Hey all, I hope I am not beating a dead horse with this question but I have searched extensively and have not been able to find a satisfactory answer to my question. I am currently signed up for the custom barreled action group buy from LongRifles. This will be my first custom rifle build. I am trying to decide on which barrel contour to go with. I am a very visual person and do not have any local gun shops or gunsmiths who have various contours for me to look at and touch, plus, the barrels charts that the manufacturers have do not really allow me to visualize what the barrel will look like or how it will perform. I am chambering the rifle in 30-06. My intended use for the rifle is tactical "sniper" competitions. I have a lot of experience with 3 gun and pistol competition but this will be my first foray into long range tactical competition. I am considering a 26" barrel but will definitely take any advice on that. I will most likely be purchasing the barrel from bugholes.com. I like the look of the m24 profile but do not have experience with it and do not know if it will be too heavy. I am active duty Army so I am pretty fit and can handle a heavy gun but don't want to be hauling around a rifle that weighs as much as a bench rest rifle. I guess I am just looking for advice as to what profile best balances stiffness, accuracy, and manuverabilty for long range "tactical sniper" competitions. Thanks in advance.
- Thread starter bassfishindoc
- Start date
An M24 is good, but still pretty heavy. Rem Varmint is good too and will save you on weight. Another option that is a compromise between them is a med palma. Honestly, I think that any of them will suit your needs just fine so long as your stock/chassis can accommodate a heavy barrel contour.
For a 30-06, I would go with a 24" length, 1/11 or 1/10 twist.
For a 30-06, I would go with a 24" length, 1/11 or 1/10 twist.
Thanks for the quick response. I will be going with a 1:10 twist. Why do you recommend 24"? Is the velocity gained from the extra 2" in a 26" barrel not worth the extra weight? Thanks.
Since 30-06 is a non magnum, I think you'll do well with 24"; but 26" wouldn't hurt either. Many factory 30-06 rifles are ~ 24".
I went with the Whitley Med. Palma. Slightly larger than the Med. but smaller that the Heavy. .308 24"
I just got a schnieder sr60 contour. I really like it.
Heavier than varmint, lighter than m40/m24 contour.
Heavier than varmint, lighter than m40/m24 contour.
I run the Medium Palma contour for the 6/6.5mm, but feel its a little on the lite side when you go up to the .30 cal.
Like stated already, the 30.06 kicks ass, but man, after shooting 6.5 mm, my .308 just doesn't get much love anymore. I'm a wuss and the recoil comparatively is all the difference in the world to me personally. I do know, if I upgrade my .30 cal, it will get the heaviest of everything to tame the recoil down....and a brake.
I went with a Rock m24 barrel from bug holes for my '06 build. I am having it cut to 22 inches, that's enough to get good performance out 190s and 210s. '06 is a good choice IMO even though there may be flatter shooting calibers.
Longrifles and Greg @ Bugholes are good folks and are very knowledgeable. Frankly, you should be seeking your answers from them. They can steer you in the right direction for what will work best for you.
But hope this helps a bit...
From left to right...
#3, #4, factory Remington (SPS), Remington Varmint, Sendero and M24. Keep in mind some barrel MFGs have slightly different contours. For example, the Bartlein "Sendero" contour is the same as the Rock "Remington Varmint" while the Rock Sendero is a bit thicker.
I personally like the Rock Creek Sendero contour best for my tactical competition rifles. I run suppressors and like the slightly thicker barrel because of that. If I wasn't running cans, I'd go Medium Palma/Remington Varmint. Brux doesn't make a "Sendero" contour per se, but they replicated Rock's contour for us and called it the "Accurate Ordnance Varmint" contour just so that when I called to order they'd know what I wanted. LOL.
Hope this helps. Longrifles will build you an awesome stick for sure.
Mark
But hope this helps a bit...
From left to right...
#3, #4, factory Remington (SPS), Remington Varmint, Sendero and M24. Keep in mind some barrel MFGs have slightly different contours. For example, the Bartlein "Sendero" contour is the same as the Rock "Remington Varmint" while the Rock Sendero is a bit thicker.
I personally like the Rock Creek Sendero contour best for my tactical competition rifles. I run suppressors and like the slightly thicker barrel because of that. If I wasn't running cans, I'd go Medium Palma/Remington Varmint. Brux doesn't make a "Sendero" contour per se, but they replicated Rock's contour for us and called it the "Accurate Ordnance Varmint" contour just so that when I called to order they'd know what I wanted. LOL.
Hope this helps. Longrifles will build you an awesome stick for sure.
Mark
Hey thanks for all of the advice, especially the side by side pics. I am going with the 30-06 because I really know the round, have a lot of experience with it, am set up to reload it and have thousands of rounds worth of components. I can't really invest in another round right now, especially with the price of components. I am planning on putting a JP industries brake on the rifle to help mitigate recoil. Once the rifle is complete I will definitely post pics and a range report.
Those are great reasons to choose an '06. If you decide to get "serious" about PRS style tactical matches, you'll probably wind up with a short action 6 or 6.5, but until then, I think you've made a great choice. The 30-06 is never a mistake!
Barrel contour: Choose the m24 if you like the look/feel of a "fat" barrel. Choose the Rem Var if you like the look of a heavy but not "fat" barrel, and would like the bonus of a slightly better balancing rifle.
As mentioned, there's also the medium palma, which is very similar to the remvar, just slightly heavier, and the contouring of the main taper-down by the breech end is more angular on the palma than the remvar.
Lastly, bear in mind that from MOST barrel makers, a Remington varmint is the SAME THING as a Sendero.
Barrel contour: Choose the m24 if you like the look/feel of a "fat" barrel. Choose the Rem Var if you like the look of a heavy but not "fat" barrel, and would like the bonus of a slightly better balancing rifle.
As mentioned, there's also the medium palma, which is very similar to the remvar, just slightly heavier, and the contouring of the main taper-down by the breech end is more angular on the palma than the remvar.
Lastly, bear in mind that from MOST barrel makers, a Remington varmint is the SAME THING as a Sendero.
