Thinking about this...

[EPeterson]

Lilja barrel:
http://riflebarrels.com/shop/65-grendel/...del-ar740/

I'm mulling over upgrading and I'm wondering what the members think about the barrel. I'm mainly concerned about the weight and if I can use my old AA bolt. I don't want a bench gun, but rather something I can comfortably hunt caribou with through heavy brush, while being consistently sub moa.

My current barrel is a 16" AA chrome moly that doesn't have consistent accuracy. I can get groups of half and inch at 200yds and then 3-4in on the next couple strings. My hand loads average 1-2moa. Accuracy is 2-3 moa with Hornady ammo.

[wraith1516]

If I could afford one that is what I'd love to have but could only afford a bhw barrel

[rabiddawg]

I have the 740 on one of my rifles. I was suprised at how light and well balanced it turned out. I expected it to feel heavier.

I have to run to the shop in a few hours so i will take the gun with me, weigh it on my sartorius scale and report back.

[tackdriver]

Your AA bolt should work fine but if you end up needing a bolt or BCG, I will have a new Precision Firearms BCG that I am not needing and willing to sell

[montana]

I have more than one of both the 16" AA barrels and the 20" Lilja AR740 barrels. Since what is too heavy for a hunting rifle is dependent on the individual I'll just say, if I were going to hunt with a 20" Grendel the AR740 Lilja would be my first choice. I would get the fluting to reduce the weight even more. I hunt in steep mountainous areas 90 percent of the time and my AA 16" barrels are hard to beat for weight and comfort. Both of my 16" AA rifles shoot 1 to 1 1/2 MOA all day long with factory Hornady ammo. They are more than accurate enough for hunting. I'm wondering if you may have other problems? That said I can recommend the AR 740 Lilja barrel without any reservation. They are works of art that shoot like a dream and the 740 profile is perfect for consistent accuracy and weight. Lilja head spaces their barrels with the type 2 .136 bolt face that AA uses so your bolt should not be a problem.

[rabiddawg]

My lilja 20" 740 gun weighs 9.8 with 4-16 vortex scope, gg&g mount, but no sling. It has a magpul acs stock and seekins hg.

My 16" aa gun weighed 8.3 with 3-9 nikon, pepr mount, cheap collapsible stock, two piece plastic hg and sling.

[biodsl]

I have a Lilja AR 740. Here’s the configuration and weights:

Upper: Rainier Arms billet upper, AAC 3 prong flash hider, Midwest Industries 12” free-float rail. It weighs 4 lbs, 10 oz. with the BCG.
Lower: forged lower, JP Silent Capture Spring and Magpul MOE fixed stock weighs 2lbs, 10oz.
Optics: Vortex 2.5-10 PST and ADM QD mount comes in at 1 lb, 12 oz. (heavy mount!)
Total rifle weigh is 9 lbs.

I know you’re looking at the Lilja, but if money is a consideration and you have a little time to wait, I’d suggest considering a Black Hole Weaponry barrel. Their ‘light’ profile is very close to the AR740 so the weight should be similar. Everything I’ve read on this forum would indicate you can expect sub-MOA accuracy from the 264LBC chamber if you’re shooting heavier bullets. Make sure you ask them to chamber it for a Type II bolt. BHW is having a 20% off sale right now which means you can get a barrel for $210. It’s the route I’d go if I were doing this over.

[wfa17332]

The BHW 18", "Slim" profile, weighs right at 2lbs, or at least that's what mine weighs IIRC. The whole rifle is just a tad under 7lbs with Leupold FX-II 4X.

[am4966]

What length gas do you get from BHW 18" mid or rifle?

FYI I would do a 18" barrel for hunting, lighter and you Dont lose much from the 20"....if you your not needing it to shoot past 3-400 yards for a kill, a 11.5-12.5" Grendel is hard to beat in the brush!

[tackdriver]

Second on the BHW, I have had 3 and my current one (PF chambered) is a tackdriver. The others we're .264 LBC and I had no issues w/ 100grn bullets in fact it shot them even tighter (95gr vmax and 100 nos)

[wfa17332]

My 18" BHW is "Mid length" gas. I highly recommend an adjustable gas block although it's not an absolute necessity. The 264LBC/Grendel can use a large number of different powder/bullet combinations with good to excellent results. That's good, but it also means port pressure is going to vary widely (at least from my experience). I highly recommend an adjustable gas block although it's not an absolute necessity.

[EPeterson]

Thanks all for the responses. I thought about the bhw, but the wait time was the killer. Caribou season starts in just over a month and I would like something to have ready for that. I'm giving my barrel one last try with it being cleaned and re torqued.

[LRRPF52]

There is no need to reduce the weight of the AR740 Lilja profile barrel, even at 20". I put an upper together for a forum member and when I slapped it on one of my lowers, it was in the 6lbs, not many oz. range, like 6lbs 2oz IIRC.

With a lightweight mount and optic, it makes a very light overall hunting set up.

Not sure what it going on with your current upper, other than the fact that lightweight guns are very difficult to get to shoot consistently because they are squirrely. Anchor it in a bull bag, use a high end trigger like a Geissele or AA's trigger, with a rear bag, and it will shoot.

[rabiddawg]

I agree with '52. If you want to save weight, i think it better to do it on other components. My rifle doesnt feel forward heavy.

[EPeterson]

Before I order this barrel, can I expect a reduction in velocity compared to say a AA barrel? I've seen a couple times that velocity is less, but not remarkably so. Perhaps upwards of 100fps.