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Gunsmithing Xcaliber barrels

Garett73

Garett73

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 23, 2018
192
50
Johnstown,Colorado
I know there are some threads on this but what have you guys seen as of late with xcaliber. My last experience was great. 1/4-3/8 minute barrel and cleaned very easily. But people are still claiming inconsistent bore measurements. I thought they were passed this and i plan to try another barrel but am wonder what people are seeing as of late
 
I have several, and another 700 Remage on the way. All of them have been pretty accurate. I think the "worst" one I've had
was a 6.5 that shot .75" after I toasted it with 750 rounds of 120 solids at 3250
If you're looking at a barrel burner cartridge, they're a great option.
 
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Was shooting next to a guy named Ken today.
He had just done a Remage 7-08 on a Pierce (IIRC) and was noticing a partial ring/bulge on the cases, just below the shoulder.
The defect looked like a burr got caught in the reamer.
The burr also caused an extraction issue.

I was disappointed seeing it, because I've thought about buying a barrel from them.
 
I really want to take advantage of the sale. But every time I do a deep dive on these internets, there are always a handful of posts that make stop and ask do I really want to gamble on getting a good one. Whereas, criterion, Mcree, and Bugholes have never let me down.
 
Mike Casselton said:
Was shooting next to a guy named Ken today.
He had just done a Remage 7-08 on a Pierce (IIRC) and was noticing a partial ring/bulge on the cases, just below the shoulder.
The defect looked like a burr got caught in the reamer.
The burr also caused an extraction issue.

I was disappointed seeing it, because I've thought about buying a barrel from them.
Click to expand...
Just to clarify, this was on an X-caliber Remage?
 
There are 03 of the top ELR shooters using the Xcaliber blanks that I can personally verify. No noted issue after over 30 barrels between the 3 of them and a 4 th guy that practices with them. I was offered a free one for a project, but the article was canceled.

In the big Cheytac ( 7mm, 338) wildcats they are getting about 800 Rds on average. 6x47 Lapua went 2,200 on one and just shy of 2,400 on another. So par for the course per the application. Only my exposure, not the last word. Hope this helps.
 
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OLD308 said:
There are 03 of the top ELR shooters using the Xcaliber blanks that I can personally verify. No noted issue after over 30 barrels between the 3 of them and a 4 th guy that practices with them. I was offered a free one for a project, but the article was canceled.

In the big Cheytac ( 7mm, 338) wildcats they are getting about 800 Rds on average. 6x47 Lapua went 2,200 on one and just shy of 2,400 on another. So par for the course per the application. Only my exposure, not the last word. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the feedback. Any experience with barrels chambered by them?
 
Mike Casselton said:
Was shooting next to a guy named Ken today.
He had just done a Remage 7-08 on a Pierce (IIRC) and was noticing a partial ring/bulge on the cases, just below the shoulder.
The defect looked like a burr got caught in the reamer.
The burr also caused an extraction issue.

I was disappointed seeing it, because I've thought about buying a barrel from them.
Click to expand...
That sounds more like your gunsmiths fault and the reamer then the barrel. Theres a reason we scope the barrels before sending them out.
 
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IIRC,
Ken bought the barrel directly from X-Caliber.
It's a Remage in 7-08.
Looked to to 18-20" in a model 7 contour.

I'm sure it will get taken care of. I've heard good things about their CS.
 
I have chambered one in 6.5 Creedmoor. Shoots right with my Bartlein.
 
I have two rifles with X-caliber barrels.
One is a LRI built 338 KrAzY Ivan and the other is a WTO built 6mm AR....both shoot lights out.
 
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They shoot, and their customer service is top notch.

I go between x-caliber and McGowan depending on what I need and who's having a sale.
 
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I Got a 6mm blank from them when they were first getting going. Finally fit it about a year ago. It's a varmint/br rifle and a solid 3/8" rifle at 200 yards when I can do my part. That barrel is probably from 3-4 years ago though. I was told about a year or two ago from a former employee that it was failing in the QC dept and their barrels at that time were not up to par with what they started with. True? who knows, could have just been a disgruntled employee too!

I however have never had a bad shooting Hart, Kreiger, Rock Creek, or a couple Douglas and Shilen barrels.
 
We don't say, "when I do my part." It is a rhetorical statement that goes without quantifying.
 
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So far have had good luck with them in straight walled calibers here's a five shot group from my 350 legend with factory ammo .
Just chambered a 6.5 this week to play with looks great in the scope.

Edit to add the bottom left hole is " When I do my part "
 

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I got my first X-caliber barrel in .223AI, 3R,1:8, not cryo’d on my savage bolt gun. It shoots. The first Two 5 shot groups were dime sized. And the 10 shot group was just over a dime. The flyer was getting zero’d. This is with a mid size charge of ARComp under 50gr Blitzkings seated to whatever the book said. Rifle had a Leupold VX3 6-18 on it at the time. Its now got the SWFA 3-15 on it and shot the same. Round count is now 60 and the dime sized groups have been repeatable every time. Next step is to try 69’s and 77’s with some Varget. If i had the cash I’d take advantage of the 25% off sale right now without a second thought. I did scope the bore with my el-cheapo Lyman bore cam and the bore looks good. No dings or flaws though not a mirror shine. No tooling marks. Looks better than my BHW in 6.5CM and Rainier match in SS which was chewed up opposite of the gas port and my Rainier Match in CM which has a shit ton of tooling marks. For the $200~ price range I’d go X-cal every time.
 

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Mpa uses them on the production rifles, I’ve got another on order too... so far excellent results
 
Ive got a Heart in 6.5CM to replace the BHW on the way. When it gets here ill scope it and the X-cal and post the pics for comparison.
 
Ya know, i tried researching reviews on X-cal before a bought one and couldnt find much. I pulled the trigger on it anyway figuring that they couldnt be any worse than some of the cards ive been dealt by better known companies, at just over half the price. All i could find was some talk about them not slugging well from 2 folks and the rest of the reviews all said they shot well. In the end, all that matters is that group size. As long as X-cal keeps up with the sales that they have ill keep using their barrels untill i have reason to try a different company. For the $ they cant be beat.
 
I've bought 2 savage 6.5 barrels and they shot 1/2 moa no problem. Over 2k rounds on the first barrel and it's at 3/4 moa
 
Buckshot0351 said:
Ive got a Heart in 6.5CM to replace the BHW on the way. When it gets here ill scope it and the X-cal and post the pics for comparison.
Click to expand...
There's a reason HART barrels have been in business for almost 70 years. Every Hart I've owned has been a great shooter. Jack Sutton is a great guy to deal with too!. Its one of my go to barrel makers for top quality barrels.
 
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I tried to take pics of the lyman bore cam screen but pics of pics dont work work out well. My best description of both bored is that they look the same for the most part. For the sale price i think X-caliber is a damn good buy. It looks just like the Hart. On a side note i dont think Hart test fires the barrels they send out so i dont know what im seeing but it looks like copper in the bore toward the muzzle end. Theres a copper color sheen i guess i would call it. You can see it with out the bore scope looking at the muzzle rifling with just an eyeball.
 
I did a 28" 22 Nosler in the heaviest profile they offered, 5r, recessed target, no gas hole (requested).
@ 100yds I can do .3MOA for 3, .5 for 5, and less than 1 MOA for 10.
@ 600 yds I did a 198 out of 200 (F-open 1 MOA 10 ring). Had 2 nines, no eights.
It's about as good as any of the other cheaper barrels I have.
Wait for a sale and call them if any options are not discounted also (web site issue?)
 
I chambered one for a remage project that is producing .25-.5 MOA groups. Will gladly buy another someday.
 
Buckshot0351 said:
I got my first X-caliber barrel in .223AI, 3R,1:8, not cryo’d on my savage bolt gun. It shoots. The first Two 5 shot groups were dime sized. And the 10 shot group was just over a dime. The flyer was getting zero’d. This is with a mid size charge of ARComp under 50gr Blitzkings seated to whatever the book said. Rifle had a Leupold VX3 6-18 on it at the time. Its now got the SWFA 3-15 on it and shot the same. Round count is now 60 and the dime sized groups have been repeatable every time. Next step is to try 69’s and 77’s with some Varget. If i had the cash I’d take advantage of the 25% off sale right now without a second thought. I did scope the bore with my el-cheapo Lyman bore cam and the bore looks good. No dings or flaws though not a mirror shine. No tooling marks. Looks better than my BHW in 6.5CM and Rainier match in SS which was chewed up opposite of the gas port and my Rainier Match in CM which has a shit ton of tooling marks. For the $200~ price range I’d go X-cal every time.
Click to expand...
Rainier is replacing the chewed barrel no questions asked. I was asked to leave a review and instead i emailed them about it and didnt leave a review yet. Great customer service.
 
I know I started this thread and since then I have done some testing with a new xcal blank. The barrel has been awesome, getting good speeds with lower powder charges from it. Im running a 105 hybrid at 3000fps with only 38.1 gr 4350. The barrel has been shooting consistent groups from .25 to .5 inch groups. I also won the last prs match here in Colorado with the barrel. I'm sold on xcal, last thing to find out is how long the barrel lasts. I will be getting another soon and wouldn't hesitate to keep running them on my rifles
 
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They always answer my emails & questions I think my next one will be x-caliber
 
Been shooting their barrels for awhile on gas guns and can’t complain one bit. I had a .224 val that shot .52 at 100 5 shot group with 90 smks with ease. (Shouldn’t have sold that rifle) while I can’t speak to bolt gun barrels with them I suspect if a gas gun puts out like that a bolt couldn’t be worse. Plus the prices during sales is excellent. Just my 2 cents
 
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Had my smith chamber up a 6.5 Creedmoor on an Xcal Cryo treated barrel last winter. Shot all season with it and it hammered, no matter what I fed it. It still has a lot of rounds left so I'll probably shoot the first couple matches this year as well before pulling it.
 
I got a 6.5CM large shank on order to. After how well the 223AI from them shoots i just simply couldn’t resist with the 25% off. Im really hoping they have a lot of life to them.
 
NOT exactly on topic but ,I'm about a X Cal. Prefit 6MM BBL ** . probably either a 6GT or 6CM, 600 yd limit, and about the longest bullet will be an H 108 ELD, or 107 SMK. My question involves twist & rifleings . They offer the following,7T-5R, 7.7 T-3 grove and 3 R, 8T 3 grove, 3 & 5 R
Thoughts & opinions
** 30% off on barrels
 
Sir, I would recommend calling Xcal and getting their opinion. The know the reamer that is used and im sure get plenty of follow up from customers as to what kind of results theyre getting. They are also avid shooters themselves.

Edit: p.s, the 6GT sounds like a good round and might be worth the pursuit.
 
Buckshot 0351,
Thank you, I've got an E mail in to them, will let youy know what they suggest. Sometimes I think too many options are worse than too few.
 
Baddog 0302 said:
NOT exactly on topic but ,I'm about a X Cal. Prefit 6MM BBL ** . probably either a 6GT or 6CM, 600 yd limit, and about the longest bullet will be an H 108 ELD, or 107 SMK. My question involves twist & rifleings . They offer the following,7T-5R, 7.7 T-3 grove and 3 R, 8T 3 grove, 3 & 5 R
Thoughts & opinions
** 30% off on barrels
Click to expand...
I have one of their Remage 6GT barrels I'm getting broke in right now. I don't really pass judgement on a barrel until I have at least 200 rounds through it.
Between me and my smith, we've used 12-14 of their barrels and blanks with great results.
 
So far not impressed. I ordered 2 barrels. Had to send 1 back a barrel that didnt have a freebore. Which they promptly fixed, customer service was great. I will try the second one but a land extends all the way to the chamber on one side and while the bullets will chamber there is noticable resistance where its touching.
Barrel 1
Photo_12.jpg


Barrel 2

Photo_17.jpg
 
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I just received the 26" bull 7.7 in 3R for wifes 6 creed. I have run a number of X-Caliber barrels, they have all shot. She currently has the 8 twist in 3R which only has 300 rounds on it. I purchased the other as a spare during last sale. 2 more on the way. One for new Valkyrie build and one for my 6.5.
 
I’ve got an X-caliber savage prefit chambered in 22-250 AI. Was chambered by Match Grade Machine. Shoots extremely well. Here’s an 8 shot group while fire-forming with 55 gr Sierra blitzkings and RL-15. Boringly accurate.
I’ll keep Xcal in mind when I decide to build another rifle.
89820612-D7C0-4F48-A226-064DF916CE15.jpeg
 
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