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Your PVA prefit experience

@bohem
Hi Josh, has there been any developments on the lighter contour with enlarged end and 5/8 threads?
I'm ready to get another barrel started in the form of a 18" 6 CM.

Maybe a Bartlein 2B or Brux 3 contour with 5/8?

For 18” finish length benchmark #4 is tits. Finishes at 0.725” but it tapers faster on the breech end than both of the ones you mentioned but slower taper from 6” to muzzle so will be similar weight. Not sure that helps Josh but if you had to do a custom contour I really like that one. If needing to bell the ends you could go even lighter.
 
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Finally got to take out the Tikka with the 6.5 barrel on. I was strapped for time and only packed 100g VM.

Suppressor to no suppressor no shift for this small sample and only this ammo.

Only one outing but very happy! Thanks PVA.


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While not a PVA "prefit", I just got my smith to spin me up a 6 Creed with an Osprey barrel blank, 1-7", 19" suppressed.

Shot 10 round groups with my top three nodes during intial load work, round count is sitting right at 100. Seems plenty accurate, good speed, and cleans up easy. My sample of 1 Osprey barrel is GTG, I'd buy another one.

IMG_7030.JPG
 
My pva 6br barrel on my bighorn was not tight. No issues with lapua brass on the hot side of things. I say this based off the fact that full length sizing was not a problem and easy extraction
 
After cleaning I’m running multiple dry patches, and assuring the chamber is dry, I also use isopropyl.

Personally I have seen a few barrels (not pva specifically) cause slight pressure on the first 20-40 rounds, that went away. For this reason, If I’m loading my own on a fresh barrel I normally start pretty low.
 
After cleaning I’m running multiple dry patches, and assuring the chamber is dry, I also use isopropyl.

Personally I have seen a few barrels (not pva specifically) cause slight pressure on the first 20-40 rounds, that went away. For this reason, If I’m loading my own on a fresh barrel I normally start pretty low.
I will try that and do up some even lighter loads to see if I still have the issue
 
After I clean bore with kg1 and boretech, I flush chamber/bore/brake with nonchlorinated brake parts cleaner and then push 2 patches through it. I had "pressure" signs on a 6br barrel that I was breaking in with shoot 1 and clean. I didn't get chamber dry(this was before I used brake parts cleaner) and had a sticky bolt/ejector swipe with a med load(105hpbt@2750).
 
After I clean bore with kg1 and boretech, I flush chamber/bore/brake with nonchlorinated brake parts cleaner and then push 2 patches through it. I had "pressure" signs on a 6br barrel that I was breaking in with shoot 1 and clean. I didn't get chamber dry(this was before I used brake parts cleaner) and had a sticky bolt/ejector swipe with a med load(105hpbt@2750).
I'll have to try this and try running more dry patches. These loads were giving me just over 2700 so definitely not a hot load. Sounds like you had a similar experience. I will try this to see if that helps
 
I have had great luck with two PVA barrels, one which I bought used and the other brand new.

300 PRC Osprey 26” M24
-78gr Retumbo, ADG virgin brass (Chamferred/Deburred), 230 A Tip (jumped 0.100”), CCI Large Rifle Magnum Primer
-Velocity (measured on a string of 10, shots 20-30 on the new barrel) was 2786fps with an SD of 9 on the new ADG brass (virgin brass, not fireformed)
-Shoots 1/2 MOA
-No issues making hits out to 1100 yards (farthest I have taken it)

6mm Creedmoor 26” (unknown contour, but likely an MTU)
-Have only run factory Hornady 108 ELD ammo through it since I have 300-400 rounds of it before I switch to handloads
-Prints ragged 1/2” groups at 100 yards, easy to make hits to 1100 yards
-Velocity was 3010fps, can’t remember the SD
 
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@bohem
Hi Josh, has there been any developments on the lighter contour with enlarged end and 5/8 threads?
I'm ready to get another barrel started in the form of a 18" 6 CM.

Maybe a Bartlein 2B or Brux 3 contour with 5/8?
It's an option, just ask for it. It's not something on the website
 
Man that's pretty damn good for a $1100 barreled action!
It's gonna be my yote rifle and probably run thermal on it at night in season. The Athlon is just my load work slave scope that I use on rifles that will have lower mag scopes. I've got a leupold(I know I know) 4.5-14x30 vx3 lr that got a m1 knob and tmoa-32 reticle at their custom shop. It's a great scope for a hotrod yote gun, tracks good and glass is good enough. Sfp(I know, but a mover at 200 doesn't need much lead with a zippy caliber and at 400yds 14x is fine for wind holds without being too much) probably shoot for a 270ish zero so point blank to 330yd it doesn't go farther than 3" over/under reticle.
 
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The solus barreled actions are intriguing. What blank comes with them, Ballistic advantage? It's interesting that a osprey blank costs $360 but choosing an Opsrey blank instead of whatever "OEM" blank is standard on the solus barreled action is a $350 cost premium.

If these were available with the new lighter solus actions, that would be an attractive option. Is that coming in the future?

Last question.. What is the standard groove count on the OBW blanks? I don't see that listed anywhere.
 
The solus barreled actions are intriguing. What blank comes with them, Ballistic advantage? It's interesting that a osprey blank costs $360 but choosing an Opsrey blank instead of whatever "OEM" blank is standard on the solus barreled action is a $350 cost premium.

If these were available with the new lighter solus actions, that would be an attractive option. Is that coming in the future?

Last question.. What is the standard groove count on the OBW blanks? I don't see that listed anywhere.
No, they're not Ballistic Advantage. They're not a specific blank at base price. It could be a Wilson, Shilen, Rock Creek button, etc. Just depends what is available, we buy batches of them and it could be from several suppliers depending who has what at a given time. Once in a rare occasion we don't have the OEM blank available so an OBW gets used through the contract line just to get the project out on time.

The price is not just the blank being used it's also the process that they go through. The standard barrels run through our OEM line that we use for contract manufacturing. We 65% of our annual production goes through a contract process that is not the same as the custom line. Going to an Osprey gets you the same custom line that a regular custom ordered barrel gets. The upcharge takes care of the difference in price as well as touch time on the custom barrel process.

Lightweight Solus actions are currently somwhere between WA and PA, waiting to get the first batch. Until I have them in hand they won't go on the website.

OBW's are all 6 grooves.
 
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What powder are you using ?
H4350. Barrel sped up 70fps and wasn't in previous node. I wasn't seeing any pressure signs on primers, so I tried 42.0, 42.3, 42.6, and 42.9. Here's the 42.6 primer row and chrony data:
20240421_163856.jpg
Screenshot_20240421-164125_ShotView.jpg

I need to play with seating depth but this load was .5" and if you give me a mulligan, it was hi .3s for 4 shots. Here's 2 at 750:
20240420_152702.jpg
 
H4350. Barrel sped up 70fps and wasn't in previous node. I wasn't seeing any pressure signs on primers, so I tried 42.0, 42.3, 42.6, and 42.9. Here's the 42.6 primer row and chrony data:View attachment 8402683View attachment 8402684
I need to play with seating depth but this load was .5" and if you give me a mulligan, it was hi .3s for 4 shots. Here's 2 at 750:View attachment 8402691
Did you go with the standard barrel option?

Really making me anxious for mine to finish up and ship now. Got some ELD-VTs and some 75gr ELDMs too waiting.
 
Standard, as far as I know. Bohems post made it sound like osprey barrel might be subbed if oem isn't available and time line is tight. Peterson srp and br4, currently jumping a generic 20thou starting point, oal(with my tool) from ogive is 2.135.

I should add, solus feeds from aics AND aw mags perfectly in bravo stock with standard latch. There is no extra upward slop with aw mags, has same amount of movement as aics.
 
H4350. Barrel sped up 70fps and wasn't in previous node. I wasn't seeing any pressure signs on primers, so I tried 42.0, 42.3, 42.6, and 42.9. Here's the 42.6 primer row and chrony data:View attachment 8402683View attachment 8402684
I need to play with seating depth but this load was .5" and if you give me a mulligan, it was hi .3s for 4 shots. Here's 2 at 750:View attachment 8402691
Those are some Cratered Primers with that powder charge. Is the firing pin / firing pin hole in the bolt face clearance excessive ?
 
Those are some Cratered Primers with that powder charge. Is the firing pin / firing pin hole in the bolt face clearance excessive ?
Yeah, we must not be looking at same pic. There is no raised crater around fp hit, smooth as glass. Edges of primers are still rd, they would be flattened at elevated pressure. First flattened edges, then blanked primers, then ejector swipes. Catered primers, ala factory rem 700, are really a poor indicator of pressure, more an indicator of fp clearance as you say. I'm not trying to be smart, but I honestly don't see what you're referring to.

Edit: here's another pic
20240410_133809.jpg
 
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Going back to prior topics on sporter contours - @bohem - I think you may be losing customers by having the "Not compatible with muzzle threads" notes for various options.

I feel like ive seen those notes elsewhere before but just see it on the solus barreled actions now. It says light palma is only compatible with 1/2x28 threads and med palma is the minimum for 5/8 threads and brux#4 (same as bart #3) is not compatible with threads at all. Why is that? Light palma is 0.750 @ 30" finish length. #4 Brux is above 0.662 (0.100" shoulder for 9/16" threads) from like 27" finish length and shorter and should have 0.725 shoulder (for 5/8 threads) below 21" finish length.
 
Yeah, we must not be looking at same pic. There is no raised crater around fp hit, smooth as glass. Edges of primers are still rd, they would be flattened at elevated pressure. First flattened edges, then blanked primers, then ejector swipes. Catered primers, ala factory rem 700, are really a poor indicator of pressure, more an indicator of fp clearance as you say. I'm not trying to be smart, but I honestly don't see what you're referring to.

Edit: here's another picView attachment 8403137
Perhaps this one from your original pic....rest look fine, this one....not so much. No?

1713974452629.png
 
Going back to prior topics on sporter contours - @bohem - I think you may be losing customers by having the "Not compatible with muzzle threads" notes for various options.

I feel like ive seen those notes elsewhere before but just see it on the solus barreled actions now. It says light palma is only compatible with 1/2x28 threads and med palma is the minimum for 5/8 threads and brux#4 (same as bart #3) is not compatible with threads at all. Why is that? Light palma is 0.750 @ 30" finish length. #4 Brux is above 0.662 (0.100" shoulder for 9/16" threads) from like 27" finish length and shorter and should have 0.725 shoulder (for 5/8 threads) below 21" finish length.
Good point, I'll look at it. I was trying to avoid the prior problems that have come up with guys ordering things and having barrels arrive that are incompatible, or marginally compatible with certain muzzle devices.

Keep in mind that the options available for a Solus barreled action are parsed down significantly as compared to the options that a full prefit ordered custom can be made into. It comes down to changing configurations in the production line side. The Solus BA product is designed to maximize the value to customer with a barreled action that shoots well (in many cases it's an intro rifle) and we limit the options to keep the price point down.

I'm facing a substantial price hike from Aero on those receivers (about 25%) with no change to the MSRP, which means I may be changing the price on the barreled action. If I do that though I'll probably drop the OEM blanks and just move to Ospreys with the price change and be done with the low cost option. It's looking like a $200 price point change and for that I think folks ought to get a really good barrel.
 
Yeah, we must not be looking at same pic. There is no raised crater around fp hit, smooth as glass. Edges of primers are still rd, they would be flattened at elevated pressure. First flattened edges, then blanked primers, then ejector swipes. Catered primers, ala factory rem 700, are really a poor indicator of pressure, more an indicator of fp clearance as you say. I'm not trying to be smart, but I honestly don't see what you're referring to.

Edit: here's another picView attachment 8403137
Much better photo.
The CCI "B" stamp isn't smashed flat, and the corners of the primers aren't anvil-ed flat, so I wasn't thinking a gross overpressure situation.
I was looking at the two primers that were in focus ( Yellow Circles ) and the shading in the photo made me think excessive firing pin / bolt face clearance.
20240421_163856.jpg
 
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Much better photo.
The CCI "B" stamp isn't smashed flat, and the corners of the primers aren't anvil-ed flat, so I wasn't thinking a gross overpressure situation.
I was looking at the two primers that were in focus ( Yellow Circles ) and the shading in the photo made me think excessive firing pin / bolt face clearance.
View attachment 8403886
Lighting makes it look weird, easy for me to dismiss because I've got cases in hand and can drag a finger nail across and not feel any crater ridge.