Which Barrel?
- Thread starter furhntr
- Start date
I've had Harts years ago, and they performed as well as anything else from the same time period. Nowdays, one gent who's opinion I respect highly prefers Harts to pretty much anything else.
I've had a couple of Kriegers, and they performed well.
And I've had a couple of Liljas, most notably one in 22-250 AI that is superbly accurate.
At this point I pretty much believe that all of those barrels would have perfromed essentially the same given the same quality of smithing (chambering and mounting, and a tightly spec'd reamer).
Out of those three choices, if the caliber is 6mm or larger, I think I'd go with the Krieger. Not real sure on what I'd choose under 6mm out of those three.
As I often repeat, the first thing to do upon receipt of a barrel is thoroughly inspect the bore with a bore scope. If it isn't pristine and perfect, send it back to the maker. Make sure you choose a smith who is known for excellent work, the best barrel in the world will perform no better than the smithing that went into chambering and mounting it.
I've had a couple of Kriegers, and they performed well.
And I've had a couple of Liljas, most notably one in 22-250 AI that is superbly accurate.
At this point I pretty much believe that all of those barrels would have perfromed essentially the same given the same quality of smithing (chambering and mounting, and a tightly spec'd reamer).
Out of those three choices, if the caliber is 6mm or larger, I think I'd go with the Krieger. Not real sure on what I'd choose under 6mm out of those three.
As I often repeat, the first thing to do upon receipt of a barrel is thoroughly inspect the bore with a bore scope. If it isn't pristine and perfect, send it back to the maker. Make sure you choose a smith who is known for excellent work, the best barrel in the world will perform no better than the smithing that went into chambering and mounting it.
Its always nice when the OP tells what rifle and caliber hes talking about. I use mostly Savage actions, so I can mount the barrels my self, and for my 6mm and 22BRs I have had good luck with Pac-Nor Super Match, plus they chamber and thread to fit any action. And right now, there quick 4 to 6 weeks. And all have shot as well Is I can shoot, all under .250, and the price is right.
I think now days most top names are, or can be, good barrels, some just shoot a little better that others, even from the same maker. Vary few, if any, offer any accuracy guarantee better than .5moa.
Mike.
I think now days most top names are, or can be, good barrels, some just shoot a little better that others, even from the same maker. Vary few, if any, offer any accuracy guarantee better than .5moa.
Mike.
I was in your boat a couple months ago. I solved it by looking at what was winning in the matches that reflect the kind of shooting I do. Two barrels dominated, and those were Krieger and Bartlein. Might have been a few more Bartlein listed, but I ended up going with the Krieger. Totally satisfied.
With that said, I don't think you can go wrong these days with any of them. This industry takes such great pride in their work it is amazing. The competition is so intense right now, if they produce anything less than almost perfect they couldn't stay in business.
With that said, I don't think you can go wrong these days with any of them. This industry takes such great pride in their work it is amazing. The competition is so intense right now, if they produce anything less than almost perfect they couldn't stay in business.
furhntr: Another endorsement for "all 3", Hart, Shilen & Krieger. Hart is currently running approx. 3 to 4 weeks delivery time, and my many experiences with them have been nothing but excellent. Amen to what Rust said about inspecting the bore with a borescope before the 'smith begins his very $$$$ work. I make that a standard practice, and 2 yrs. ago saw some cross-reamer marks in the bore of a new barrel blank, by one of the top makers. Back it went, was re-lapped, and came back with the usual excellent glass smooth interior. That barrel has also turned out to be an excellent one. Without the "Hawkeye" I would have been wondering why the barrel copper fouled more than would be expected, and also why (maybe) " I can't get this barrel to shoot". I've always believed the single most important factor to accuracy in a rifle, is the quality of the barrel, so it receives the maximum "efforts". Everything else, bedding, trigger, etc. is secondary, IMO. 
Thanks guys, sorry for being short on the info. I am going to have a 22-250 built. I checked with krieger and they were 16 wks out, and hart was 4-6 wks out. I'm leaning towards hart but I will keep my options open. I will talk to the smith today and ask him about scoping the barrel.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
furhntr: It's been my experience with Hart ( 8 barrels in a little over 2 years), that they will "over-quote" on their barrel delivery time. They sometimes will promise 4 to 6 weeks (for example), but deliver in 3 to 4. If you are re-barreling a Remington 700 with the factory varmint contour, Hart told me it is such a popular requested contour they have a machine dedicated to that contour alone. It is my overall favorite "heavy" contour barrel. They have also duplicated several Sako and Savage factory varmint contours for me, so accurately, that they were drop-in fit. I did not have to touch the forend barrel channel to keep the barrels floating. They' like everyone else, had to increase their prices last Summer, and are up to $315 now, for stainless/ they don't make 'em in chrome moly. p.s. Sinclair usually has a good selection of Krieger barrels in stock. I called & ordered a 1-14 6mm heavy varmint contour and had it in less than a week.
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