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Ive been doing a bunch of research and trying to decide on a barrel for a 16" SPR/Recce style rifle. Mostly for use on a bench to print groups/hit steel out to 500y. Most ammo will be premium but will put some wolf through it while friends are plinking
Ive heard the AA barrels are great but they only have the new ultra light "incursion" barrels now in 16", BA has their SPR version but havent had the best luck with them in years past. Liberty (which i had luck with a few years ago) has a fluted barrel including a matched bolt.
Not really sure which direction to go here.
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The 16 inch incursion barrel isn't new they have had it for a bunch of years.
I have the 16 inch light weight fluted barrel they use too sale, wish they had keep that barrel, mine is awesome.
I would get their 18 inch light weight fluted barrel, if your wanting to do a more bench rest presision type rig.
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If you're looking for the "best 16" barrel for accuracy" then you need to be looking at Krieger, Lilja, Bartlein, etc barrels.
They are more match kings than AA or BA or etc...
So is that your true quest or are you looking for the "best" for a certain budget limit... there is a difference.
"Down the floor, out the door, Go Brandon Go!!!!!"
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Other options that are pretty darn good are JP, Lilja, Precision Firearms and Shilen.
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my 16" X-caliber is unbelievably accurate. 1/2 moa groups are fairly normal. often. a couple weeks ago i had a group just under 7/8" at 400 yards.
another great brand is McGowan barrels. i have several in different lengths and they all shoot extremely well. both companies are located in the flathead valley of northwest montana.
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jonny rotton Wrote:my 16" X-caliber is unbelievably accurate. 1/2 moa groups are fairly normal. often. a couple weeks ago i had a group just under 7/8" at 400 yards.
another great brand is McGowan barrels. i have several in different lengths and they all shoot extremely well. both companies are located in the flathead valley of northwest montana.
Did you get the 5R or 6 groove?
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I'm getting nice accurate out of 16" odin . avg under 1 moa 4 shots . some good days , all touching , but rarely happens lol .
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grayfox Wrote:If you're looking for the "best 16" barrel for accuracy" then you need to be looking at Krieger, Lilja, Bartlein, etc barrels.
They are more match kings than AA or BA or etc...
So is that your true quest or are you looking for the "best" for a certain budget limit... there is a difference.
Again I'm new to 6.5 G and this forum--don't even have my upper yet. :-) But this advice is good based on experiences with other calibers. These are the same 'premium' barrel brands for example that Mark is using at Precision Firearms, one of the most accuracy-oriented Grendel builders. If you're really after accuracy, I'd start with one of these barrel makers (and I did  ).
An item worth checking out if you want to go with one of these makers but don't need a whole upper, reach out to Craddock Precision. They can spin you up a Bartlein barrel to your specs, or a Criterion if you want to save a few $$ but still have a barrel with a reputation for good accuracy. If I weren't having Mark build an upper, this is the route I'd go for a super accuracy barrel.
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jonny rotton Wrote:my 16" X-caliber is unbelievably accurate. 1/2 moa groups are fairly normal. often. a couple weeks ago i had a group just under 7/8" at 400 yards.
That is awesome accuracy really for *any* AR15 barrel in any caliber, had not heard of this brand. Have you tested your barrel with factory ammo, and if so, what brands/loads were showing the best results in your barrel?
Asking because I'm both interested in your barrel brand, and I'm keeping my eyes open for good factory loads to try out with my new upper.
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maximus83 Wrote:That is awesome accuracy really for *any* AR15 barrel in any caliber, had not heard of this brand. Have you tested your barrel with factory ammo, and if so, what brands/loads were showing the best results in your barrel?
Asking because I'm both interested in your barrel brand, and I'm keeping my eyes open for good factory loads to try out with my new upper.
Would definitely love to know the answer too. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I've been searching for months on a accuracy driven barrel around the $300 price point.
Pretty sure I'll be getting a JP bolt and sending it off to X-Caliber for an 18" SPR barrel in the next few weeks
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jonny rotton Wrote:my 16" X-caliber is unbelievably accurate. 1/2 moa groups are fairly normal. often. a couple weeks ago i had a group just under 7/8" at 400 yards.
another great brand is McGowan barrels. i have several in different lengths and they all shoot extremely well. both companies are located in the flathead valley of northwest montana.
Johnny,
I'm going to have to agree with you...'unbelievably accurate'.
Lilja, Krieger, Bartlein.
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ha ha ha i do not care if you believe me or not. i had at least one witness. the scope was a leupold vx6. that was one of my better groups ever. i have be shooting rifle for more than thirty years. in the mid 80's i had a top ten finish in rifle and shotgun at a three gun national match. if you have ever heard of mike dalton, i was his rifle teacher and coach in the 80's. i trained with him and mikey fowler monthly for several years. laugh if you want but i have done a lot with a rifle over the years. i am now 67 and blind in one eye. if you ever get to montana look me up and we can go to the range.
i was using hornady black box. i do not know all the specs on the barrel. a friend ordered a bunch and had them cryro treated. everyone shoots extremely well.
i also have a lilja barrel, they are made in plains montana. i also have several mcgowan barrels in several calibers. all you keyboard warriors are free to put your money where your mouth is.
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i am right handed and lost the center vision in my right eye. i now shoot left handed. try switching hands to shoot. not easy.
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jonny rotton Wrote:ha ha ha i do not care if you believe me or not. i had at least one witness. the scope was a leupold vx6. that was one of my better groups ever. i have be shooting rifle for more than thirty years. in the mid 80's i had a top ten finish in rifle and shotgun at a three gun national match. if you have ever heard of mike dalton, i was his rifle teacher and coach in the 80's. i trained with him and mikey fowler monthly for several years. laugh if you want but i have done a lot with a rifle over the years. i am now 67 and blind in one eye. if you ever get to montana look me up and we can go to the range.
i was using hornady black box. i do not know all the specs on the barrel. a friend ordered a bunch and had them cryro treated. everyone shoots extremely well.
i also have a lilja barrel, they are made in plains montana. i also have several mcgowan barrels in several calibers. all you keyboard warriors are free to put your money where your mouth is.
Cryro treated?... Interesting.
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spelling probably wrong its the deep freeze treatment. i don't know if it helps accuracy or not.
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Jonny, you must have missed the cryo discussion a while back.
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Haven't heard any response yet from the OP after the comments and suggestions.....
Other than my question about OP's budget (or if cost is no issue at all) which is unanswered, it should be noted that an individual barrel's "result" whether cryo or not is not necessarily indicative of the mfr (and indeed the commenter may have some bias in his judgment; at any rate it is at most the testimony of 1), since every barrel is unique after all.
The term "best" for a 16" is not objectively defined with quantitative criteria, so the recommended approach would be to look at barrel mfrs/families that have statistically significant quantities of top-flight barrels. Ergo, back to the Bartlein, Krieger, Lilja, etc. group.
"Down the floor, out the door, Go Brandon Go!!!!!"
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