Pac-Nor or Douglas XX?

[RTex]

Are there any significant advantages of one over the other, or does it boil down to the old Chevy vs. Ford thing? I may go with 6mmBR, but am currently leaning a bit more toward the 6.5x55 Swede for my next project. Most shooting,probably 90% or more) will just be paper-punching. I have no plans for competion, but may do a little varmint hunting

Anyone have any pronounced preferences? I seem to recall reading a few posts in which folks said it took a while for the Douglas barrels to "shoot in".

Thanks for any info,

 

[jb1000br]

Your chance of getting a dud is pretty equal, though many people have experienced very good accuracy with Pac-Nor barrels and they offer a pre-fit option and,generally) fast turn-around on custom contours.

for douglas, see if Mickey Coleman can hook you up,coleman rifles)

you might check on shilen's as well--from Butch lambert, www.thebarrelman.com ) or Jerry Stiller-- www.viperactions.com

YMMV,
JB

 

[RTex]

Thanks, JB! Being new to all this, I didn't realize that my first two candidates were toward the low end of things. Since I'm already looking at a few hundred bucks, I certainly wouldn't object to spending a bit more and winding up with a better product. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again,

 

[wildcat284]

As a matter of fact Pac Nors are very good. My 6mm/284 barrel is a Pac Nor, and it only took exactly 43 rounds to break mine in. It is very accurate - I'm getting consistent .25 MOA groups at 100 yards, and cleans up very fast and easily.

Cheers,

Michael.

 

[RTex]

Thanks, Michael -

It's quite possible I misinterpreted JB's comment and read into it something that wasn't there. I appreciate the info!

 

[ReedG]

Getting a real "hummer" of a barrel,capable of .100" groups) is a coin-toss from any manufacturer. Shilen has been on top of the heap for some time, Broughton, Lilja, Kostyshyn, and several others. Several top-shooting BR shooters have won matches with Douglas barrels and Pac-Nor has a good reputation, too.

Any of the top barrel makers can reliably produce 1/2-MOA capable barrels, a good percentage of the time less, but BR shooters sometimes go through 6 or 8 barrels to find the "right" one. Most of us don't need that level of accuracy, so just about any of them can supply a good-shooting barrel for us.

As JB says, above, Mickey Coleman at ColemanRifles.com is a Douglas dealer and a good source for a barrel.

Good luck, ReedG

 

[jb1000br]

Rick, i just put them at the same level, not necessarily inferior -- it is getting harder to get a bad barrel these days

FWIW, my current top three are Kreiger, Kostyshyn and Broughton,in no certain order)

For a varmint gun, id have no qualms with a pac-nor/douglas/shilen

though shilen would probably be my choice.

FWIW,
JB

 

[RTex]

JB, thanks for the clarification - and for the additional info as well. You guys are getting me more educated but, dang, you're slow!

Many thanks,

 

[jb1000br]

slow!!...jeez, its only been 1 day

JB

 

[RTex]

JB -

That wasn't a comment aimed at the speed of your response, but rather a description of the pace at which the instructor must proceed so that I can be successfully educated.

Sorry for any confusion!

 

[MColeman]

Tony Boyer commented that he had a higher percentage of good barrels from Douglas last year than any other make. He also says that a good barrel is where you find it.

I've tried them all and have had better luck with Douglas than any of the others. You can get a barrel quicker from them and it's a good chance that it will be a great barrel. A Douglas premium stainless, air gauged 6mm LV barrel will cost you about $220 v. $275+ from anybody else.

 

[DogBuster]

I have four Pac Nors........all shoot exceptionally well....had one Douglas 243 8 twist......its gone.......

 

[6br788]

Coleman,

Could you please tell me where you can get a douglas prem airgauge stainless for $220?

I have rebarrelled rifles with shilen, broughton, and douglas. Broughton 5C are hands down my favorite, and my douglas XX chambered in 22-250 has been much better than the shilen select match I had. However, if I had gone through as many barrels as many people here have, I am sure i would have gotten great shilens and maybe some not so great douglas barrels. Tell you the truth though I am not planning on trying anything other than Broughton 5C for the forseeable future. However, I like Dan Lilja and feel his barrels would be top notch so I will consider them as well as the tried and true and no doubt technologically,new equipment and superb engineering) advanced Hart barrels.

 

[jb1000br]

Coleman,

Could you please tell me where you can get a douglas prem airgauge stainless for $220?

I have rebarrelled rifles with shilen, broughton, and douglas. Broughton 5C are hands down my favorite, and my douglas XX chambered in 22-250 has been much better than the shilen select match I had. However, if I had gone through as many barrels as many people here have, I am sure i would have gotten great shilens and maybe some not so great douglas barrels. Tell you the truth though I am not planning on trying anything other than Broughton 5C for the forseeable future. However, I like Dan Lilja and feel his barrels would be top notch so I will consider them as well as the tried and true and no doubt technologically,new equipment and superb engineering) advanced Hart barrels.

www.colemanrifles.com perhaps

Mickey is da man for douglas barrels,and i hear some decent gunsmithing)

JB

 

[MColeman]

Coleman,

Could you please tell me where you can get a douglas prem airgauge stainless for $220?

I have rebarrelled rifles with shilen, broughton, and douglas. Broughton 5C are hands down my favorite, and my douglas XX chambered in 22-250 has been much better than the shilen select match I had. However, if I had gone through as many barrels as many people here have, I am sure i would have gotten great shilens and maybe some not so great douglas barrels. Tell you the truth though I am not planning on trying anything other than Broughton 5C for the forseeable future. However, I like Dan Lilja and feel his barrels would be top notch so I will consider them as well as the tried and true and no doubt technologically,new equipment and superb engineering) advanced Hart barrels.

I can sell you a Douglas premium stainless barrel of any caliber/contour Douglas makes so long as the barrel finishes out at 24 inches or less for $215 delivered to your door. The air-gauged barrels run $25 more and I don't think it's money well spent. I have a higher percentage of great barrels from Douglas than any other and I've shot just about all of them.

This is not to say you can't get a better barrel on any given day from another manufacturer but the percentages of great barrels are, in my opinion, higher with Douglas. After all, they've been making barrels longer than any of the others and they make far more in a year that probably the next 2 combined.
They know what they're doing.

If you're interested in a barrel e-mail me.

 

[USAPatriot]

I realize that this is an old thread, but it seemed appropriate to answer since my own gun is being built at the moment, with a Douglas XX 6BR. In trying to make a choice of barrel for my first build I consulted my friend Walt Berger. From the horse's mouth:

Rod,

Douglas barrels are GREAT barrels. You WILL NOT go wrong with a Douglas barrel.
Walt

FWIW. -Rod-

 

[DanCarey]

I'm no fan of pacnor. I like most all the rest, use mostly Shilen barrels. Also Shilen makes a good showing in the winners circle.

 

[chuckw2]

Mickey,
Great to see you posting on 6mmBR.com!!!!!!!
How much for a 8twst,6.5 Douglass that will finish at 30 inches?

Merry Christmas To All The 6mmBR.COM folks.



Chuck Wetherington

 

[rhino]

I have had good luck with Pac-nor and I am buying another one!

A guy I talk with at Bodines says his broughton was not as good as his kreiger and it went to hell all at once. Of course this is what he is saying...maybe he had a dud.

He switched back to Kreiger after his barrel went tits up.

You can't go wrong with an Obeyermeyer!

RHINOUT!

 

[USAPatriot]

I have had good luck with Pac-nor and I am buying another one!

A guy I talk with at Bodines says his broughton was not as good as his kreiger and it went to hell all at once. Of course this is what he is saying...maybe he had a dud.

He switched back to Kreiger after his barrel went tits up.

You can't go wrong with an Obeyermeyer!

RHINOUT!

Question on duds: Is there any recourse with the bbl maker with a dud, or is it just assumed by them that must be the gun/gunsmith/loads/scope/shooter and if it shoots 3" groups at 100, too bad? Anyone had to confront this problem?,I assume so!) -Rod-