New 223 Barrel?

[strut64]

Thinking about getting a fresh barrel. My 6mm BR is getting a bit long in the tooth 1450-1500 rounds.
Considering a good quality 223Rem. From Northland Critereon or Shilen. Probably after new year. Both have good reps. Possible specs for the shooting I do;
Length 26"
Contour Varmint
Stainless steel
9 twist
This will be in a savage std shank
Wylde chamber.
I target shoot casually up to 300yards.
Anyone think of any upgrades?

 

[Nightraider]

7 or 8t

And if you're calling 1500rd on a 6br bad I'll take your used barrels. I've got 2500rds of PRS on my 6br and it'll still shoot 1" groups at 450yds

 

[strut64]

Mot getting rid of tHE, this is for a second rig.

 

[Texas10]

I don't think I'd do a wylde on a 9 twist. For 300 and under there's not much reason to go for the heavier bullets and a 9 twist won't stabilize them anyway. My 9 twist varmint wt barrel will hammer clays at 500 yds with the little 53 gr. V-Max.

If it were me, I'd get a Shilen Select Match in a bull barrel, and not longer than 24 inches and preferably shorter, maybe 20 in, and a 9 or 8 twist with SAAMI chamber. Put a tuner on it and you'll totally amaze folks with how accurate it can be. The short, fat barrel should have a wide tuning window, and the tuner will top it off nicely.

http://www.ezellcustomrifles.com/home-3/pdt-tuners/

 

[Oso]

I don't think I'd do a wylde on a 9 twist. For 300 and under there's not much reason to go for the heavier bullets and a 9 twist won't stabilize them anyway. My 9 twist varmint wt barrel will hammer clays at 500 yds with the little 53 gr. V-Max.

If it were me, I'd get a Shilen Select Match in a bull barrel, and not longer than 24 inches and preferably shorter, maybe 20 in, and a 9 or 8 twist with SAAMI chamber. Put a tuner on it and you'll totally amaze folks with how accurate it can be. The short, fat barrel should have a wide tuning window, and the tuner will top it off nicely.

http://www.ezellcustomrifles.com/home-3/pdt-tuners/

I would go with 8 twist and 20" length in a heavy varmint contour. Shilen over Criterion...but my preference is Bartlein or Kreiger. VMax bullet for fun and if want something a little heavier then 69gr SMK.

Texas10 - you see any difference in performance of the 53gr VMax over the 55gr VMax?

 

[ebb]

A 9 twist will stabilize a 73 grain Berger.

 

[Tommie]

Mot getting rid of tHE, this is for a second rig.

Covfefe

 

[Texas10]

I would go with 8 twist and 20" length in a heavy varmint contour. Shilen over Criterion...but my preference is Bartlein or Kreiger. VMax bullet for fun and if want something a little heavier then 69gr SMK.

Texas10 - you see any difference in performance of the 53gr VMax over the 55gr VMax?

This biggest difference I find is that the 55 gr seats much deeper in the case when seated .010 off the lands. The 53 has more taper in the Ogive and loads with the base at about the neck/shoulder junction. Both shoot well, but in my barrel, the 53 wins. I shoot it out of a Criterion 8 twist and a Savage 9 twist where, in the hands of my son, has put 5 into groups under .1 MOA.

 

[JAlfred]

Get a 1 in 7". Take it from a guy with a lot of 1 in 9"s. There will be a lot of days at 300 yards when 77 gr bullets are your friend.

I will never again buy a barrel slower than 1 in 7" and a good 1 in 7" has proven capable with bullets as light as 50 gr and as heavy as 90 gr. Very little downside to the tighter twist.

 

[wkdickinson]

Thinking about getting a fresh barrel. My 6mm BR is getting a bit long in the tooth 1450-1500 rounds.
Considering a good quality 223Rem. From Northland Critereon or Shilen. Probably after new year. Both have good reps. Possible specs for the shooting I do;
Length 26"
Contour Varmint
Stainless steel
9 twist
This will be in a savage std shank
Wylde chamber.
I target shoot casually up to 300yards.
Anyone think of any upgrades?

I would opt for a faster twist so you have the option to shoot heavier bullets. The down side of that is you may not be able to shoot lighter varmint bullets. I have a Colt AR with a 1:9 Colt barrel that shoots 50gr Vmax amazingly well. I also have AR match rifle with a 1:7.7 Kreiger (with a Kreiger 223 Rem "match" chamber). From that rifle about 7 out of 10, 50 Vmax bullets never get to the target, they blowup on the way. But 62gr through 80gr target bullets shoot really well.

 

[ronsatspokane]

A 9 twist will stabilize a 73 grain Berger.

Best bullet I found for a 1:9 twist Savage BVSS. That thing shot those 73's like not other 223 I've had.

 

[golong]

I just finished building a 1:7, 26" Bartlein M24. Went with the 1:7 so I can run higher BC bullets at around 3,000 fps on days when I want to get out to distance with some really good wind practice. Currently going to run 77 SMK's, but I am keeping an eye on the new Berger 85.5 Hybrid.

 

[Oso]

I just finished building a 1:7, 26" Bartlein M24. Went with the 1:7 so I can run higher BC bullets at around 3,000 fps on days when I want to get out to distance with some really good wind practice. Currently going to run 77 SMK's, but I am keeping an eye on the new Berger 85.5 Hybrid.

My rig is same but 24" barrel with chamber throated long for 80gr Bergers... once I burn through my stash I'll use the new 85gr Hybrid.

 

[cmillard]

I would do the criterion!

 

[FJVance]

Maybe I missed something, your 6BR is on a 308 bolt face and the 223 is on the 222 bolt face.
Unless you are going to change bolt faces?

 

[strut64]

I did not make it clear in my first reply. This new barrel is going to be a second rifle. I am keeping the original rifle. the new barrel will be on a model 10 savage and yes the bolt face is appropriate. so I will two rifles for target and/or varmint shooting. many peple do this ask a prairie dog shooter

 

[USMCDOC]

A friend of mine whom shot a lot of Highpower, used to say that if your 7 twist barrel won't shoot the SIE 52's, you have a bad barrel..

 

[searcher]

Between them, I'd get the Criterion and I'd opt for 8TW. A little extra twist won't hurt when shooting the lighter bullets but is needed if you ever want to shoot the heavier ones (other than the heaviest). I have one (Criterion) and shoot mostly 52's to 75's. When "stepping down" from the 6BR, you will learn to appreciate the 6BR a bit more.

 

[Damon555]

I've got 3 Criterion barrels and they are all legit shooters. Can't speak for the Shilen but they are probably pretty good too.....I'd go with the 9 twist. My 223 rifles are used for varmints and targets to +/-500 yards......no need for the faster twist IMO

 

[Longtrain]

...My 6mm BR is getting a bit long in the tooth 1450-1500 rounds.

It took my Dasher about 2400 rounds to start shooting gatherings rather than groups. A BR should do that and a bit more. Looking at the barrel with a borescope can be a little frightening if you don't know what to expect. They can look fairly rough and still shoot very well. Here's a couple of photos from my Dasher at only 1100 rounds.

As far as a new 223 barrel, twist will limit your bullet weight, if you're going for the 50's to mid 70 weight bullets a 1:9 is fine, other then that a 1:8 will allow you to go to the 80's. I vote for a 1:8 all things being equal.