Metallurgical and heat treat tests, accompanied by mill-certs.
Button VS Cut rifling question
- Thread starter AKShooter
- Start date
There are some VERY expensive testing eqipment that they would need to invest into.
Sometimes QC at the mill slips up and the barrel maker gets a bad batch.
The mixture/alloy is not an exact science, one batch could be withing speck but not as good as the previous one.
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
I think I have seven 308 barrels here that I've had chambered up over the last few yrs for my F-TR rifles. They have come from Brux, Kreiger, and Bartline. I'd challenge anyone who doesn't shoot BR to tell the different in any of them. Maybe set up on a full house BR rig with a good shooter you could tell the difference, (though probably not with the recoil of shooting 200 grain pills) but in my hands with my F-TR loads they are all capable of shooting in the 2s at 200 and 300 yards. On the days when the wind cooperated and I could see my target after the 1st relay most would shoot in the range of .6 to .7 vertical at 1000 yards for 20 shots. I've seen Jade's target from the new National Record 200-13X he shot at Phoenix, it is a genuine ½ MOA 20 shot vertical.
Most people in these discussions don't understand context. For a BR shooter you may be talking about a barrel that shoots 0.06 MOA better than another in the hands of a skilled BR shooter. Most of us can have not the skill nor the setup to tell the difference.
Worry more about wind and less about esoteric internet stuff.
I would agree that an individuals ability is a limiting factor. I don't think barrels made with "bad steel' that render them a loser in the barrel selection crap shoot and send them to the garden as tomato stakes can be overcome with limitless ability. If a "bad steel " barrel will hold .5 MOA at 300 yds under ideal conditions with a high skill marksman driver, I'll stop being concerned.
One of the barrels I purchased was button rifled. Tried everything possible but it would not shoot. Called and talked to dealer. After many long conversations they agreed to send it back for further inspection. After couple months of "inspection" they apparently found nothing wrong so they sent it back saying they stress relieved it again but that's it, nothing else was done. Barrel came back with very clear signs of lapping with some very coarse compound that they "forgot to mention". Now it coppers up like factory barrels.
I'm sure that it's not a common occurrence coz manufacturer has a big name and makes great barrels, but with my experience with their customer service I will definitely reluct to purchase another one of their barrels.
Not sure if it has anything to do with button rifling or stress induced from the process but from now on cut rifled barrels from Krieger or Bartelin will be my first choice.
I'm sure that it's not a common occurrence coz manufacturer has a big name and makes great barrels, but with my experience with their customer service I will definitely reluct to purchase another one of their barrels.
Not sure if it has anything to do with button rifling or stress induced from the process but from now on cut rifled barrels from Krieger or Bartelin will be my first choice.
I have had 2 "turd" barrels and my buddies that have had "turd" barrels have all been button barrels. All of our cut barrels have been shooters. And my experience with the 2 manufactures have been the same. One was sent back without anything done to it and the other was lapped. The lapped barrel actually shot worse when it came back. But both manufactures said there was nothing wrong with there barrels. But I expect better than 1" 3 shot group at 100 yrds. And that was on a good day. I do believe that most of the time barrels bought from a reputable manufacturer are going to shoot regardless of button or cut. I do have a Shilen that is a shooter. But I sure do sleep better at night when I'm paying for a barrel job and it has a cut barrel going on than I do with a button barrel that the rifle will be a shooter.
You're going to shoot competition, use what the top shooters use Kreiger, Bartlein, Brux, you can't go wrong with one of these.
Correction: Your "chances" of getting a great barrel are higher with the above companies.
Correction: Your "chances" of getting a great barrel are higher with the above companies.
jmatters
Silver $$ Contributor
For what its worth, I shot with several Palma guys (and a few gals) for years in California, and the barrel of choice was Hart, with a few Kreigers... Came to NC, and it was reversed. Never heard anyone complain about a Hart, and my 22-250 Hart is also fine. I do like the way my Kreigers clean up though...
I have no idea who is using Sunnon Honing in the barrel process . But their Barrel should be the best . Larry
Bartlein, and probably others.
okie
Gold $$ Contributor
If anyone wants to donate their "bad barrels" I would be glad to take them. I dont care who made it by what process, they just need to be in my possession, so I can ascertain what went wrong in the mfg. process......except maybe that re-bar barrel they had the PS article on.
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
Note that this is an old thread. My post that you quoted was from 2012, and at the time there were button rifled barrels coming from Rock Creek. You can probably go and find the thread in the archives if you are interested enough.
I'm not willing to do the research to see what Rock Creek does or doesn't do today. I'm not interested. I still have a confirmed order from 2011 or 2012 when I built my first full up F-TR rig. They have never filled the order for the barrel. (I'm glad I ordered from RC and Kreiger at the same time. ) Many attempts over the yrs to resolve with no response from them.
Before I realized that order went into the void there was a group by on Snipers Hide for barrels from Rock Creek. As I recall they were starting up button rifled production. Whether or not they ever sold them as Rock Creek barrels I don't know. In any case they offered barrels for about $225 in the group buy. I bought one of them.
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If you can do that I will send you a new one and you can tell me if it will shoot . Larry
okie
Gold $$ Contributor
I cant, should've said TRY to ascertain...meanwhile I would enjoy the benefits of lots of "testing"...but wouldnt turn down new ones!! lol
okie
Gold $$ Contributor
was trying to be facetious
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