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benchmark barrels vs the rest??

How do benchmarks compare to krieger, Broughton and bartline? ?

I've got the rest and theyr awesome but I can't get my hands on any at the moment.

Are benchmark consistently making barrels that are really at that top end or just even now and then the make a hummer?
 
When you get a "hummer", you get one. Benchmark barrels are as good as the rest. It comes down to preference and availability.
 
AusFclass said:
How do benchmarks compare to krieger, Broughton and bartline? ?

I've got the rest and theyr awesome but I can't get my hands on any at the moment.

Are benchmark consistently making barrels that are really at that top end or just even now and then the make a hummer?

They seem to do well enough

http://internationalbenchrest.com/results/long_range/2014/BigPiney/330/BigPiney330.php
 
Add to that, Benchmark will make them any configuration you want - 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 groove. I have 2 right now, and they both shoot more than well enough for F-class. My Dasher shoots mid 1's with me driving, and my new 284 shoots in the 3's while fireforming with much more load development (and shooter development) needed. I'm not talking about 1 off 3 shot groups either - 3, 5 shot groups are my minimum for calling a barrels accuracy.

For the record: I'm not a sponsored shooter. I'd love to be though ;D

Keith
 
I have one benchmark & it shoot very nice. I have two cbi barrels & they shoot GREAT. The cbi barrels cost a bit less also.
 
6BRinNZ said:
Not your question but have you had a look at TrueFlite Barrels?

Yeah I know about them but I haven't seen a lot of people winning with them. A few mates have them and they seem to be OK but the REALLY good barrels I've seen or owned are kriegers, Broughton, bartline. If they gave me a couple to test extensively I'd think about giving them a go! :)
 
AusFclass said:
6BRinNZ said:
Not your question but have you had a look at TrueFlite Barrels?

Yeah I know about them but I haven't seen a lot of people winning with them. A few mates have them and they seem to be OK but the REALLY good barrels I've seen or owned are kriegers, Broughton, bartline. If they gave me a couple to test extensively I'd think about giving them a go! :)

Could be worth talking to them...I have recently and it is quite a good message. Nothing will ever change the preference for the Kriegers etc but as you say its very hard to get them, so if you are considering something else then TrueFlite might fit the bill.
 
I really like benchmark. I am on my second 3 groove with canted rifling. they will do about anything you want. they can add choke too. they have great turnaround times on their blanks too
 
Hi you have seen them win in 6mm and 7mm they also hold all the long range 1000-1500 yard records here in Australia i just ran a new 7mm SAUM in on the weekend only dropped 3 5's while testing loads out of 45 rounds with 3 different projectiles. Still more work to get the loads perfect.

They are also winning Full Bore, F Class Standard and FTR,

They have also been selected as the preferred barrel for the Australian Palma team to the USA next year.

Surprising your asking when you saw Paul win in Canberra and Geoff won in Victoria both with Benchmark Barrels.

All fitted By Grenfell Armouring Service the Australian Agent for Benchmark.

Cheers Bill
 
I had an earlier post about 308 Win165 loads that I talked about this rifle. I got a Remmy 700 with a Benchmark #4 5r 1-10 twist. I have done some load testing and got 165 Nosler Ballistic Tip 2.770 COAL with 43 grs of Varget shooting right around 1/2" 3 shot group. I am close but not done with seating depth yet. I have a McMillian on order that is supposed to be here in Aug. So it is in a unbedded HS that I have. So far, I'm happy with the barrel. But, I do believe it is more important who's the smith is, than who's barrel it is.
 
Put my first Benchmark on a 1000 HV-Gun and chambered it to 6Dasher.
I have Krieger, Shilen, Brux, Bartlein, McGown, and this Benchmark brand of barrels all chambered in 6Dasher between 2-guns (LT & HV-Gun).
Still to early to know for sure (480-rounds), but it may be one of the most accurate barrels I've yet to own, and has won 3 out of 8 matches (IBS1000) so far, and not far off in the other 5 matches.
 
Wild_Bill said:
Hi you have seen them win in 6mm and 7mm they also hold all the long range 1000-1500 yard records here in Australia i just ran a new 7mm SAUM in on the weekend only dropped 3 5's while testing loads out of 45 rounds with 3 different projectiles. Still more work to get the loads perfect.

They are also winning Full Bore, F Class Standard and FTR,

They have also been selected as the preferred barrel for the Australian Palma team to the USA next year.

Surprising your asking when you saw Paul win in Canberra and Geoff won in Victoria both with Benchmark Barrels.

All fitted By Grenfell Armouring Service the Australian Agent for Benchmark.

Cheers Bill

I wasn't in canberra bill! ;-)
 
AusF , I have heard good things about the Benchmark barrels but have you considered a Maddco ? Neville learned his chops from the great Gale Macmillan.
I have a 6.5 barrel chambered in .260Rem from Neville and it is a beauty. Know a few blokes here in SEQ that only use Maddco's.
But it still comes back to personal preference. Myself,in .30 cal use Schneiders.

regards
Mike.
 
Maddco's are great barrels- very accurate. However they are very soft and in a cartridge like a 7SAUM will not last very long. I believe that is the main caliber that AusFclass runs- he did in the recent Tassie Teams champs.
 
BY1983 , judging by your emphatic statement in part , '' however they are very soft " can I assume that you have tested the hardness of Maddco barrels and are therefore able to provide the forum with a definitive figure as would be revealed by a Rockwell Hardness Test ? Or perhaps you 'heard' that Maddco barrels are soft? There was a myth circulating on the interweb some time ago about a .50 Cal barrel that had blew up and was supposedly made by Maddco. The barrel which was fitted to a high end sniper rifle was in fact supplied by a manufacturer in the UK. Now any fair minded person would most likely draw the conclusion that it is hardly the fault of the arms maker if a barrel does blow, would it not perhaps shine the light upon the steel maker? BTW , not so very long ago Maddco was a major supplier of barrels to Accuracy International and one does not get that gig if your product is out of spec.

And I must correct a mistake I made, Neville learned the art of barrel making under Pat MacMillan not his brother Gale who of course was the stock maker.

In closing BY1983, Neville is quite prepared to make a wager on the softness/hardness of his barrels, you need only provide the barrels in question for scrutiny.
And I have no affiliation with Maddco barrels other than to say that I have owned a couple and intend to buy more in the future when I have shot out my Schneiders.

regards
Mike.
 
AUSFClass. I have so far only had one Benchmark, though other friends I know have bought them. I picked a Benchmark on WildBills advice a few years back that they would last longer than others in the barrel burning shortmags. So far this has been the case in my limited experience with them. The other 7mm/300WSM I got chambered at the same time has needed one rechamber, while the Benchmark is still going strong and I'm hoping to continue using it this year. I have another one on order to replace this one when it goes.

I have had a few Maddcos and another one just arrived. All except one shot very well, with no quirks or problems, just didn't last as long as some others. Whether this was due to hardness, heat treating, steel stock ingredients, land/groove configuration or what, I wouldn't have a clue as the target is the only testing I did on mine and they passed admirably. This was only a sample of 5 or 6 though, so others could be different. If anyone wants to test them, I think I have some old ones left which have served their useful life, though others are now fireforming barrels, club barrels and another one just on its 3rd rechamber so it now makes light gun weight. I agree with their reputation for shooting more consistently than most which I why a new 6.5 has just arrived.
 
I had a Krieger that went 2800 rounds before the accuracy dropped off but would have served as a hunting barrel for another 500+ rounds but that is only a guess. A Club mate had a Maddco that went 6000 BUT that is a rarity.
At a Queens many years ago a very well known 'smith explained the bane of barrel making. You can drill and cut 10 barrels from the same run of billets which have the same spec cert from the steel maker , using the same equipment and methods , and you will get a dud, hopefully only one, better yet none at all.
I had a 25/06 barrel by a reputable maker from the south pacific , shooting that thing was like trying to hit a bull in the backside with a hand full of wheat! It was replaced at no cost.
Thankfully for us shooters all good barrel makers have lessened the occurrence of bad barrels , be they soft, inaccurate etc.
Consistency is the goal that they are striving for to establish and maintain their reputation but there are still duds that crop up.

regards
Mike
 
Mike

After seeing a few and experiencing a few different barrels I say that. In 308 they got alot less accurate match round counts from maddco barrels than they do krieger. Not that Im burning maddco, heck my maddco 260 improved is the most accurate barrel I own and I would gladly replace it with another. But it got 1000 rounds on one chambering before the throat wore out to the point I couldnt hold bullets in the case anymore. A friend with a larger capacity version of the same caliber had 11 thou growth in a US made barrel. I know of one shooter who did the measurements on throat after approx 600-700 rounds in a few different barrels and maddco was 26 thou growth compared to under 10 for two US barrels. Plus three gunsmiths tell me they believe they are softer machining than other barrels. Rod is correct, they are very consistent performers, Ive never heard of a bad one. But they dont seem to last as long as the US barrels do. It wont stop me buying maddco barrels, but I do believe they are softer than other makers. End of the day if they keep shooting like my current one I will be happy to keep sending Neville my money.
 
BY1983 . might be useful if you were to appraise Neville of your experiences as I know Neville is finicky and strives for perfection. The only reason I could think of why a barrel could be considered soft is incorrect heat treating which is determined by many factors, not least of which is obtaining ''clean steel'' from the Mill.
Maddco heat treat ''in house'' so I am sure that they would like to know of any anomalies. A barrel should Rockwell test somewhere in the high twenties 26-29RHC but never over 30 somewhere around 27 is pretty good

regards
Mikie.
 

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