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Looking for the most accurate 18" 223 Wylde chambered barrel.

At that price range go WOA. CLE will replace your barrel if it isn't a hammer, I can confirm that but they will be in the $450-$500 range.
 
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Under $300, no question a Lothar Walther from Integrity Arms. Or if they are out of stock CRA/BHW, or you can sometimes find Rock Creeks for sale.
 
I have a pair of Odin Works 18" stainless in 1/8" twist that shoot super consistently at .5 to .7. That's using a handloaded basic Hornady 75gr HPBT Match that I pay $150 per 1k.

They have a 1 MoA Guarantee with match ammo and cost about $270.
 
I have a pair of Odin Works 18" stainless in 1/8" twist that shoot super consistently at .5 to .7. That's using a handloaded basic Hornady 75gr HPBT Match that I pay $150 per 1k.

They have a 1 MoA Guarantee with match ammo and cost about $270.

Tell me more about this $150 per 1k ammo?
 
White Oak Armament fulls stop.

John Hollinger is one of the best NRA Highpower shooters in the country, and has more experience using his own product than most people that produce barrels or rifles. The only other substitute would be a Compass Lake Engineering barrel on a Kreiger or Bartlein blank.
 
Under $300, no question a Lothar Walther from Integrity Arms. Or if they are out of stock CRA/BHW, or you can sometimes find Rock Creeks for sale.

I will second that, I picked up an 18" LW from them at the beginning of the year, easily 1/2 MOA with 77gr SMK's.
 
I went slightly longer with the 20" SS barrel from Wilson Combat 1:8 twist. On a bad day a 5 shot group at 100 yards will fit under a quarter.
 

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In your price range my choices would be:

1) Craddock/Rock
2) Rainier Match
3) Douglas
 
Buddy just tested his WOA 18" .223 wylde 1-7 with 69gn SMK's and it shot like crap!
 
Another vote from me for rainier ultra match. I was trying to sight in my scope and was having trouble seeing the shots at 100 yards. Upon further inspection, that’s because 4 out of 5 went in the same hole.


Could You Post a more detailed weight up with the Rainer Ultra Match Barrels, I've been thinking about trying one out just for fun and doing a comparison with my Custom CLE Barrels.

Also is your barrel a GEN 2 Ultra match???
 
My Gen1 (Shilen blank) also has been flawless and hammers with 73 ELD-M. I have yet to test any of the Gen2's as they arent giving me any demos of the new Gen2's at the moment. They told me they have switched blank suppliers and their new Gen2's are no longer Shilen blanks.

Some 5 Shot groups to confirm load with it.

GjxwYlr.jpg
 
Any clue on Rainier UM MOD2 blank supplier? Or even whether they'e cut or button rifled? Possibly Rock Creek...??
 
They are button. I have 4 emails up until as recently as 30 days ago asking and they have said they are not stating their barrel supplier. I would guess Rock Creek.
 
If you give a Krieger or Bartlein blank to John Holliger at White Oak (WOA), Frank White at Compass Lake (CLE), or John Scandale at Keystone Accuracy, and tell them what you want the rifle to do, you will get back an upper that will do about everything one CAN do to reach your goals.

My 600 yard uppers have been exceptional, with the most recent Krieger 7.7 rebarrel from Holliger being legitmately a 1/2 Minute A2 rifle.

My 1,000 yard upper is a Bartlein progressive built up by Scandale, and it is...well, what is it?....I know it's a 20" rifle at 1,000. Probably 3/4 MOA or better....it's just that 90's suck, and they don't really seem to bughole as well as some others.

My .22 LR trainer was also built by Scandale, with a lot of spec work from me, and a Ratchet 4 blank provided by Shilen, but across my bench first. My chamber. No BS, it would outshoot a 40X or 64 Anschutz, as a blowback. If you don't know what I mean about a blowback .22 shooting that even with bolt target rifles, and what it means to build one that can... well...

I buy parts and have custom sh#$ done by Frank at CLE, and for the record, it is Frank's shop that is doing a fair amount of the fabrication for White Oak, and probably components for Scandale's uppers as well.

-Nate
 
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Seems odd they wouldn’t state you the supplier is, if it’s a known supplier that produces quality barrel it would be a selling point in my mind.
Exactly my thinking. Rock Creek don't direct sell AR barrels last I knew, so if it's them then it don't make a lot a sense that theyre keeping it confidential so people don't go straight to RC and cause a supply issue..?
@natdscott how you like the Shilen ratchet? EverythING I've seen, those barrels are no joke when it comes to rimfire... next to Mullerworks and Benchmark, Shilen ratchets basically dominate rimfire BR
 
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They are button. I have 4 emails up until as recently as 30 days ago asking and they have said they are not stating their barrel supplier. I would guess Rock Creek.
So theyre definitely button rifled..? Any idea who's finishing the blanks for them? I think I saw them specifically say WOA is NOT doing the finish work for the barrels. Anywho, it would make sense if they're RC blanks seeing as they already have a established relationship with the exclusive Rainier/Rock Creek tubes.. and Rock Creek does have a button rifling operation which is what Seekins uses for their barrels also (RC button barrels)..
@bigjake83 ajust curious - who would you be your preferred upper/lower receiver for a large frame AR ?
 
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@natdscott how you like the Shilen ratchet? EverythING I've seen, those barrels are no joke when it comes to rimfire... next to Mullerworks and Benchmark, Shilen ratchets basically dominate rimfire BR

Well, I chose to upgrade my own blank from what Scandale uses (Wilsons or similar, that by all accounts shoot very well) to one of the brands you mentioned.

I bought the Shilen from Killoughs down in Texas, after waiting around a little while on some Ratchet 4's to arrive. It was an R5 contour, so chosen to minimize the amount of turning Scandale would need to do to get the BUTTONED barrel down to 0.750" forward of the "gas block" journal.

One'a these:

https://www.killoughshootingsports.com/index.php/barrels/shilen-ratchet-rifled-barrel-22lr.html

I slugged it pretty carefully over a week or so, and did Calfee's balloon tricks. I'm not saying I buy the significance of all that, but it IS a lead bullet gun, and hell, I had the time and bullets and didn't care what length the barrel was, so why not? It was not the best barrel I've ever slugged, but I've pushed lead through some pretty good barrels too. I marked where I wanted it crowned, specified and sent a print of exactly how I wanted the muzzle crowned and counterbored, and sent the parts.

I also sent a carbide reamer of my choosing, a "JGS Match" whose print I liked better than the Bentz that Scandale usually installs. I don't like a 3+ degree leade, despite it's durability. By my way of thinking, if it's an accuracy-minded rimfire, and Anschutz sees fit to do things one way, you should at least take their approach under advisement. They use 1.5.

Scandale might have been annoyed at my requests, and did charge me a special contour/setup fee for my stuff (rightfully so), but he delivered exactly what I asked...whether he agreed or not. There's a lot to be said for that.

How much any of this matters, I can't say. All I know is that it feeds perfectly, and prints at or slightly less than 1 MOA at 100 meters with a couple different ammunition types (not an easy mark for a .22LR of any kind), and is WELL under 1 MOA...probably more like 1/2...at 50 meters or yards. Keep in mind this is with an A2 upper and sights, sling prone. If it were scoped, I can't say.

I am not good enough with position and/or A2 irons to do so, but I have no doubt that it could at least 10-count clean the ISSF/UIT Metric target.

The thing is a hammer, and Shilen more than played their part.

The Highpower guys in Texas--a serious group by any standard--say the same about the CF Ratchet barrels. Their only concern is that more people will start buying them.

-Nate
 
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My 20" Rainier Ultramatch Shilen is a ratchet barrel. It hammers as per the groups posted above. My buddy has one as well that shoots just as good with the same load I'm shooting.
 
So theyre definitely button rifled..? Any idea who's finishing the blanks for them? I think I saw them specifically say WOA is NOT doing the finish work for the barrels. Anywho, it would make sense if they're RC blanks seeing as they already have a established relationship with the exclusive Rainier/Rock Creek tubes.. and Rock Creek does have a button rifling operation which is what Seekins uses for their barrels also (RC button barrels)..
@bigjake83 ajust curious - who would you be your preferred upper/lower receiver for a large frame AR ?

Falkor 100%
 
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Interesting.. didn't realize Falkor machined their own receivers in house. What say you padom? Your choice for #1 best .308 based AR receivers(whether aftermarket sets, or factory receiver/rifle that would act as a base ie Larue OBR thereafter outfitted with a Bartlein, etc..)? On that note, to those that have the experience, how tight is the fitment of upper->lower on JP's LRP07, and for that matter their .223 platforms as well?
Also, Ive heard some say the Shilens use comparatively soft steel? In that they make for very straight and uniform well machined barrels that shoot awesome...yet consequently have shorter life. Did you notice anything pointing to such claims?
 
I am a huge MEGA fan and have many of their 223 and 308 sets...Super tight fitting, thermofitting upper. My favorite, super tight go to forged is BCM! I tested Rainier billet set recently and it had nice features but barrel fitment was sloppy. I won't buy them again.

I have 1000 and counting on my shilen and it's still hammering tight little groups so we will see...
 
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I had a Shilen ultra match on a 6mmDTI AR one time that about 2k rounds through it when I sold it and it still hammered like new.
 
I am a huge MEGA fan and have many of their 223 and 308 sets...Super tight fitting, thermofitting upper. My favorite, super tight go to forged is BCM! I tested Rainier billet set recently and it had nice features but barrel fitment was sloppy. I won't buy them again.

I have 1000 and counting on my shilen and it's still hammering tight little groups so we will see...
So youd go with BCM for .223? Any chance you ever tried Seekins receiver,.. or Battle Arms Development?
Any opinion on AR10 vs DPMS design pattern for .308 AR's?
 
Radian Weapons has been putting out quite a few rifles that will shoot 1/4" and 3/8" groups even with 14" barrels. Surprisingly they use a button rifled Shilen barrel.

Raidian rifles look nice aesthetically, but they're not doing anything that a veteran home builder isn't doing....and $2,700 for a AR15 is insanely overpriced