Shillen Select Match bbls

[Eric Leonard]

are current run Shillen Select Match bbls any good,,at one time lots of people used Shillen,hart and Douglas bbls,,I understand that Hart and Douglas are not up to par with todays best bbls,,but if you buy say a 14 twist 6mm Shillen Select Match whats the odds it could win matches against a Krieger or Brux bbl??

if they wont hold their own any longer is it because the newer bbls are just that much better or has the Shillen bbls not as good as they used to be,,I was just thinkin about setting up a rifle using parts one of my older mentors would have used to see how it would do against todays best stuff..

 

[Shynloco]

Mr big,
Asking about barrel makers, is like asking people which car they like best. What I suggest you do, is take a look at the results of some NRA sanctioned national shoots and see what barrels were used by competitor and how they fared. Over the years, I used primarily Hart and Kreigers. And those choices were made because Shilen and Lilja gave me production wait estimate of 8 month - 1 yr which I wasn't about to wait for. Both the Hart and more so the Kreigers, have given me excellent results. That's not to say Shilen wouldn't. So I'm sure you'll get a variety of responses and ultimately the choice will still be urs. I doubt any of the top manufacturers would make an inferior barrel or nobody would buy them. So see what's winning for the top shooters and evaluate what meets your needs the best.

Alex

 

[snert]

Mr big,
Asking about barrel makers, is like asking people which car they like best. What I suggest you do, is take a look at the results of some NRA sanctioned national shoots and see what barrels were used by competitor and how they fared. Over the years, I used primarily Hart and Kreigers. And those choices were made because Shilen and Lilja gave me production wait estimate of 8 month - 1 yr which I wasn't about to wait for. Both the Hart and more so the Kreigers, have given me excellent results. That's not to say Shilen wouldn't. So I'm sure you'll get a variety of responses and ultimately the choice will still be urs. I doubt any of the top manufacturers would make an inferior barrel or nobody would buy them. So see what's winning for the top shooters and evaluate what meets your needs the best.

Alex

Alex is correct. Pick the discipline you intend to shoot (or something similar if hunting) and look at what people are using. They won't use them long if they are no good.

I personally like Hart, because they are 30 miles from me and i have never had any issues with the barrels or work they have done for me.

 

[shortgrass]

Mr big,
Asking about barrel makers, is like asking people which car they like best. What I suggest you do, is take a look at the results of some NRA sanctioned national shoots and see what barrels were used by competitor and how they fared. Over the years, I used primarily Hart and Kreigers. And those choices were made because Shilen and Lilja gave me production wait estimate of 8 month - 1 yr which I wasn't about to wait for. Both the Hart and more so the Kreigers, have given me excellent results. That's not to say Shilen wouldn't. So I'm sure you'll get a variety of responses and ultimately the choice will still be urs. I doubt any of the top manufacturers would make an inferior barrel or nobody would buy them. So see what's winning for the top shooters and evaluate what meets your needs the best.

Alex

Is it the barrel that "wins", or the shooter that aims the barrel? You can take what is considered the "finest"(of anything), and if the user can not use it to the highest degree that the product is capable of, the product won't "win". You are placing an inanimate object above the skill of the human being using it. IMO, when considering the 'major' custom barrel makers that I have recent experience with (Bartlien, Brux, Hart, Krieger, and to a lessor extent Shilen & Rock Creek) , barrel selection can pretty much be summed up as "herd mentality".

 

[Eddie Harren]

Going by the equipment lists, that sometimes accompany match reports, is, in my opinion, nothing more than an popularity contest. A wise old shooter told me, when I told him I was going to shoot bench rest, "You watch. If the shooter, who wins this week, wears high top black Converse "All Stars", half of the shooters who show up next match, will be wearing those shoes as well." It isn't quite that bad but nearly.

 

[Big Mc]

are current run Shillen Select Match bbls any good,,at one time lots of people used Shillen,hart and Douglas bbls,,I understand that Hart and Douglas are not up to par with todays best bbls,,but if you buy say a 14 twist 6mm Shillen Select Match whats the odds it could win matches against a Krieger or Brux bbl??

if they wont hold their own any longer is it because the newer bbls are just that much better or has the Shillen bbls not as good as they used to be,,I was just thinkin about setting up a rifle using parts one of my older mentors would have used to see how it would do against todays best stuff..

Monkey see monkey do.. Tommy Mc

 

[stacy]

HAD A LOT OF GOOD SHOOTING SHILEN BARRELS AND STILL HAVE A BUNCH THERE NOT ALL RACHET RIFLING BUT THERE ARE ALOT OF BARREL OUT THERE FOR SURE ONE COMES TO MIND IS X-CALIBER GREAT STUFF THERE 5 TOTAL NOW FOR ME 223 ACKLEY 2 6BR'S 7MM AND GOING TO BUILD ANOTHER 22BR MAKES FOR BUGHOLE MATERIAL VERY IMPRESSED

 

[butchlambert]

When I started competing in IBS Score about 19 years ago, Shilen Select Match ss bbls were in widespread use. Also used along the way were Lilja, Pac Nor, Hart, BlackStar, Douglas and a few others I just can't recall at the moment. Most folks at that time were using 6 PPC's and these bbls served them well. I had several Shilens on my earlier rifles and held my own with them.

As IBS Score competitors moved to the .30 BR and variants and bbl makers like Krieger, Rock Creek, Bartlien, etc. came into the market, Shilens and the others kind of fell out of favor. Can't remember the last time I saw a Douglas on the line. But . . . this Thread is about Shilens so here goes.

There's plenty of chat (for lack of a better word!), that when Shilen went to the "ratchet rifling" process, something was lost along the way. Can't say if that is true or not, but that is about the time folks moved away from them. Someone would have to run a side-by-side experiment under controlled conditions to see if that is the case.

To answer your question Mr. B . . . if don't have a lot of money in the parts on hand and want to try it, I'd say go ahead. It won't take long to find out if what you put together can run with the pack. If it does - great. If not - you're not out much. Hoping it works for you . . .

Chris Mitchell

Chris,What in the World does Ratchet rifling have to do with anything? Nothing at all different in the process other than using a different button. It is just an extra option for their customers.
Now, the ratchet Shilens are winning more matches than others in RF benchrest. At Camp Perry this year the 1st and 3rd place finishers in the Presidents 100 had Shilen ratchet barrels. The Texas Team set a new team record this year with the Shilen ratchet barrels.

 

[LHSmith]

I believe in CF BR the general concensus is when using short jacketed bullets ratchet rifling has shown to be inferior to accuracy vs. conventional rifling.

 

[KMart]

I'm finishing with something off this subject completely. Notice that everyone's Post has a "Like" button at the bottom but mine! No wonder I'm not getting any "likes." Forum Boss - what's the Hell's going on?!

Chris Mitchell

Smitty
None of us have a "Like" button on our own post. I guess if we "Don't Like" our own post, we wouldn't post it.

 

[Comrade Terry]

No wonder I'm not getting any "likes."

Chris Mitchell

How do you like that, Chris?!

 

[SBS]

I have several Shilen SM barrels that were made in recent years and I think they shoot better than ever. Shilen began lapping barrels before and after rifling and they are much smoother. I think the trend to cut rifled barrels has its roots in bullets for long range shooting requiring faster and faster twists. Cut rifled barrels can be precise on twist while button rifled barrels are not quite so, and it seems the faster the twist, the more it can vary from desired rate. Long range shooting gets a lot of press and perhaps those who see mostly cut rifled barrels being used there leap to conclusion that these are the best barrels, period. I have had a few high quality button rifled fast twist barrels that did not do well with the bullets they should have shot accurately. Others did fine, but find cut rifled is a safer choice with twists faster than 9. I still use button rifled for 9 and slower, and I think they are better than they used to be as technology has advanced. My observations and opinion only, no scientific study results.

 

[MTBMaine]

Any Shilen I ever had has shot extremely well. I just re-balled my 6.5 creed with one of their match grade 4 groove ratchets, I can't notice a difference compared to a select match.

 

[butchlambert]

Weii, I like Chebbies better than Ferds.

 

[Hippy]

I believe it all depends on what discipline that you shoot--the short range shooters (100-200) seem to prefer the Cut Rifle Barrels -the rimfire guys shoot the Button Rifle barrels and the long range ( 600-1000 Yd) guys are pretty evenly split .

Good Luck

Jim

 

[kountryboy2]

Weii, I like Chebbies better than Ferds.

Hey,what about Dodge's?

 

[JimPag]

are current run Shillen Select Match bbls any good,,at one time lots of people used Shillen,hart and Douglas bbls,,I understand that Hart and Douglas are not up to par with todays best bbls,,but if you buy say a 14 twist 6mm Shillen Select Match whats the odds it could win matches against a Krieger or Brux bbl??

if they wont hold their own any longer is it because the newer bbls are just that much better or has the Shillen bbls not as good as they used to be,,I was just thinkin about setting up a rifle using parts one of my older mentors would have used to see how it would do against todays best stuff..

Don't ever under estimate a Hart barrel. I have probably 9 different brands of barrels and the only Hart that I have chambered has been the best barrel that I have ever owned. Ask Jim Borden what he thinks of Hart barrels.

 

[butchlambert]

Hey,what about Dodge's?

Fiat Chrysler product-I don't think so.

 

[butchlambert]

Don't ever under estimate a Hart barrel. I have probably 9 different brands of barrels and the only Hart that I have chambered has been the best barrel that I have ever owned. Ask Jim Borden what he thinks of Hart barrels.

Jim, kinda what I think. If you get a good barrel, you have a good barrel. I have a couple Douglas barrels that shoot lights out.

 

[Eddie Harren]

"Ask Jim Borden what he thinks of Hart barrels."

Well, by God, if Jim Borden says they're the best then they must be!