Barrel Choice

[joesr]

I'm very interested in all of your input.

I am new to the forum and I shoot XTC. However, reading the posts it seems that benchrest shooter are choosing different manufactures of barrel than XTC shooters.

I wonder why?????

Please tell...

Manufacturer?

Caliber?

Barrel life?

Accuracy?

thanks

Joe H

 

[memilanuk]

Whaddya mean, joe? That they don't worship at the temple of Krieger and anything else is heresy, prone to get you burned at the stake,or at least harassed on a regular basis)?

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against than something about their hegemony in Highpower tends to make me want to try something else, just because.

YMMV,

Monte

 

[Cheechako]

Joe

I'm not sure how you arrived at your conclusion by reading posts on the forums but I went thru a few equipment lists from actual benchrest matches and here's what I found. These are both long and short range matches, by the way.

2002

Kreiger 38%
Hart 23%
Lilja 7%
Shilen 9%
Other 23%

2005

Kreiger 61%
Hart 12%
Lilja 8%
Shilen 18%
Other 1%

I think most benchrest shooters are like me. They shoot whatever is working at the time. They are not loyal to any one particular brand and will switch in a heart-beat. I can't believe XC, or Palma, or Silhouette, or any other shooters are not the same way.

One thing to keep in mind is that many, if not a majority, of benchrest shooters shot other disciplines at one time or another. Some still shoot more than one. I recall a couple of shooters in Phoenix who shot a benchrest match in the morning and then drove down to the hi-power range and shot XC in the afternoon. The late Skip Talbot held world records in Pistol, Silhouette, and Benchrest. We weren't born with a benchrest rifle in our hands. My point is, We're all alike more than you think. I'll bet even you put a high magnification scope on your rifle and sit at a bench to test loads. C'mon, admit it.

Ray

PS - What do the XC guys use??

Another PS - As we speak I have 4 long range rifles that I use this year. The barrels? One 30 cal Lilja, one 7mm Kreiger, one 6mm Hart and one 6mm Shilen.

 

[Pbike]

Barrels can be a regional thing too.

I like to say bullets in benchrest are a regional thing to soma extent. If I am going to matches that a bullet maker who's bullets I use are going to be there, I arrange to pick up bullets then... Saves shipping and time for both parties. I have done this with Ed Watson, Lowell Hottenstien, Gregg Wilkes, Larry Estes, Randy Robinett, Bart's, Jim Saubier, Kenny Rossing, & Jef Fowler.

If I have a good gunsmith in my area that does outstanding work, I try to stay with him on jobs that need to be done. For a while there I was going through Dwight Scott, now my work is done by John Pierce. Either Dwight or John are 2 hours drive from me and It's very nice to be able to call and make an appointment to meet and have some work started, or drop things off or have things done completely. Lunch usually is in order too.

Sometimes a gunsmith gets a number of barrels from a barrel supplier at one time and does so at some savings. If I am in need of a 6mm 14 twist barrel like what my gunsmith has, I can go that way. Provided they are the ones I use... I like the 3 groove varieties. They seem to foul less and clean easier. My gunsmith gets barrels from a number of barrel makers, but he likes to do business with one close by. He can even drive and pick up 50 barrels or so at a shot... I don't know if this saves on shipping anymore, as gas is more than it was, but it gives him a little piece of mind in that he can inspect his order for accuracy before it is even shipped. For this reason I have found some of the best barrels I have ever shot. I tried what john could get and they worked great... Broughton. Although I have also had good luck with North West Precision... I believe that is now Kostyshin... Hart has given me good luck, and Shilen has been good. I have never had any Krieger's, Dad had one that was never good, after 800 or so rounds it got to be better, but never good. We use it to fire-form I believe now.

Paul

 

[joesr]

I guess I deserve the tone in the posts. I brought that on myself. However, contrary to what you believe I do not have anything against bench rest shooting. Much of what I am currently doing is being done with advice from people shooting bench rest exclusively.

I don't worship at the temple of Kreiger. Their barrels have been successful for us and why change when it is working?

I did state that by reading posts it seemed to me that bench rest shooters were shooting different barrels than XTC shooters. However, I also have had many conversations with dedicated bench rest shooters and gunsmiths and many of these people don't shoot Kreiger. The guys shooting Tubb's 6XC in the T2K are shooting a lot of Schneider barrels and I can tell you they really shot well.

However, the change from 2002 to 2005 is very interesting.

XTC shooters seem to shoot what ever is working at the time also, but you all probably know that. And I do scope my barrel and test loads off the bench. You have to do that to be successful.

I don't think we are that different. In fact, the reason for this post is that I wanted some information from people looking for the ultimate accuracy from their rifles. I hope to lean something.

Until about 2000 I shot Hart barrels exclusevely. Some in .22 rimfire in international competition and many in .308. Once we switched to 243 I had some issues with fouling in their barrels and that is when we switched. Shooting the 6.5 I shot Obermyer exclusevely. With the 243 we have shot Kreiger almost exclusevely. The experiment with Shilen was a complete failure as far as barrel life goes.

Reciently after talking with some bench rest shooters I deceided to give the Hart another try. Also, I have a friend that works for Hart and if I can shoot their barrels and get the same results I'll shoot theirs. I should know by the end of May.

I was just looking for some input and ideas.

 

[Cheechako]

Pbike is right about the regional thing. I should have clarified my post by saying that the results were from NBRSA matches. Kriegers are very popular out west. I think next year we will start seeing Broughton barrels on the lists now that Tim is up and running full time,and has been winning some matches with his own barrels ). Even though Schneider is located out west you seldon see his barrels among BR shooters for some reason.

In addition to a regional preference there seems to be a relationship between caliber and use. Whether it's real or imagined I don't know but the bigger calibers seem to go to makers like Lilja and K&P and the smaller bores to Hart and Shilen. Kreigers seem to be good no matter how big the hole is but 10 years ago Kreiger's were never seen at a short range BR match.

Bottom line is as you guys said, shooters use what is working and it doesn't take long for the word to get around.

And Joe, nobody is taking your posts in a negative way so there's no reason to keep apologizing.

Ray

 

[Cochran]

Many of the best scores being put up this year in F-class are with Broughtons. I've got a couple of Kriegers to use up. After that its Broughton all the way for me.

Jeff

 

[joesr]

I was reading about the Broughtons and I am very interested. I probably will not try one until about this time next year as I am too busy with other projects and I want to wait for the 6mm in 1:7 twist.

However, it intrigues me and I'm interested in other people's success with this manufacturer. I have heard mixed results today in talking with some people in the know.

 

[Aussie_bob]

Think your selves lucky to have such a choice of barrels we have a few barrel makers here in Australia but when i went looking for a barrel in 30 with 17tw i had to go with what was being bought in from the US at the time which is a Pac-Nor.
With the problems with Import/export of firearms or related products we are finding it more difficult to obtain equipment at reasonable prices My next project will have a 6mm barrel and 1 in 8 tw so will use a home grown barrel Hopefully chambered in either 6BRX,6CM or 6XC will wait till the time comes which at this stage will be after Christmas as i will hopefully take possession of my new 30BR at the end of this week has taken about 5 months.