If you really want .5 moa, you ought to get a cut rifled barrel. If you go that route, you might not have it for hunting season.
Precision Firearms is slow. Be prepared to wait longer than you're told the lead time will be.
Towards the end of 2021, I tried to get a Bartlein or Kreiger from Compass Lake Engineering. They didn't expect enough blanks to fill new orders any time soon from either company. I went with a button rifled Douglas blank and have been pleased with it. Lead time was 12 weeks. It's pretty new, but has produced a sub .6" group with handloads, .8" with factory 123 ELDMs.
I do have a 12.5" Satern Liberty that can get under 1" with 123 ELDMs. It's perfectly serviceable for hunting. For a hunting build, I'd do this barrel again, no problem. You'll want an adjustable gas block though. Liberties' ports are big.
I have not found 123 grain SSTs to shoot well, so you might not want to get too wed to that bullet. I don't like any cannelured bullets for accuracy. They seem fussier to get shooting real well.
I've liked what I've seen from H335, in limited load development time. It's relatively available right now. Availability will drive your powder choice for the foreseeable future.
Precision Firearms is slow. Be prepared to wait longer than you're told the lead time will be.
Towards the end of 2021, I tried to get a Bartlein or Kreiger from Compass Lake Engineering. They didn't expect enough blanks to fill new orders any time soon from either company. I went with a button rifled Douglas blank and have been pleased with it. Lead time was 12 weeks. It's pretty new, but has produced a sub .6" group with handloads, .8" with factory 123 ELDMs.
I do have a 12.5" Satern Liberty that can get under 1" with 123 ELDMs. It's perfectly serviceable for hunting. For a hunting build, I'd do this barrel again, no problem. You'll want an adjustable gas block though. Liberties' ports are big.
I have not found 123 grain SSTs to shoot well, so you might not want to get too wed to that bullet. I don't like any cannelured bullets for accuracy. They seem fussier to get shooting real well.
I've liked what I've seen from H335, in limited load development time. It's relatively available right now. Availability will drive your powder choice for the foreseeable future.