Shilen Match or Shilen Select Match?

[Captk]

I have a Savage 12BVSS in that I picked up used, it doesn't seem to group that well with various weight bullets, 52 gr, 40 gr, 50 gr, 68 gr and 69 gr. I was thinking of replacing the barrel with a new Shilen 1/8 twist. I have the choice of match or select match, is the select match worth the extra $40? The money isn't a big deal, just curious if there is a noticeable difference. 99% of my shooting will be from a bench at 100/200 yards.
Thanks, Ken

[82boy]

I have the choice of match or select match, is the select match worth the extra $40? The money isn't a big deal, just curious if there is a noticeable difference.

Shooting is a mental game, so if it makes you feel good do it. Honestly there is little to no difference between the two. It is possible to get a great or a bad barrel in both. On top of that most shooters lake the ability to truly tell the difference if there was any. Good luck

[Captk]

I have Savage 10FP that I can put 5 40 gr rounds into 1 ragged hole at 100 yds. I shot the same ammo from both rifles and the BVSS is not shooting on par with the 10FP.

[82boy]

I have Savage 10FP that I can put 5 40 gr rounds into 1 ragged hole at 100 yds. I shot the same ammo from both rifles and the BVSS is not shooting on par with the 10FP.

Each barrel has it own personality, and what works in one most likely will not work in the other. Just because you can put 5 rounds into 1 ragged hole, doesn't necessarily mean the gun is shooting at its best potential. What is the average group size measurement that this gun produces? You may find that there is better combinations for both barrels. It all comes down to tuning.

[Captk]

Each barrel has it own personality, and what works in one most likely will not work in the other. Just because you can put 5 rounds into 1 ragged hole, doesn't necessarily mean the gun is shooting at its best potential. What is the average group size measurement that this gun produces? You may find that there is better combinations for both barrels. It all comes down to tuning.

I agree with what you are saying. I have shot 40/50/52/55/68/69 grain ammo, most black hills match and the rifle just doesn't shoot that well, at least not to me. I guess the point I was trying to make is it consistently shoots noticeably larger groups when compared to the other rifle in all bullet weights. The 10FP I bought new and has only a few hundred rounds down the tube. Someone wants to buy the BVSS from me, if I sell it I was going to get a 12 LP with a 7 twist barrel to shoot the 68/69/75 gr ammo. If I keep the rifle I am looking at rebarreling it, which was why I started this post. I'll be shooting what I have already purchased and not reloading 223 since I stacked up 5K+ before they cutoff internet ordering of ammo here in NY.
Thanks for the feedback, I'll have to figure out if I want to keep the rifle and put on a new barrel or sell it and get the 12 LP with the 1/7 barrel.
Ken

[emtrescue6]

I've had mixed results from Shilen barrels recently (in both grades)...I switched to using a Lilja barrel for my last build and couldn't be happier....hands down, the best barrel I have ever had, and I've had/have a ton. At this point I have no intention of using anything but Lilja ever again...awesome customer service, Dan Lilja is awesome and spent time talking to be about barrels and answering all my questions...they had my barrel on the shel and it shipped that day and was on the bench at my gun smith within 2-3 days. You get what you pay for, and the extra $ for a Lilja is well worth it.

[Westcliffe01]

I have both, as well as having had original Savage factory barrels on the rifles. I have only had 1 exceptional Savage barrel so far and that was the CM barrel on my 10PC in 223. It shot 1/2" groups from the first time I took it out. I will say that all the shilen barrels I have are 1/2 MOA. Yes, one has to do some load tuning to find the right node. The other thing is that other than on 308's, the Factory barrels generally do not have the right twist rates to shoot high BC bullets and that alone forced me into aftermarket barrels.

The only complaint I have with Shilen is that they never delivered my 6.5x284 barrel (which I ordered through NSS/Jim Briggs) from April to December. Thats 9 months vs the usual 6-8 week lead time and we still had no idea after the 9 months if we were any closer to the order being fulfilled. Jim send me a CBI in the same chambering/twist/contour the next day after we agreed to cancel the Shilen and I don't blame Jim for it at all. Shilen was simply unresponsive to the fact that they delivered hardly any 6.5mm barrels to Jim for most of last year. I'm sure that I was just one of many to be affected by this issue. My policy going forward with Shilen is that I will only buy barrels that are in stock. I check with Jim and Midway and 9 times out of 10 one or the other will have what I need. Just not in 6.5mm...

[rotts4u]

I've had mixed results from Shilen barrels recently (in both grades)...I switched to using a Lilja barrel for my last build and couldn't be happier....hands down, the best barrel I have ever had, and I've had/have a ton. At this point I have no intention of using anything but Lilja ever again...awesome customer service, Dan Lilja is awesome and spent time talking to be about barrels and answering all my questions...they had my barrel on the shel and it shipped that day and was on the bench at my gun smith within 2-3 days. You get what you pay for, and the extra $ for a Lilja is well worth it.


I too have had good luck with Lilja and they are a family owned long time barrel builder. Another good one I have had great luck with is Pac Nor. I have a savage action with them right now.

[emtrescue6]

I too have had good luck with Lilja and they are a family owned long time barrel builder. Another good one I have had great luck with is Pac Nor. I have a savage action with them right now.

Yeah Pac-Nor is also a great company to deal with...I use to live just a short drive from their shop and have one of their barrels on an AR right now.

[HotGuns]

I use a lot of Shilen barrels in builds. The Select Match is hand lapped. If you are only going to shoot to 200 and you aren't competing, that Match grade will do everything you want it to do.

[82boy]

I use a lot of Shilen barrels in builds. The Select Match is hand lapped. If you are only going to shoot to 200 and you aren't competing, that Match grade will do everything you want it to do.
Both are hand lapped. The difference is supposedly the tolerance of the bore, the select match is suppose to have a tighter tolerance.

[82boy]

As far as lilja Barrels, there is not doubt they make a good barrel, but they are at a higher cost ($340 for a blank) than most cut rifled barrels, for my money I would get a Brux, Krieger, or Bartline (Cut rifled) any day of the week over a high dollar button rifled barrel like a Lilja, or a Hart. In my opinion Shilen is a great deal in button rifled barrels, getting a chambered barrel for the cost of a blank, is hard to compare apples to apples.

[emtrescue6]

82boy is correct....it's the tolerances, not the hand lapping that distinguishes the two grades....just to clarify my earlier statement, I have had mixed results....I own both grades of barrels and have had good results from both at times, I have also had a couple that didn't produce the results I had hoped for...

http://www.shilen.com/barrelGrades.html