Pre-Fit vs Custom Chambered Barrel

[Phil3]

Is there any real difference in on-target accuracy between say an off the shelf Criterion or Shilen pre-fit barrel for a Savage vs a Krieger or Barlein grade barrel, chambered by a reputable gunsmith? Assume both are the same in rifling, chamber, contour, length, etc.

The prefit is obviously much cheaper, but is it less accurate? For my 6mmBR build with 65 - 68 grain bullets, I am looking at a Shilen pre-fit using their optional .060 freebore, .272 neck reamer, or a Krieger chambered with a similar spec'd reamer (even if I have to have one made).

Thanks.

Phil

 

[DeltaBravo]

Phil,

Go with the Shilen and get the 14-twist ratchet rifled version. I'm on my second 6BR with that configuration and it shoots Barts or JDS 68 grain BTs lights out. Now, that's just at 100 yards, and I only shoot VFS score, so my accuracy needs are a little less than what you might want, but I'm happy with Shilen barrels after having 3 so far. I also just picked up a 12-twist at their swap meet just to try it out. Call Northland Shooters Supply and check on availability.

BTW, when I contacted Kreiger about pre-fits, they wanted to fit the barrel to my action (Shilen DGV). I don't need all that, and I swap my own barrels using Go/No Go gages. HTH

Dennis

 

[dmoran]

Its like buying a suit off the rack verses getting one tailored and fitted to you.

Not saying prefit barrels aren't accurate, but for full out best potential and accuracy, I myself will always go with a custom fitted and chambered barrel. To much time, devotion, and component expense, to go at a barrel the cheap route myself.
Donovan

 

[pburr]

I guess it would depend on what your intended use would be for the rifle. For me, I have yet to meet any winning competitor on the firing line using a pre-fit barrel. Im not saying it's not possible, but I have not met any at the matches I attend. That says something!

 

[watercam]

We all want to save $$ but the price difference is something in the $150-200 range. It also depends upon what your accuracy expectations are. Not every XXX rifle is the same in every dimension. Your Shilen action should be one of the best, perhaps that answers the question of who to buy a pre-fit from.

 

[tn6br]

I shoot a shilen 6br prefit at the moment with acceptable accuracy (low 2's high 1's) but fwiw my next barrel will be a krieger blank im having chambered. The difference from what I have seen is marginal but in the benchrest game the difference between winning and 2nd place is also. Every little bit helps it really comes down to what you expect from the gun and its intended purpose.

 

[Phil3]

I am the OP and this rifle will never see competion. It is just a Savage single shot action to be used at 100 - 300 yards, for weekend entertainment on paper targets. If a prefit will get me in the 2s or 3s, then I'd be happy, but less so if I knew a more premium barrel would get me into the 1s. As an aside, the rifle will be shoot off a front bag or bipod and a lightweight rear bag. Ocassionally, I will use my co-axial type front rest and heavy rear bag, but mostly for load development.

 

[DennisH]

It's been my experience if a blank was chambered, contoured, threaded, & the muzzle cut in by a competent gunsmith, this barrel will shoot better for me. Some might state otherwise, but I am always confident when I have one turned by a well known gunsmith.

FWIW, some gunsmiths can look at the blank and tell you if it will be a shooter! Please see my revised statement below. Again, FWIW.

Dennis

 

[Mozella]

I guess it would depend on what your intended use would be for the rifle. For me, I have yet to meet any winning competitor on the firing line using a pre-fit barrel. Im not saying it's not possible, but I have not met any at the matches I attend. That says something!

I guess you weren't at the same F-Class match I won yesterday using a Shilen prefit. Most of my competitors were using custom barrels, but they didn't win. I think if you want to be competitive in short range BR, you will have tighter requirements than an F-Class shooter where wind reading is such a large part of the winning formula. In other words, fancy barrels have their place, no doubt about that. But they aren't necessary either for having fun or for winning certain kinds of matches.

What is important to remember for this thread is that the OP is building a "fun" gun, not a competition gun. For him I would think a prefit would be the best choice. If he can shoot 5 shot groups at 100 yards which measure sub 1/2 MOA essentially every time with a prefit (which is a reasonable expectation from a 6mm BR style gun) then a custom chambered barrel will NOT suddenly give him sub .200 MOA groups. Sure, everyone with a 6MM BR or similar has shot their fair share on 5 shot groups in the "ones", but few people do that every time, especially with a "fun" gun.

 

[Eddie Harren]

It's been my experience if a blank was chambered, contoured, threaded, & the muzzle cut in by a competent gunsmith, this barrel will shoot better for me. Some might state otherwise, but I am always confident when I have one turned by a well known gunsmith.

FWIW, some gunsmiths can look at the blank and tell you if it will be a shooter! Again, FWIW.

Dennis

I'd like to meet the gunsmith who can look at the blank and tell me if it's going to be a shooter. I will form a partnership with him and we will soon be very rich. Where in the heck do you people come up with this BS?

 

[snowpro440]

Maybe dennisH was saying that some gunsmiths are so full of bull that they need to spew it out onto the minds of the unknown or lost or... Dennis might be getting suckered in to the BS.... Isn't what the internets for ..BS ?

 

[LHSmith]

I'd like to meet the gunsmith who can look at the blank and tell me if it's going to be a shooter. I will form a partnership with him and we will soon be very rich. Where in the heck do you people come up with this BS?

Eddie - you're probably correct, or else T.B. would be a stocking distributor of custom barrels and Lester B. would be constantly racking up points in leaps and bounds.

 

[pburr]

I guess you weren't at the same F-Class match I won yesterday using a Shilen prefit. Most of my competitors were using custom barrels, but they didn't win. I think if you want to be competitive in short range BR, you will have tighter requirements than an F-Class shooter where wind reading is such a large part of the winning formula. In other words, fancy barrels have their place, no doubt about that. But they aren't necessary either for having fun or for winning certain kinds of matches.

What is important to remember for this thread is that the OP is building a "fun" gun, not a competition gun. For him I would think a prefit would be the best choice. If he can shoot 5 shot groups at 100 yards which measure sub 1/2 MOA essentially every time with a prefit (which is a reasonable expectation from a 6mm BR style gun) then a custom chambered barrel will NOT suddenly give him sub .200 MOA groups. Sure, everyone with a 6MM BR or similar has shot their fair share on 5 shot groups in the "ones", but few people do that every time, especially with a "fun" gun.

Thank you so much for pointing all of that out for me. If you do notice, the OP made that clarification of his intents AFTER I commented! And, no.....I did not shoot at your match.

 

[DennisH]

I'd like to meet the gunsmith who can look at the blank and tell me if it's going to be a shooter. I will form a partnership with him and we will soon be very rich. Where in the heck do you people come up with this BS?

I might need to re-word my statement. I have gunsmiths who inspect the bore/lands/groves after running a patch or two through the bore. If there is a problem with the lands/groves, some can see the problem with the naked eye, and some can feel something abnormal while pushing the patch through. He always checks the concentricity of the bore as well. If something doesn't look or feel right, the bore scope comes out. I have seen this process in person.

I didn't mean to imply a competent gunsmith could look at a blank and instantly tell if their was a problem.

But after doing all the above, there "still" could be a problem he couldn't see with the naked eye.

FWIW, I have had 3 barrels chambered by the same smith, 2 were shooters, 1 was not. The 1 that wasn't is still a mystery to this day. All three made by the same manufacturer, same gunsmith, same spec's, same reamer.

Accept my apologies, sometimes I get ahead of myself. I take my rifles and shooting very seriously. I will assure you I will be more careful in the future with my wording and explanation as anyone knows just looking and inspecting with the naked eye is not the process, just the start of a complete inspection.

Dennis

but I am always confident when I have one turned by a well known gunsmith.

The above quote is true and probably states my personal confidence in my gunsmith giving me the push to try even harder when shooting. I do have several gunsmiths I trust very much, I also know a few I wouldn't let touch my blanks.

 

[savagedasher]

I have one that didn't shoot when it was
6-47 L . Cut the chamber to a 6 dasher and it shot great. It is made for a savage .
Larry

 

[boltman223]

I guess it would depend on what your intended use would be for the rifle. For me, I have yet to meet any winning competitor on the firing line using a pre-fit barrel. Im not saying it's not possible, but I have not met any at the matches I attend. That says something!

Maybe it says something. How do you prove it. Has that guy(winning competitor) ever used a pre-fit? All it has proven so far is a chambered barrel with a shoulder for a specific action will win.

What's the one variable that's not controllable with a pre-fit? And what if any is its effect on accuracy?

The latter is the real question.

 

[swadiver]

so................, say you have a .308 pre fit barrel that will consistently shoot in the .2's and .3's, and sometimes the .1's (5 shots) @ 100yds, would one expect that a custom chambered Krieger or Bartlein to be able to do better?

 

[boltman223]

I have one that didn't shoot when it was
6-47 L . Cut the chamber to a 6 dasher and it shot great. It is made for a savage .
Larry

so................, say you have a .308 pre fit barrel that will consistently shoot in the .2's and .3's, and sometimes the .1's (5 shots) @ 100yds, would one expect that a custom chambered Krieger or Bartlein to be able to do better?

so................, say you have a .308 pre fit barrel that will consistently shoot in the .2's and .3's, and sometimes the .1's (5 shots) @ 100yds, would one expect that a custom chambered Krieger or Bartlein to be able to do better?

so................, say you have a .308 pre fit barrel that will consistently shoot in the .2's and .3's, and sometimes the .1's (5 shots) @ 100yds, would one expect that a custom chambered Krieger or Bartlein to be able to do better?

You can expect all you want, but it only sounds like assumptions to me. How do you prove it? You can say look at the results, but unless those top shooters are shooting back to back and actually comparing to a pre-fit(and they are not) how do you Know?

Pre-fits are a unknown to most and how do you say an unknown is inferior? You can't Because it's an unknown/unproven. So the only thing left is, you have to prove it.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Pre-fits are what they are. Usually a less expensive blank and inexpensive chamber job. They are way better than a factory barrel IMO. But you get what you pay for. They are not at the level of a $350 blank and chamber job of a good br smith nor should they be expected to be. You may get a barrel capable of .1s with a pre-fit but your chances will be much better with a top of the line blank/smith IMO.

 

[boltman223]

Pre-fits are what they are. Usually a less expensive blank and inexpensive chamber job. They are way better than a factory barrel IMO. But you get what you pay for. They are not at the level of a $350 blank and chamber job of a good br smith nor should they be expected to be. You may get a barrel capable of .1s with a pre-fit but your chances will be much better with a top of the line blank/smith IMO.

Ok, what do you get from a top of the line Smith that you don't get from a pre-fit from criterion?