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Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

dang472

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  • Feb 3, 2012
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    Kingston, IL
    I went all in with the Sniper's Hide Group Buy and need help choosing a barrel. I currently have a Krieger straight taper on a custom 308 that I'm impressed with. I want something with a lot of weight to it. I'm thinking 26-27in and a SSG muzzlebrake. What rate twist should I get? I've read that the 1/9 Savages prefer the 300 grainers and the 1/10s like 250. I see many manufacturers are offering a 1/9.5. Is this the best compromise? I'm a handloader so I have the luxury of playing with a lot of bullet weights. Thanks in advance!
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    I have been very happy with my Lilja. It has a 1 in 10 twist rate and shoots very well. The man who can answer all your questions would be Dan Lilja himself. I got a pretty meaty barrel that my Stiller handles just fine, it is Lilja's special straight taper 35 that finishes at 27".
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    Thanks, I'll be giving Dan a call soon. With all the barrel manufacturers really busy, I want to jump on this now. It would probably make sense to talk directly with the Stiller guys too. I want this new build to be a big stick and weight isn't a concern. I won't be hiking through the canyons with this one. I have a SSG AICS 308 and an AR50A1, so I'm hoping this full custom fits in the middle nicely! A heavy 338 with an efficient muzzle brake should be just under the 50's recoil without as much overpressure, correct? My Armalite recoils like a 308 but the pressure kicks my ass after 50 rounds.
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    I have been really happy with the Bartlein I had made for me that is hung off a Stiller TAC338. That one was a 27" 9.3 twist. I liked that barrel so much that I'm having Frank make me another one, this time a bit shorter at 25" and a 9.5 twist.

    Might want to add Bartlein to the barrel makers to talk to.
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    I really like the idea of the 9.5 twist for some reason. Brado, does your barrel still like 250 grainers? I'm going to be talking to bugholes here soon. That 1.350 fluted Brux is exactly what I'm looking for. My gunsmith, Nathan Dagley SSG, works with Brux a lot, so the muzzlebrake should go really smooth. This site has a way of spending my money far too easily!
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    i think stiller recomends shillen but all the high end tubes are pretty good ends up in the hands of the smith most of the time .
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    Dang-

    Cannot say I have tried any 250 pills. Even with a 10 twist rate the 300 pills will shoot fine.

    I agree with Fred3 that you will be happy with any high end barrel MFG-

    Just make sure to pick whatever barrel you want, that way you done suffer from buyers remorse.
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    Fred has the right idea. You really can't go wrong with any of the high end barrel manufacturers as long as you have a competant(sp) smith. I have a great shooting Lilja, Shillen, and my .338 la is getting a broughton 5c in 9.3 twist.
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    Brux barrels will make pretty much anything you want for the standard price(within reason) Last I checked they were only 12 weeks out which I believe is faster than most others.
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    I think Krieger does the tubes for the PGW rifles.... if you're into the whole awesome looking thing.
     
    Re: Best 338 Lapua barrel for a Stiller action

    I find I get Brux barrels faster when I go through Bugholes than straight to Brux. At least that has been true for the 7 I have ordered from Bugholes in the last year.

    wade