Build along with Badger: Part 3. The BARREL

[Mike357]

Kilauea with a precision barrel? Why? No point using the best barrel with s*** ammo!

[Christel]

Kilauea with a precision barrel? Why? No point using the best barrel with s*** ammo!

Point well made tongueout

[Christel]

Badger, you start this thread by saying that this is about the barrel,

perhaps the most important thing

in the set up.
I do not agree. The action in my opinion is the most important thing.
If the barrel gets worn out or is not to your satisfaction, change it. Same with the stock.
The action is a bit more difficult to change if not happy.

[dta europe]

I honeslty beleive that all the top flight manufacturers (as listed) can and do produce excellent barrels. There is fashion amongst barrels as to which is best, normally driven by whatever barrel the last winner was shooting.

It is always interesting to see that different barrels are fashionable at different times in different disciplines.

Ewen

[ovenpaa]

Something else to consider is many rifle barrel makers (Not all) are using the same basic blanks and same machinery so really it is down to how the machine is set and the QA processes in place.

[GazMorris]

Something else to consider is many rifle barrel makers (Not all) are using the same basic blanks and same machinery so really it is down to how the machine is set and the QA processes in place.

Quite possibly true. You also want a really top flight gunsmith to fit the barrel, as a crap barreling job will make a mockery of your custom action and stock!

Gaz

[Mr_Logic]

I shoot a Broughton 5C 12-twist on my .308, and it's a fantastic barrel - full credit to Sanselm for that one! Accurate and quick to clean - I would recommend to anyone.

My 243 wears a Border 8-twist but I haven't spent any time with it - round count is about 30-odd IIRC - has accounted for 1 roe thus far (which I need to eat - hmmm... Sunday roast...). I am going to shoot it long range for a bit of fun (22" barrel so not really grand for the job) and that will tell me more.

Tbh though, I think the top barrel makers are much of a muchness. I do think the barrel is the most important part though - for accuracy. For longevity I agree with Christel that the action choice is a bitch to change and thus you need to get it right, but as Sanselm proves, Savage actions can shoot so well that they are not scoring any different than a Barnard, but the price is markedly different!

[Dougan]

I have to agree with the comments about ammo - If you're going to put together a custom precision rifle, then why put rubbish down it? - If you're going to use factory, then at least use something decent...though, obviously loading would produce the best round/s (assuming more than one caliber) for it.

If you just want to put a lot of varied ammo down a decent rifle...then why not just buy an AI?

[meles meles]

Buying an AI is always an option, we just wondered if we could do better for the money by trying something else.

From this thread, it seems we need a Truflite barrel and a good gunsmith....

[Sim G]

From this thread, it seems we need a Truflite barrel and a good gunsmith....

Gunsmith, yes. But I see no evidence that Truflite is the way to go........