01-01-2016, 05:28 AM
Over time I have discovered that 2 things almost never go together, extreme accuracy and "budget"! If I were attempting a budget accuracy build, I would probably select a Criterion barrel as LRRPF suggests, or I would see if I could come up with a good Black Hole barrel. However, I would not expect either to have the accuracy of a Lilja, Shilen or Bartlein. A 24" Bartlein would probably be my first choice, with either of the other two a very close second. What you pay for with the more expensive barrels is consistency....you can EXPECT that any of those 3 will be accurate. You will occasionally get lucky and have a Criterion, Black Hole, or some other barrel that is very accurate, but you can't expect that they will be anywhere near as consistent barrel to barrel as you can Shilen, Lilja, or Bartlein.
You seek escape from pain. We seek the achievement of happiness. You exist for the sake of avoiding punishment. We exist for the sake of earning rewards. Threats will not make us function; fear is not our incentive. It is not death that we wish to avoid, but life that we wish to live. - John Galt