Help with barrel contour on first custom build

[Mudflap621]

I’m getting ready to build a 6br or 6bra and need recommendations on barrel length and contour. Will be going on a lone peak Fuzion and be a dedicated match rifle. Stock/chassis is up in the air at the moment but I’m leaning towards a foundation or Tcs. Seems like 26”-28” is the norm for these lil guys but I don’t know which contour to go with.

My current rifle is a tikka varmint in mpa with weight kit and razor gen 2 and it’s right at 20lbs so I’m thinking of being somewhere in the same vicinity. The razor gen II will be transferred to the new build.

I’m not chasing points or looking for sponsors but I don’t want to handicap myself with a short barrel or unbalanced rifle either.

 

[MakeSawdust]

28" MTU or heavier in a foundation. I have a 26" MTU on my rifle and the balance point is barely in front of the magwell. If it were a little further forward the balance would be better, but it is not bad.

 

[Mudflap621]

28" MTU or heavier in a foundation. I have a 26" MTU on my rifle and the balance point is barely in front of the magwell. If it were a little further forward the balance would be better, but it is not bad.

Thanks do you happen to have the brass weights in the foundation?

 

[Campguy308]

A friend has a 6BRA in a foundation with a 28" straight contour. He says the balance point is a little too far forward for his liking. It seems like 28" is pretty popular with the BR and BRA for max speed.

My personal preference in my 6.5 creedmoor rigs in MPA chassis is 24" M24 contour, but i also use it for hunting, not a dedicated match gun.

 

[Mudflap621]

This will be dedicated match gun so im not concerned about saving weight as much as getting the best balance. Im leaning towards something like 26" MTU or Proof Comp Contour but I've got no experience with any of them lol. Im not totally against a 28" tube but was thinking of ordering something up quick from PVA and looks like they only go up to a 26".

 

[LR1845]

25”-26” is plenty long for a bra you can adjust with weights which is easier with a chassis….I prefer straight tapers for weight and ease of load development.

 

[MakeSawdust]

Straight 1.250 would probably balance okay at 26"

 

[Dooby]

A proof Comp. Contour @26" in a MDT ACC balances nicely.

I do have weights up front, but also the rear weights too. Rifle is at 23.2lbs

 

[MakeSawdust]

Thanks do you happen to have the brass weights in the foundation?

No weights

 

[KnowNothing256]

Will a straight contour fit into the barrel channel on OPs chassis? I recall someone else having that issue recently.

 

[Mudflap621]

Will a straight contour fit into the barrel channel on OPs chassis? I recall someone else having that issue recently.

Don’t have a chassis or stock yet for this but leaning towards a manners tcs or foundation. Ordered up a PVA comp contour tube last night.

 

[kthomas]

My 6BRA is a 28" Heavy Varmint profile. Balances nicely in a JAE chassis, sits at around ~21#.

Nothing wrong with 26" either if you want to go that route, you'll give up a little speed, but that's a non-issue.

I like the heavy varmint contour. The CG of weight is slightly further back, unlike a straight taper that would have a CG right in the middle of the barrel.

 

[LR1845]

My 6BRA is a 28" Heavy Varmint profile. Balances nicely in a JAE chassis, sits at around ~21#.

Nothing wrong with 26" either if you want to go that route, you'll give up a little speed, but that's a non-issue.

I like the heavy varmint contour. The CG of weight is slightly further back, unlike a straight taper that would have a CG right in the middle of the barrel.

Your 28” HV and a 25”-26” ST will balance right about the same…2” is a bunch when it’s hanging out that far…I agree though the HV is a great contour

 

[Mudflap621]

Hope the proof comp contour will work. 26” is the longest they had.

 

[LR1845]

Oh yeah you’ll be good with that it’s a nice heavy contour

 

[kthomas]

Your 28” HV and a 25”-26” ST will balance right about the same…2” is a bunch when it’s hanging out that far…I agree though the HV is a great contour

Yes, of course.

But all else equal, the CG will be further back in the HV contour versus the straight. Though the difference is probably pretty small.

 

[bodhisafa]

Is there any detriment to having a barrel be to heavy on the action itself?

 

[spife7980]

Is there any detriment to having a barrel be to heavy on the action itself?

Yes but not in practicality.

 

[Baron23]

My 6BRA is a 28" Heavy Varmint profile. Balances nicely in a JAE chassis, sits at around ~21#.

Nothing wrong with 26" either if you want to go that route, you'll give up a little speed, but that's a non-issue.

I like the heavy varmint contour. The CG of weight is slightly further back, unlike a straight taper that would have a CG right in the middle of the barrel.

Yeah for JAE!! I have a Proof SS MTU 6.5 man bun, 7.5, at 25" on it now but bought a Bartlein HV blank in 7.5 (cause I couldn't find an MTU) from Bugholes (who did exactly what they promised and who I would be glad to do business with again).

Now, if I understand it correctly, if we cut a couple of inches from the shank end (its a long blank), then its basically an MTU....well, close.... but I hear you saying you actually like a bit more weight further back in the JAE from the HV shank. So, maybe I should just leave the damn shank alone.

I intend to have it finished at 26"

 

[LR1845]

Yeah for JAE!! I have a Proof SS MTU 6.5 man bun, 7.5, at 25" on it now but bought a Bartlein HV blank in 7.5 (cause I couldn't find an MTU) from Bugholes (who did exactly what they promised and who I would be glad to do business with again).

Now, if I understand it correctly, if we cut a couple of inches from the shank end (its a long blank), then its basically an MTU....well, close.... but I hear you saying you actually like a bit more weight further back in the JAE from the HV shank. So, maybe I should just leave the damn shank alone.

I intend to have it finished at 26"

yes leave it as is is it will fit in your chassis

 

[kthomas]

Yeah for JAE!! I have a Proof SS MTU 6.5 man bun, 7.5, at 25" on it now but bought a Bartlein HV blank in 7.5 (cause I couldn't find an MTU) from Bugholes (who did exactly what they promised and who I would be glad to do business with again).

Now, if I understand it correctly, if we cut a couple of inches from the shank end (its a long blank), then its basically an MTU....well, close.... but I hear you saying you actually like a bit more weight further back in the JAE from the HV shank. So, maybe I should just leave the damn shank alone.

I intend to have it finished at 26"

Yeah, I would leave the shank as is, IMO.

I love the JAE. There's no current/modern comparison. The foundations seem neat, but lack a lot of features and things like the ARCA rail look like a complete afterthought on it. The only other interesting chassis is the KRG W3 Competition chassis.