Green mountain barrel blanks

[msalm]

I'll have to update this thread when I finish with my latest, a 1" 12 twist 25" blank that I picked up. I contoured the barrel for a medium weight AR blank, .875" gas block 22" finish (cut to length AFTER lapping) then lapped the bore. It REALLY didn't take much more than a few minutes. Borescope before showed very fine reamer marks the entire length but I couldn't feel them while pulling the lap. After maybe 20 strokes or so and a few more towards the breech end I borescoped it again and all but a few very faint reamer marks were left in the center of the lands if I remember right. Couldn't feel any tight or loose spots and it seemed to have a slight choke towards the muzzle, which is what I wanted. I'll try and finish it up in the next week and shoot a few test targets with it. I expect 1/2" or better and the bore looks as good as any Shilen I've borescoped. I can't tell you how the dimensions are, they very well may be a touch loose, and that might contribute to a little less velocity but accuracy should still be very good.

 

[tommeboy]

Are the X barrels actually McGowens? They are made in the same town. If they are, forget it!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Wirelessguy2005]

X-Caliber barrels is a different company than McGowen and they are not associated in any way. I have talked with a couple of the guys at X-Caliber, they seem to be good people and they are very focused on manufacturing high quality rifle barrels. I have a few of their barrels on order and will be happy to post up my results once i get a chance to test them out.

 

[msalm]

Results are back from that 1-12 twist barrel. My friend that has it is happy as hell with it. Little bit of load work up with everything shooting sub-MOA with many under 1/2 MOA. Settled on a load with 50gr V-max at 3250 with H335 and he shot an 8 shot group at 250 yards that was less than .8" outside to outside...he says it's an absolute hammer. That out of an AR-15 with the Green Mountain 1-12tw blank.

 

[cmillard]

I too have shot their rimfire barrels on a 10-22 and it shot lights out

 

[tgonza]

I've barreled three rifles with $100 blanks, ER Shaw and Green Mtn., 6.5-284, 284 Win and 6mm BR. Two are on short action Savages, the 6.5-284 is on a Remington LA. They all shoot very well from the bench and each has taken game, an elk, deer and pronghorn in last few months. The pronghorn was shot with 6br at 270 yards dead center on shoulder and dropped it. If a round can consistently hit under an inch at 100 yards in three shots, I think its a good hunting rifle. If I was seriously into target competition maybe I'd reconsider, but for load development, the occasional hitting gongs at the range and hunting, these barrels more than meet the requirement for me.

 

[GR5150]

I have a Howa 1500 SA with a 26" 1-8 TW barrel in 223 Rem match. It is heavy 1.25 diameter straight pipe and I am shooting 65 SGKs with Varget at 3100 fps. It weighs 16 lbs unloaded. With that load I have shot in the .3s consistently. I am with others … I wish they would offer tapered blanks. I paid $139.99 plus shipping for the blank and spent $300 to have it fitted. It works flawless for the application I had it built for and those 65 SGKs are coyote hammers. For the money I don't think they can be beat. Thanks to SSCOYOTE for guiding me to that bullet for LR coyotes.