• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Which brand barrel?

Nortex

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 2, 2010
987
158
Texas
Looking at building a new rifle was thinking about either a Krieger or Pac-Nor, but was wondering what all ya'll use and like.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

My 300 wm has Bartlein's barrel. Very accurate.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

i run Rocks and Kriegers. I would get which ever quality barrel (Bartlein,Rock,Krieger,Schneider,Brux,Obermyer) that you can get the quickest and to your liking
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

I have used Hart, Obermeyer, Pac Nor, Kreiger, Broughton, Shilen and others and I don't think it makes any difference for the most part. They all are top quality barrel makers.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

Of the brands listed everyone has their favorites and their gunsmiths have their favorites.

The biggest hitch that seems to come along is not "oh, you should have put a Krieger on instead of that Bartlein"

More appropriately it's "My (*&$%)(*# gunsmith #@#$$'d up my barrel and now I need to send it off to someone else that knows what they're doing to make it right"

Find a good gunsmith based on reputation and quality of the work you see when you're at the shop, not on the quote the guy gives you.

Once you've made a choice on the gunsmith, ask him and wait for the job to be finished.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

McGowen has managed to earn a great reputation as well. A bonus is that their lead times for production and delivery are often half the time of other big name barrel makers.

It would be worth giving them a call.

Chops
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

If you want a barrel you don't have to think twice about or worry if it will shoot or not go Krieger,Mike Rock,Oby barrels,Bartlein, and Broughton is making a 5C barrel now which is similar to 5R rifleing if I recall, so they are GTG. I prefer single cut rifled barrels but to each his own.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

My guns have Douglas, Hart and Broughton 5C. They are all superb performers. Douglas is frowned upon as a poor mans match barrel- but they flat shoot. Hart is extremely accurate, of course, but my hands down favorite is my Broughton 5C on an APA custom that Jered Joplin's staff made me. The barrel is not only the most accurate, but the easiest to clean. I shoot a 260 Rem at mid-pressure loads and after 80 rounds through it I have cleaned the barrel in its entirety using less than 1 dozen patches (after soaking the barrel for a few hours).

In my experience I would use any of those three. I do not have experience with some of the ones mentioned above by others. But my common sense tells me that they would all work just fine too. Seems like lots of good barrel makers these days. Just my two cents.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

I shoot a Broughton 5C. I can only recommend their 30 cal barrels as I have heard several of the 7mm's have had problems and possibly 6.5mm.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

I am going with a Pac-Nor on my 6.5x47 Lapua build. My gunsmith is my uncle, and this is what he recommended to me. He has used just about everyone out there for different clients, but he puts Pac-Nor on his personal guns every time. He's been doing this as long as I can remember on top of being a guide in NW Colorado so I value his opinion as a professional, not just because he's family. Plus, I can't beat his price for me...All I'm paying for is the parts.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

Most any brand name will treat you well if correctly matched to the application and installed properly.
I have had Douglas, Pac-Nor, Rock, Broughton, and Kreiger - all with great success.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

Thanks for the input guys looking to build a 6mm rem A.I. , hopefully pretty soon ounce I decide which action to use.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">the ones that are straight are the best ones..... </div></div>
BEST answer of all replies, LOL! Comparing apples to apples to apples I think.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

Have had great results with Broughton.

You will get as many opinions on this as a$$holes though....
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

i shoot Benchmark Barrels, they are button rifled, and hand lapped twice so they clean super easy and shoot phenomonal of course. honestly i agree with everybody else also for the most part you can't go wrong with any of the major custom manufacturers.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nortex</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Looking at building a new rifle was thinking about either a Krieger or Pac-Nor, but was wondering what all ya'll use and like. </div></div>

I prefer my PN tubes to my kreiger tubes.

Go 243AI instead of the 6mmAI. Much more COAL latitudes and less fickle.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

I am currently waiting on my third Krieger. I have used a couple of the major barrel maker and they are all pretty good. I just like the combination of quality, performance, and customer service that I have always gotten with Krieger.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

Drive a PN and then spill your guts. I'm not real giddy on cut tubes,though I've a good sized herd of them. I much prefer Mike's tubes to Kreiger,if going mainstream cut.

My next 6-06AI will be a Brux,if only in curiousity.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: FreshKills</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Drive a PN and then spill your guts. I'm not real giddy on cut tubes,though I've a good sized herd of them. I much prefer Mike's tubes to Kreiger,if going mainstream cut.

My next 6-06AI will be a Brux,if only in curiousity.

</div></div>

Been looking at the 6mm-06 for a 1903a3 action I have, is the AI version of this caliber worth a look.
 
Re: Which brand barrel?

Nortex

Since you mention Pac Nor, don't rule out the 3 groove Pac Nors, especially for a hot cartridge that is hard on barrels. The 3 grooves are notorious for accuracy, speed, easy clean up and less fouling (i.e. less tight little places next to lands for fouling to get stuck into). In addition, the bigger lands of the 3 groove barrels act more like little heat sinks and are not so adversely affected by the thermodynamic effects of multiple or repeat shots.

Robert Whitley