Just wondering if anyone has anything feedback on their barrels?
I don't see much posted about them or any for sale on the buy-sell forum.
I don't see much posted about them or any for sale on the buy-sell forum.
- Thread starter Superminokla
- Start date
Bought a blank, had it turned by Southern Precision Rifles. It shoots really well. Might carbon foul a little faster than others I've seen, but it shoots great. Not much more to it than that
I have heard really good things about their bolt action blanks and they do offer plenty of configurations. I recently used one of their 6.5 Grendel AR15 barrels for a precision build. Did absolutely everything right with the build for precision and it struggles to shoot MOA. The gas block journal was grossly out of spec too. Dealing directly with X-Caliber was a royal pain the ass and ultimately...they sent me the same barrel back and didn't fix a thing. However, I'm sure one of their barrels properly chambered and installed by a competent smith would be a different story.
I have several of their Savage threaded barrels and all shoot sub 1/2", most better if I do my part. The first one I bought years ago had undersized threads and wobbled in the action. They cut me a new one but it did take a bit to get it worked out. Under a borescope the finish is as smooth as they come. When they have their 20%+ sales the value is pretty hard to beat.
I have had several of their blanks turned by smiths and all have done very well. Haven't tried any of their prefits, but the ones I have are good value in my opinion
I've had 2 prefits. Both chamber jobs were not clean. 6.5PRC had no freebore and had to be sent back. The 300PRC has one groove/land that extends through the freebore, it shoots well but always wonder if it could shoot better.
It is all I run anymore. My barrel smith keeps blanks in stock. I did get a couple prefits from X-Caliber. One had a threading issue and it took forever to get straightened out. Their lead times suck too. I think they take on way to much which makes their CS and lead times suffer. Much easier to just order blanks in bulk and have them chambered and threaded. They shoot for sure.
I have a 6mm Creed and 280 Remington Remage done by Crown Ridge barrel works. Both shoot pretty darn good.
We’ve got a small frame Valkyrie barrel that’s a laser. I got a 50% off sale email a year or two ago and couldn’t pass it up.
100% they take on wayyy too much and their CS suffers obviously from it. Sounds like QC is hit of miss based on my experience and others.
My most recent X-Caliber came in this Feb. I'm currently developing loads with the 6.5 CM 142 SMK. My previous barrel is a 6mmBR, 28 inch and it too shoots very well. I used my Teslong to look at the new barrel when it arrived. It was my first opportunity to take a really good look inside the bore on a new barrel, and I have to say it was quite impressive. NO defects whatsoever, no railroad tracks, no cuts across the lands and grooves from chips in the drill during boring, throat very accurately cut, beginning of lands are all concentric indicating excellent alignment. Nice finish on the lands and grooves, simply beautiful!
Savage Small Shank prefit
300 Winchester Magnum
Light Palma Contour
24" 1:9 twist 5R
Cryo stress relieved
3 shots mulched a 1/2" sticker at 100 yards. Well worth the money. 100% will buy again.
put on on my ruger precision rifle and went to a midrange match, 3 20 shot matches at 600 yds ,the first 20 got me a 200x17x my personal best and the second 20 shot was the same score with a different powder, 200 17x. I am very impressed with the barrel
Any recent experience with x caliber? Considering a prefit finished barrel from them. Or are there suggestions for a prefit from somebody with more consistent results?
Never had an issue with any of my X caliber barrels I've had over the years. They are very consistent barrels.
+1 on that .
Those are some outstanding groups. Was that a cryogenic barrel? The posts from 2021 in this thread had me a little worried
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No, it's just their regular barrel I got from them when they had one of their 20% off sales. That barrel was amazing. I'm on a second 6 BR barrel from them and it's not quite as accurate and won't shoot in the .0s as often. I have a third barrel on the shelf which I'm going to test out soon.
Thats good to know. Im looking at ordering a 1:9 5r groove 223ai barrel from them.
Why 1 in 9 instead of 1 in 8 or 1 in 7? I would go 1 in 7.
because my target bullet weight would be 50-60gr at the top end.
I took another ruger precision rifle, because I am shooting one for highpower and the easy adjustability of their stock and the straight recoil I decided to make a hunting rifle out of it although the weight is not my favorite, so I chambered it in 30-284 and fluted the barrel. It has an X caliber barrel on it and when I started making loads up it was not shooting very well at all but after just neck sizing the brass after firing in the chamber it is a tackdriver, there was a practice match 2 weeks ago and I took it to check my hunting loads . the match was at 600 yds so I shot my hunting loads with hornady 180 gr interlock bt and they all fit in the 10 ring with a few in the x but They were basically a mid ring 10 sized group. then I checked my loads for matches which were 190 gr mk's and for these 10 shots ,9 were x's and nice tight x's and the one 10 I believe was a little fishtail, so I am very happy with this x caliber barrel
1 in 7 will shoot those. 1 in 9 won't shoot a lot of 223 bullets. It's your choice if you don't want the option to shoot heavier but 9 isn't going shoot light bullets better than 7.
As a gunsmith I've been using X-Caliber barrel blanks almost exclusively for about 5-6 years now. No experience with their AR or Pre-Fit Barrels, but everything I have chambered up has easily been under MOA, usually closer to 1/2. Excellent lead time, lots of customization options, great pricing, my experience with dealer sales rep's has been great, machine very nicely, consistency from barrel to barrel (for what I can tell).
I will continue to use them through the shop I'm at.
I will continue to use them through the shop I'm at.
I have 9 twist barrels that shoot 77s . BTW...7 twist is not magic in the .223 world, never has been .
I have a 9 twist that shoots 77s too. Happens to be about the lowest BC of the heavey bullets though. So about the only reason i shoot that bullet is AR mag length.
I didn't say anything about magic. I said it kept bullet choices open without a real down side. 7 twist shoot light bullets fine. 9 twist does not shoot heavey bullets fine. But everyone is free to wash their weenie how they want. 5k plus rounds is long time to be wishing it was 7 or 8.....
This was great
I definitely get what you are saying about twist though. I will either go 8 or 9 depending on what is available. That is if I dont go 22BR 1:8 and push 60-70’s a little faster
I don’t do custom spun barrels. The turnaround time, price and CS just doesn’t make sense to me unless you’re looking for something weird.
I’ve used criterion, proof, xcaliber and PVA osprey prefits.
I’d put Xcaliber at the bottom of the list. That said, I’m not good enough to notice a difference in real world shooting scenarios. They’re fine.
Those PVA Ospreys are the tits though, FWIW.
I’ve used criterion, proof, xcaliber and PVA osprey prefits.
I’d put Xcaliber at the bottom of the list. That said, I’m not good enough to notice a difference in real world shooting scenarios. They’re fine.
Those PVA Ospreys are the tits though, FWIW.
I have had good luck with X-calber remage barrels made by Crown Ridge Barrel Works. PVA has a really good deal on Rockcreek prefit barrels. Lots of tenon thread options, but 223 wylde only I think and 1 in 7 only. {plus 6mm and 6.5 mm barrels too} I suspect the Rockcreek is higher quality blank. I assumed it is cut rifled since its a rock creek barrel. Pretty cheap for a cut rifled barrel if it is. If its not probably comparable to other button rifled barrels. I am just getting mine broken in. But I keep starting other projects. I pulled a 28" 223 barrel i was just getting broken in too.This was great
I know how that goes. Ive got a trued 260rem I traded for and havent even shot yet but here I am building another varmint rigI have had good luck with X-calber remage barrels made by Crown Ridge Barrel Works. PVA has a really good deal on Rockcreek prefit barrels. Lots of tenon thread options, but 223 wylde only I think and 1 in 7 only. {plus 6mm and 6.5 mm barrels too} I suspect the Rockcreek is higher quality blank. I assumed it is cut rifled since its a rock creek barrel. Pretty cheap for a cut rifled barrel if it is. If its not probably comparable to other button rifled barrels. I am just getting mine broken in. But I keep starting other projects. I pulled a 28" 223 barrel i was just getting broken in too.
They offered cut rifled and button rifled rock creek barrels. I would wager that any rock creeks they have left would be button. I’ve only ordered the buttoned rock creek barrels from them and they all were great. The Osprey barrels they offer now are all button rifled.I have had good luck with X-calber remage barrels made by Crown Ridge Barrel Works. PVA has a really good deal on Rockcreek prefit barrels. Lots of tenon thread options, but 223 wylde only I think and 1 in 7 only. {plus 6mm and 6.5 mm barrels too} I suspect the Rockcreek is higher quality blank. I assumed it is cut rifled since its a rock creek barrel. Pretty cheap for a cut rifled barrel if it is. If its not probably comparable to other button rifled barrels. I am just getting mine broken in. But I keep starting other projects. I pulled a 28" 223 barrel i was just getting broken in too.
I received one of their carbon fiber pre-fits in 30-06 and I'm currently in load development for it. Have any of you noticed that X-Caliber barrels seem to be faster with less powder than other brands and show signs of pressure sooner? I have a friend that experienced the same thing with a CF pre-fit that he received a few months ago and now I'm seeing the same thing with this 30-06 barrel. I start showing pressure signs 3 grains under book max which I've never seen before considering most manuals are very conservative.
Did you do 6 groove or 5r rifling?
5r. Ran my Teslong camera through both barrels and the bore is flawless. I will say that.
When I talked to them they said 5r provided a better “seal” around the bullet vs 6 groove. And that 5r would typically see higher velocity and slightly better accuracy. Where 6 is better for higher fire rates. Sounds like that tracks with what you are seeing
Do you know anything about matching freebore/chamber to twist rate ? Do you know anything about spin at all ? Jump/ jam ? Any of those listed ?
I know something about trying to shoot too long of a bullet in 9 twist then waiting about 7k rounds just to give up on shooting it out. Then shooting some better BC bullets in a long throated tighter twisted barrel at higher velocity.
I know better than to play twenty questions with a child.
I know better than to play twenty questions with a child.
That's a bummer. I would not have even bought one if I knew that. Not that I think there is anything wrong with them. I just didn't need another 223 barrel.
