12-31-2012, 03:14 AM
Here is what I've learned by shooting a variety of both cut and button rifled barrels. The most accurate barrel I have ever owned is a Krieger 6.5 Grendel chambered by Speedy Gonzalez at the very beginning of the 6.5 Grendel history. It is a slow twist, so slow it won't stabilize anything heavier than the 95 grain Vmax. Even the 100 grain A-Max is too long for this barrel. But, with the shorter bullets, the 81.5 Cauturcio, 85 Sierra, and 95 V-Max it is stunning, .2MOA or better out to 200 yards. It is the only barrel that I have owned that is a true one hole grouper at 100 yards, I have never fired a five shot group with paper between outside holes.
I've owned many other accurate barrels, Shilen, Satern, PacNor, Wilson, Obermeir, Schnieder, Douglass, and others I no longer even remember. By accurate I mean .5 MOA or less at distance, 300 yards or greater. What I think I know is that the barrel is by far the most critical element of the rifle system, the cut rifle barrels will last longer but are no more accurate than the good, match quality, lapped button rifle barrels.
As a testament to that, I have just ordered my next match barrel and it is a button rifled Wilson barrel chambered in 6mm HAGAR. I also ordered a Krieger barrel as it is a 6 month lead time and I will probably need a new own by that time if I campaign it heavily.
With this barrel I plan to shoot the Hornady 75 grain V-Max at 200 yards off hand and sitting rapid, the 87 grain Hornady V-max for 300 yard prone rapid, and 105 grain Hornady A-Max for 600 yard slow prone.
One of my shooting buddies just posted a 499-23X National Match Course score at the Florida State Championship matches earlier this month at Port Malabar Rifle and Pistol Club using this combination and another friend of mine, Carl Bernosky won his tenth national championship with this combination. Both of them told me they would use either a cut rifled barrel or button rifled barrel, Krieger or Wilson but if the Krieger was available in the same time frame they would go with that because it lasts longer, therefore costing less if considering load development and obtaining zeros.
For someone planning to shoot less than 3,000 rounds over the life of the barrel a high quality button rifled barres would be the best.
I have no experience with Shaw barrels, I've never heard of one being used in a serious match. That doesn't mean they don't produce barrels of the highest quality, it just means they have not been proven to perform under these grueling conditions by large numbers of competitors.
I will also say that I have limited experience with Walther-Lothar barrels, I purchased one based on good reports I had heard here on this site. It was a great disappointment. I will never own another.
To sum all this up, I would choose a barrel based upon the situation, what is available to me then and there, but my preference would be for a Krieger or Satern because on top of having the highest quality reputation they also will last longer. I wouldn't get to hung up on the chamber, but I wold prefer a true Grendel chamber if available in the time frame I could live with. I've owned a .264 LBC and a 6.5 sporter, they work, but the 6.5 Grendel won that battle when it achieved a SAMMI specified status.
I would then spend my time learning to shoot.
Bob
I've owned many other accurate barrels, Shilen, Satern, PacNor, Wilson, Obermeir, Schnieder, Douglass, and others I no longer even remember. By accurate I mean .5 MOA or less at distance, 300 yards or greater. What I think I know is that the barrel is by far the most critical element of the rifle system, the cut rifle barrels will last longer but are no more accurate than the good, match quality, lapped button rifle barrels.
As a testament to that, I have just ordered my next match barrel and it is a button rifled Wilson barrel chambered in 6mm HAGAR. I also ordered a Krieger barrel as it is a 6 month lead time and I will probably need a new own by that time if I campaign it heavily.
With this barrel I plan to shoot the Hornady 75 grain V-Max at 200 yards off hand and sitting rapid, the 87 grain Hornady V-max for 300 yard prone rapid, and 105 grain Hornady A-Max for 600 yard slow prone.
One of my shooting buddies just posted a 499-23X National Match Course score at the Florida State Championship matches earlier this month at Port Malabar Rifle and Pistol Club using this combination and another friend of mine, Carl Bernosky won his tenth national championship with this combination. Both of them told me they would use either a cut rifled barrel or button rifled barrel, Krieger or Wilson but if the Krieger was available in the same time frame they would go with that because it lasts longer, therefore costing less if considering load development and obtaining zeros.
For someone planning to shoot less than 3,000 rounds over the life of the barrel a high quality button rifled barres would be the best.
I have no experience with Shaw barrels, I've never heard of one being used in a serious match. That doesn't mean they don't produce barrels of the highest quality, it just means they have not been proven to perform under these grueling conditions by large numbers of competitors.
I will also say that I have limited experience with Walther-Lothar barrels, I purchased one based on good reports I had heard here on this site. It was a great disappointment. I will never own another.
To sum all this up, I would choose a barrel based upon the situation, what is available to me then and there, but my preference would be for a Krieger or Satern because on top of having the highest quality reputation they also will last longer. I wouldn't get to hung up on the chamber, but I wold prefer a true Grendel chamber if available in the time frame I could live with. I've owned a .264 LBC and a 6.5 sporter, they work, but the 6.5 Grendel won that battle when it achieved a SAMMI specified status.
I would then spend my time learning to shoot.
Bob