Savage Shilen pre-fit barrels compared to Criterion pre-fit

[chesty for president]

Respectfully requesting if anyone knows how these two stack up against each other. Thank you in advance for any advice.


Very Respecfully Submitted

Semper Fidelis

 

[CoverDog]

I have both a Shilen Select Match in 6mm AI and also a Criterion in 6.5 x 47. Haven't shot the 6.5 yet but the winner looking through the bore scope is Criterion.

 

[Nomad47]

I just received my third Criterion so obviously I like them. But to be fair and honest, I have not tried a Shilen.

 

[82boy]

I have both, and can say you cant go wrong with either. My Criterion 6Br is a shooter, but so is my Shilen 6x47L. I would say they are neck to neck in accuracy. Both have shot many groups at or just under 2 inches at 600 yards, and I have won match's with both.

I will say that my Criterion barrel is the hardest thing on earth to clean. I have tightly fitted my jag to work with a .236 bore using 1 3/4 patches. Now in my Kriegers, Brux, and Bartlines, the patch fits nicely, in the Shilen it fits a bit loose, as would be suspected with a .237 bore. Now for some reason, it gets caught up in the Criterion almost like this is a .235 bore, it is just grabby like a heavy fouled barrel. When I called Criterion, they stated that they use a .237 bore. I have tried fitting another jag, but no matter what I do, the bore is just grabby, and hard to push patches down. (Tried JB, and again nothing works.) It also has a weird convex pattern on the patch's, almost like the lands are concaved.

Between the two if given the choice my first choice would be a Shilen. Why you ask. to start Shilen has been around for a long time, they still appear on benchrest match reports. (Heck I saw a few in the top in the supershoot standings.) The owner and workers at Shilen actually shoot benchrest match's. (I was told that the president of Criterion shoots F class.) As noted my Shilen shots as good, and cleans easier. In all honesty they are neck and neck.

 

[wwbrown]

Criterion barrels are made by Kreiger and Kreiger has been around for quite a while and has a great reputation. I do not know which is better as I do not do much with Savages anymore but I wanted to let people know that the company making Criterion barrels have been around quite a while.

 

[82boy]

Criterion barrels are made by Kreiger and Kreiger has been around for quite a while and has a great reputation. I do not know which is better as I do not do much with Savages anymore but I wanted to let people know that the company making Criterion barrels have been around quite a while.

Even though Criterion barrels are made in the same building as the kreiger barrels, the two company's are separate. The company's have separate business officials, and employees. I was told that Criterion will be moving, due to space requirements of Kreiger, due to increased sales.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I have a Criterion Pre-fit on order. I have a Shilen Select Match that has proved to be a shooter. I'm hopeing that the Criterion is as good as the Shilen. Time will tell and the worst I've heard about the Criterion's is what 82boy said about cleaning, which I will not fret. On a positive note, all have said they are shooters over on Savage Shooters .com, 30 + pages of how well they shoot.