Rimfire barrel for BR shooting

[Bill Rodolph]

Hart

 

[Janeau]

Lija and don’t look back.

 

[PWNolan]

One of the best ways to see what's being used in RFBR at a high level is to check the equipment list for ARA UL Nationals. Not too many Lilja barrels listed (none) unless they're mixed in with the handful of "others".

American Rimfire Association

www.americanrimfire.com

 

[Frankr]

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[1Merlin]

I currently have a couple of rimfire rifles with Benchmark barrels and they are top quality and very accurate.

 

[foxguy]

I have 2 Lilja barrels, a Walther, a Shilen ratchet, and 2 Hart barrels. Both Hart barrels outshoot the others.

Interesting. All chambered with the same reamer, by the same Gunsmith, the same way??
For the same type of ammo??

 

[wsmallwood]

I wonder if they're straight or taper lapping. Just curious

If they maintain contact and the bullet seals it doesn't matter. Taper lapping by itself is not magic or always necessary. It's just the easiest way to ensure consistent contact and bullet seal.

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

I currently have a couple of rimfire rifles with Benchmark barrels and they are top quality and very accurate.

I agree on the benchmarks, never had a bad one.

Lee

 

[Mt.Boy]

Last barrel I had chambered was a benchmark 3 gr. 1-15 twist .It is very accurate. I am really happy with it. It and my 8 mi muller seem about the same. I am getting ready to have another 8 gr muller chambered on another rifle. Only difference it’s not a 8 mi it’s a 8 octomax. But if I wouldn’t have found it at a good price it would have probably been another benchmark .

 

[Frankr]

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[patriot54]

Picked up a new rifle yesterday from Mark Penrod. Stiller Trident action and tuner, Muller 8G barrel, Bix'n Andy trigger, in a Randy Owens ROTEX stock. Started tuning it today indoors. Wow.

 

[Mt.Boy]

I have a Muller 8mi. And a 4 mi for me and a few I have talked to at matches the 4 groove is just better. In my case the 4 is a top level competitive barrel. The 8 is a mid pack barrel at best. It’s not because of the groove 4 vs 8 it’s really just the quality of the barrel IMO. The 4mi really responds to higher quality ammo and shoots fair ammo well. The 8 just doesn’t shoot as well and you wouldn’t notice much difference in how it shoots even with really good ammo. You just wouldn’t know.
I should add not that I don’t shoot mid pack with the 4mi. I do. lol . But it is on the edge of a great target every time I shoot it. It just shoots well.
This is a good target I shot last match. I shot 250 16x 250 22x. 247 10x. Mid pack. lol. While there is a lot of plug hit X’s
They still count. I had a 250 19x in another match where they were more solid X’s.
View attachment 1718561

Nice shooting !! I had a 4 mi on another rifle. I just never was happy with it. Possibly Could have been the something other than the barrel. Might have been the operator. Just never did shoot as good as some of my others

 

[Frankr]

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[TRSR8]

Muller 8g “ mid pack bbl”?
That there is ridiculous. Fact: world class RFBR shooter who’s won everything winnable, does some BR work has fit several….loves them. did one for me…..shoots fine.

P.S. most truly accomplished competitors don’t really find the need to post images all the time with “ look at the great target I just shot”. Just sayin.

 

[wsmallwood]

Muller 8 grooves have a somewhat checkered history. I've heard several gunsmiths say they would fool with nothing else and an equal number say they have "had enough" of the 8 grooves. Pretty much the same with shooters.

Bear in mind there are different configurations of the lands and grooves. Maybe one is better than the other. I've used two, one great, and one not even mid pack. From my experience that's the case with all premium barrels.

Barrel making is not an exact science and not really always repeatable.

 

[CharlieNC]

Barrel making is not an exact science and not really always repeatable.

Based on other industries this should be readily achievable, but we would not be willing to pay for the product.

 

[TRSR8]

Muller 8 grooves have a somewhat checkered history. I've heard several gunsmiths say they would fool with nothing else and an equal number say they have "had enough" of the 8 grooves. Pretty much the same with shooters.

Bear in mind there are different configurations of the lands and grooves. Maybe one is better than the other. I've used two, one great, and one not even mid pack. From my experience that's the case with all premium barrels.

Barrel making is not an exact science and not really always repeatable.

The “ elephant in the room” has usually been, “ they’re more wind sensitive” however as you’ve articulated, several configurations of 8’s. I shot mine last year for a handful of matches in worse than ideal wind and it really was no worse than 4’s, 5’s, 6’s, but don’t have a ton of rounds on it. In nice condition, shoots quite well.

 

[wsmallwood]

The “ elephant in the room” has usually been, “ they’re more wind sensitive” however as you’ve articulated, several configurations of 8’s. I shot mine last year for a handful of matches in worse than ideal wind and it really was no worse than 4’s, 5’s, 6’s, but don’t have a ton of rounds on it. In nice condition, shoots quite well.

I have a four that I traded an eight for. I think I got the better deal but it is an exceptional four. Not all are. Just part of the rimfire mystery I guess.

 

[TRSR8]

Based on other industries this should be readily achievable, but we would not be willing to pay for the product.

Obviously, never been in a barrel shop,
As a for instance, do you realize, every time a new lot of steel shows up literally thousands of dollars worth of tooling ….drills, reamers to end up with the hole they want before they can push/pull a button at extreme pressures through a blank not perfectly consistent end to end. Among the reasons when shooter X gets a great barrel from maker Y, you’d best run right out and get one from the same steel lot. Oft used steel is 416R.
Know what the R stands for? It’s sulphur, i.e. dirt, which does not want to really mix well with SS alloy. Then on to taper lapping, essentially done by hand, by feel. Nobody has a better batting average at this than Tolvsted, to this day.
All the machine technology available today has yet to exceed those realities.
i suppose NASA could probably do them but shooters usually live in the real world

 

[CharlieNC]

Obviously, never been in a barrel shop,
As a for instance, do you realize, every time a new lot of steel shows up literally thousands of dollars worth of tooling ….drills, reamers to end up with the hole they want before they can push/pull a button at extreme pressures through a blank not perfectly consistent end to end. Among the reasons when shooter X gets a great barrel from maker Y, you’d best run right out and get one from the same steel lot. Oft used steel is 416R.
Know what the R stands for? It’s sulphur, i.e. dirt, which does not want to really mix well with SS alloy. Then on to taper lapping, essentially done by hand, by feel. Nobody has a better batting average at this than Tolvsted, to this day.
All the machine technology available today has yet to exceed those realities.
i suppose NASA could probably do them but shooters usually live in the real world

No i haven't. Obviously you have never been in an aerospace/defense or other high tech shop. And everybody understands such application would not be affordable today. Forty years ago I worked in the production of silicon wafers where the tolerances were only a few microns, now this is a world wide commodity. Technology advances provide affordability.