Feedback Re Criterion Barrels?

[CharlieNC]

First of all I'm not bashing Criterion, but have a concern and looking for wider spread feedback. For a number of years several shooting buds and myself had great performance with these prefits in Fclass. Replacing these within the last year, three guys could not get them to shoot, two in the last few months. After a week of emails and phone calls (leave a message), no response as yet. It took the first guy nine months to get a replacement which is marginal and very temperamental. I've had several CBI which were easy load development and shot great, as did my buds. Always got an answer when I called. Seems like quality and service have fallen off. What is your current experience?

 

[Fuj]

I've had several CBI which were easy load development and shot great, as did my buds.

With saying great, how good did it really shoot ?? I only owned one
when they first came out. It was a 1/2 minute barrel. To quite a few,
that's a shooter, but to quite a few, it would suck. That barrel railed
quite a few Pa chucks, and did good in plate match's, just could'nt
get it to shoot better the 1/2 MOA when my Douglas and Harts were
shooting in the 2's.

 

[CharlieNC]

With saying great, how good did it really shoot ?? I only owned one
when they first came out. It was a 1/2 minute barrel. To quite a few,
that's a shooter, but to quite a few, it would suck. That barrel railed
quite a few Pa chucks, and did good in plate match's, just could'nt
get it to shoot better the 1/2 MOA when my Douglas and Harts were
shooting in the 2's.

Good enough for several of us to achieve NRA records.

 

[clowdis]

Criterion was a way for Krieger to make cheaper barrels. That means that sometimes you get great barrels and sometimes not. You even get an occasional shooter from Shaw. But we had a Criterion blank one time that a .301 pin gauge would fall all the way through the supposed .300 bore. I'm not saying that Criterion barrels are a crap shoot, just that expectations should not be up there with hand lapped Kriegers.

 

[Dimner]

my M1 garand barrel by Criterion is outstanding. I would not hesitate using them again. If I were building an f-class rifle, I would put them on my list of contenders of mfgs to look into. Especially at the price point they are at. However, I'm a rookie and I would burn out the barrel before I got good enough at competition and wind reading to be able to notice the difference between a criterion and a bart.

 

[Dgd6mm]

My Criterion. 308 FTR rifle shoots very good. It gracious in the neck dimension I can tell you that.

 

[MGYSGT]

Not to bash anyone, but my first Criteiron barrel was the best barrel I ever had. The last one I bought was just ok. However the last 2 Krieger's I bought had to have 2 to 3 inches of the barrel chopped off the muzzle to get them to shoot and that is after the original chambering. One had a tight spot and the other had a loose spot. A Bartlein I bought had a chunk missing out of a land about an inch from the muzzle, again after it had been chambered. So just to say, there is a possibility that any barrel bought, no matter who makes it, can have a defect.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Not to bash any barrel manufacturers, buy an Urbanrifleman Wilson
barrel.

 

[J.d. Popkes]

Not to bash any barrel manufacturers, buy an Urbanrifleman Wilson
barrel.

Limited to 26”

 

[DonkeyHote]

I just purchased a 260 Remington remage from northland shooting supply and it shoots 1/2 moa with Berger factry ammo at 500 meters. Good enough for what i do, working on load development...

My friend used a same barrel different caliber, and just scored a 40 at bench rest silhouette with it, so they shoot.

​

 

[urbanrifleman]

Limited to 26”

Probably part of the reason Wilson is so consistent.

 

[J.d. Popkes]

Yeah man. Could be for sure. I just like the added length of a 28”. Lots of people go 30”. If Wilson did that I’d definitely not hesitate.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Yeah man. Could be for sure. I just like the added length of a 28”. Lots of people go 30”. If Wilson did that I’d definitely not hesitate.

Why? If my barrel shoots better at 26, who cares about the 2 inches? What does that do?

 

[J.d. Popkes]

Why? If my barrel shoots better at 26, who cares about the 2 inches? What does that do?

Why? Because velocity.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Why? Because velocity.

From my experience, the best shooters that I deal with as customers never mentioned velocity is something that they deem as criteria for purchasing a barrel. Unless they are shooting prairie dogs or something like that. Which if someone's wanting to shoot prairie dogs and to make the bullet go fast the best thing to do is go to the next bigger case. But people who shoot targets who are highmasters don't talk about velocity very much, they talk about scores and groups. That's just my personal experience. And I were to say that my barrel at 26 in shoots smaller than the other guys barrel at 28 I would say that the experienced shooter would take the smaller shooting barrel every single time.

 

[J.d. Popkes]

From my experience, the best shooters that I deal with as customers never mentioned velocity is something that they deem as criteria for purchasing a barrel. Unless they are shooting prairie dogs or something like that. Which if someone's wanting to shoot prairie dogs and to make the bullet go fast the best thing to do is go to the next bigger case. But people who shoot targets who are highmasters don't talk about velocity very much, they talk about scores and groups. That's just my personal experience. And I were to say that my barrel at 26 in shoots smaller than the other guys barrel at 28 I would say that the experienced shooter would take the smaller shooting barrel every single time.

Why not a 22” or 18” then. If length is irrelevant.

What if…… a 24” and a 28” both shot really small but one was 50-75-100 fps faster, then what’s the experienced shooter going to pick?

What if….. the customer wants what he wants and if you don’t offer it no hard feelings. I don’t need you to change my mind and tell me I’m wrong. Comes off as combative and abrasive and condescending from someone in the business of selling anything. Just saying sorry I don’t offer that seems better than saying you’re wrong for wanting that.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Why not a 22” or 18” then. If length is irrelevant.

What if…… a 24” and a 28” both shot really small but one was 50-75-100 fps faster, then what’s the experienced shooter going to pick?

What if….. the customer wants what he wants and if you don’t offer it no hard feelings. I don’t need you to change my mind and tell me I’m wrong. Comes off as combative and abrasive and condescending from someone in the business of selling anything. Just saying sorry I don’t offer that seems better than saying you’re wrong for wanting that.

I didn't say that.

 

[DLT]

Why? Because velocity.

Real world what’s 2” ? 50fps rough ?

 

[J.d. Popkes]

Real world what’s 2” ? 50fps rough ?

50/75 fps is worth it to me, the cost of a 26” vs a 28” is usually equal or not much more.

Why do people choose a dasher or BRA over a straight br?

Every inch counts. That’s what she said!

The question is, why not go 28+? Because Wilson don’t make it? Wrong!!

 

[J.d. Popkes]

Real world what’s 2” ? 50fps rough ?

Uhhh?