AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
About a month ago, I took delivery of one of Urbanrifleman's 6 BRA zero freebore SS 26" Remage barrels.
Since I chamber my own barrels, I was very interested in the quality of:
A. barrel quality in general
B. Machine work
Needless to say, I was very, very impressed with both. First, the barrel quality. I used a Grizzley Rod and measured the dia of the barrel bore uniformity from end to end. I was shocked at how uniform it was, same on both ends to the .0001, which was my first shock. My second shock came with the Hawkeye Bore scope. The barrel was as smooth as any of the finest custom barrels, end to end, and if I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. The chamber was cut smooth as glass, especially the leade angle which often takes some breaking in. The threads were cut to perfection. The crown was perfect, and I drug a Q Tip across the crown to see if any hairs would stick, indicating a burr....there was none.
I screwed the barrel on a NON trued 700 action, tightened up the barrel nut, with the action in a McMillen BR stock, jewel trigger, and Sightron III 10x50 fine cross hair scope.
I load at the rifle range, and I made the decision to start with a 60g Sierra HP using H322. I started off at 31.0g loaded 4, got on paper with one, then adjusted the scope to the point of aim. Next, I fired a 3 shot group at 31g, and the group was in the High 2's with good wind conditions. I went up .5g and shot a 3 shot tiny group, and it repeated, I called it good. Later on, I shot groups with charges up to 33.5g and all groups were very, small in the 2's.
With 10 shots on the barrel, I was curious if the barrel was a copper mine or not, even though the bore scope had indicated it was very smooth....you never know. Well, with the 10 rounds on the barrel, the carbon cleaned up very easy, and there was just the very slightest tinge of green on the patch after a soak with Montana Extreme Copper killer. I was shocked to say the least.
Next, I tried the 60g Sierra with H335, windy this day, and I settled on a load that was sub .375 group after group with crazy wind coming AT me from 10'oclock to 2 o'clock. Rem 7 1/2 shot smaller groups than CCI br4's. I fired around 30 rounds again, but this time there was not the slightest tinge of green on a patch after applying the Montana Extreme Copper Killer.
I kept waiting on some calm wind, but day after day, we had storms. I was anxious to try the 70g Nosler ballistic tips with .267 Bushing, Harrells FL sizing die used on each firing. 30.4g of 8208 with 7 1/2 to 30.7g, and no groups were over .300, various seating depths from 2.610 to 2.628 using Davidson ogive gauge. Gut told me to go back to the .266 bushing.
I wanted to re vist the 60g HP, H335, Rem 7 1/2.
33.0-33.5 shot bullets in the same bullet hole, .003 jump from lands. Fantastic accuracy started at 32.5g and went to 34.6g, HUGE tune window. I found it hard to believe.
Next, I tried the 70g Nosler ballistic tip. I found the powder charge the bullet liked, 30.7g of 8208 using Rem 7 1/2, then tried cci BR4, and hit a home run with the Fed 205, groups in the same bullet hole after playing with seating depths from 2.620-2.630. I repeated the load on two more days to confirm that it was stable, every time shooting very tiny groups, .236 Bushing.
70g Nosler ballistic tips
Clean up on each outing was a breeze, no copper...none...powder cleaned out easy with 5 brush strokes on good bronze bristle brush.
Next, I wanted to see what some good benchrest bullets would do, and I had some Jeff Adams 65g Bullets on .825 jackets.
Groups proved I needed to back off a tad, then proceeded to shoot bug hole after bug hole after bug hole. Wind was picking up as you can see with the group on the far left.
The barrel so far as exceeded all expectations, in every way.
Just for giggles and grins, I wanted to try a heavier bullet, had about 50 of the sierra 95g Match kings on hand.
Started at 29.0g of R#15 with a BR4 primer, determined that 32.1g was an absolute max load for this barrel.
Here is a 14 shot group where I was trying to find Pressure
I stopped load development on this barrel at the time due to deaths in the family.
I wanted to get a review out on this barrel as to it's extremely fine quality in all respects. First, you have to remember that this is a Barrel nut barrel for a Remington 700. Sure does blow away a lot of myths about barrel nut barrels not being accurate. The ease in which the barrel cleaned up is as good as any one could ever hope for. The accuracy is simply amazing, and the price point and delivery time is outstanding.
Bradley really has his act together in the production of these very, very fine barrels.
I had a lot more targets, left them on the counter by the phone, wife threw them in the trash.
Since I chamber my own barrels, I was very interested in the quality of:
A. barrel quality in general
B. Machine work
Needless to say, I was very, very impressed with both. First, the barrel quality. I used a Grizzley Rod and measured the dia of the barrel bore uniformity from end to end. I was shocked at how uniform it was, same on both ends to the .0001, which was my first shock. My second shock came with the Hawkeye Bore scope. The barrel was as smooth as any of the finest custom barrels, end to end, and if I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. The chamber was cut smooth as glass, especially the leade angle which often takes some breaking in. The threads were cut to perfection. The crown was perfect, and I drug a Q Tip across the crown to see if any hairs would stick, indicating a burr....there was none.
I screwed the barrel on a NON trued 700 action, tightened up the barrel nut, with the action in a McMillen BR stock, jewel trigger, and Sightron III 10x50 fine cross hair scope.
I load at the rifle range, and I made the decision to start with a 60g Sierra HP using H322. I started off at 31.0g loaded 4, got on paper with one, then adjusted the scope to the point of aim. Next, I fired a 3 shot group at 31g, and the group was in the High 2's with good wind conditions. I went up .5g and shot a 3 shot tiny group, and it repeated, I called it good. Later on, I shot groups with charges up to 33.5g and all groups were very, small in the 2's.
With 10 shots on the barrel, I was curious if the barrel was a copper mine or not, even though the bore scope had indicated it was very smooth....you never know. Well, with the 10 rounds on the barrel, the carbon cleaned up very easy, and there was just the very slightest tinge of green on the patch after a soak with Montana Extreme Copper killer. I was shocked to say the least.
Next, I tried the 60g Sierra with H335, windy this day, and I settled on a load that was sub .375 group after group with crazy wind coming AT me from 10'oclock to 2 o'clock. Rem 7 1/2 shot smaller groups than CCI br4's. I fired around 30 rounds again, but this time there was not the slightest tinge of green on a patch after applying the Montana Extreme Copper Killer.
I kept waiting on some calm wind, but day after day, we had storms. I was anxious to try the 70g Nosler ballistic tips with .267 Bushing, Harrells FL sizing die used on each firing. 30.4g of 8208 with 7 1/2 to 30.7g, and no groups were over .300, various seating depths from 2.610 to 2.628 using Davidson ogive gauge. Gut told me to go back to the .266 bushing.
I wanted to re vist the 60g HP, H335, Rem 7 1/2.
33.0-33.5 shot bullets in the same bullet hole, .003 jump from lands. Fantastic accuracy started at 32.5g and went to 34.6g, HUGE tune window. I found it hard to believe.
Next, I tried the 70g Nosler ballistic tip. I found the powder charge the bullet liked, 30.7g of 8208 using Rem 7 1/2, then tried cci BR4, and hit a home run with the Fed 205, groups in the same bullet hole after playing with seating depths from 2.620-2.630. I repeated the load on two more days to confirm that it was stable, every time shooting very tiny groups, .236 Bushing.
70g Nosler ballistic tips
Clean up on each outing was a breeze, no copper...none...powder cleaned out easy with 5 brush strokes on good bronze bristle brush.
Next, I wanted to see what some good benchrest bullets would do, and I had some Jeff Adams 65g Bullets on .825 jackets.
Groups proved I needed to back off a tad, then proceeded to shoot bug hole after bug hole after bug hole. Wind was picking up as you can see with the group on the far left.
The barrel so far as exceeded all expectations, in every way.
Just for giggles and grins, I wanted to try a heavier bullet, had about 50 of the sierra 95g Match kings on hand.
Started at 29.0g of R#15 with a BR4 primer, determined that 32.1g was an absolute max load for this barrel.
Here is a 14 shot group where I was trying to find Pressure
I stopped load development on this barrel at the time due to deaths in the family.
I wanted to get a review out on this barrel as to it's extremely fine quality in all respects. First, you have to remember that this is a Barrel nut barrel for a Remington 700. Sure does blow away a lot of myths about barrel nut barrels not being accurate. The ease in which the barrel cleaned up is as good as any one could ever hope for. The accuracy is simply amazing, and the price point and delivery time is outstanding.
Bradley really has his act together in the production of these very, very fine barrels.
I had a lot more targets, left them on the counter by the phone, wife threw them in the trash.
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