads does yours like?

 

[texasplinker]

Woa on the way! Almost waited to long again. Got the last one.

 

[346ci]

I need to wring my arp out some more. Most of its time has been under an aimpoint. What kind of loads does yours like?

I haven't had time for hand loads, for factory loads it likes the Fiocchi and Gorilla 77gr.

 

[texasplinker]

Function tested the woa today. It goes bang. Also checking out the superlative arms bleed off adjustable gas block. Without the suppressor I can just get the system soft enough not to lock back on 223 pressure ammo.

I wish it had more adjustment. I'm not sure that is going to be enough to keep from being over gassed with the can on.

 

[Not_A_Llama]

IME: You're strongly limiting your ability to differentiate on precision because of your choice of ammo (and I have 10k of Wolf Gold stored, so I promise it's not ammo bashing)

I have Lothar-Walther, BCM, DD, and Faxon barrels that all shoot 3-4 MOA 5x5 groups with Wolf Gold. Feed them Mk262, any FGMM, or frankly anything with an SMK, and the differences come out, bigtime. The LW is boring subMOA all day, the DD and BCM sometimes join the club, and the Faxon is lagging around 2 MOA.

If you're about velocity, I don't know which ARP offering you've run, but they do offer 3R rifling, which might help. Bartlein offered (offers?) a gain twist barrel. Maybe check out Lothar's blem barrels and have them cut down? http://www.lothar-walther.com/584.php

 

[texasplinker]

You are quite right about the wolf! It's far from match quality. It is my go to everyday ammo.

If I can simply use a different barrel and get similar top end accuracy with quality ammo and hand loads, and get substantially better accuracy with bulk ammo, all at about the same velocity, I will call that an overall win!

I need to load some more of my 77smk to run through all three 12.5 tubes and see how they stack up presently. I did it a few years back, but seem to have misplaced my results.