best value barrel

[Lorenzo]

I want to get either a hog hunter in 223 or a 12fv if I can find one, haven't seen any other than 22-250 and 308 at Cabelas. Wanting to get a faster twist barrel as soon as I can after getting the gun. Lightest bullet I will shoot will be 53gr vmax up to 75-77 gr stuff. Probably shooting the Hornady 68gr bthp and maybe some heavier stuff for the most part. I want a 20" threaded "heavy" barrel, not a bull but something that finishes right around .8-.9". Who offers the cheapest after market barrels that still shoot? Guessing a 1:7 or maybe a 1:8 twist is what I'm after? Looking for simple, easy and cost effective. Any suggestions?

[223Randy]

Look at Green Mountain Barrel -they make a decent barrel

[GaryB]

about the cheapest prefit and comes with the barrel nut wrench...

http://www.eabco.net/EABCO-Custom-Savage-Accuracy-Barrels_p_13410.html

[Haiku_Rodney]

I bought my replacement barrel many years ago from Midway USA. It was an Adams & Bennet. Paid $110 for it. Shoots great for me. I do not see those barrels on Midway anymore. They carry Shaw. I do not know how good they are.

[LHitchcox]

Rodney, the word is that Shaw barrels were rebranded as Adams & Bennett. Now they just stick Shaw on them. I was fortunate enough to get a Shaw .250 Savage barrel on closeout for $127 two years ago. I keep hoping Midway will restock a variety of Shaw sporter barrels.

[RC20]

I will contend these are the best value, not the lowest cost but cost vs quality.

http://www.lothar-walther.com/339.php

Price vs quality. Limited options but in your group. (1-8 223)

Savage Varmint Profile $ 327


And yes I have one and its the best finish on a barrel yet (3 different mfgs and examined 5 to 8 with a boroscope)

[Scott Evans]

My personal best value pick is X-Caliber, but we've never had it so good as right now, today, with as many barrel makers as there are.

[bsekf]

PM sent.

[darkker]

I've been tickled with every Shaw barrel I've had.

[Robinhood]

I have budget barrels that shoot unbelievable but the cleaning is tedious and the accuracy is short lived due to fouling. I think RC20 is right, the best value is an accurate barrel that is easy to clean when cleaning is required. I'm going to follow with Scott and say X-Caliber. I prefer Apache but factory is good if you are good with SAAMI chamberings. I would not hesitate with any quality prefit.

[RC20]

Of my 3 barrels, the LW is the least hard to clean.

Button rifled and very well hand lapped.

Shilen is next.

XC is third. Apache was involved with the XC though I don't know if it was chamber and Savage fit.

Savage is the worst for being rough.

Hammer forged are smoother but not as accurate generally (unless they too are hand lapped per CZ. )

[culpeper]

Ordered, waited a little while, received, and replaced the stock .308 with one from X-Caliber. Much better barrel than the OEM. The latter seemed to droop up or down .2 mils between shooting sessions. I put up with that for about 3000 rounds.

[m12lrs]

Of my 3 barrels, the LW is the least hard to clean.

Button rifled and very well hand lapped.

Shilen is next.

XC is third. Apache was involved with the XC though I don't know if it was chamber and Savage fit.

Savage is the worst for being rough.

Hammer forged are smoother but not as accurate generally (unless they too are hand lapped per CZ. )

My prefit shilen select match from NSS shoots pretty good.

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t379/rcoody1/sorted%20target1_zps2a0j1q8i.jpg

[cowtownup]

I prefer the CBI for prefit barrels... I got a hummer 260 barrel from them and have kinda been a fanboy since..

[RC20]

My prefit shilen select match from NSS shoots pretty good.


Show off!;) (very nice shooting)

That said the question was bang for the buck.

The LW is even better than the Shilen for finish (cleaning).

So, when someone says best value, I take that as adding up all the features and the caliber.

LW would seem to be that.

[m12lrs]

Show off!;) (very nice shooting)

That said the question was bang for the buck.

The LW is even better than the Shilen for finish (cleaning).

So, when someone says best value, I take that as adding up all the features and the caliber.

LW would seem to be that.

Truth is.there are lots of.quality barrels out there. Just go down the list of what all the competitive shooters are using. If there was a best tben all of them would be using it. Shilen is nothing special. I bought it because that is.what.NSS had in stock. If you stick with a premium hand lapped barrel from a top tier barrel maker you wil be fine. Hell even a large percentage of factory savage barrels are suprisingly accurate. Barrels are the.luck of the draw. You increase your odds on getting a good one by buying premium. The way tools for manufacturing barrels is improving no telling what the future holds.

Read about the gunsmiths who build rifles for those top tier shooters. They buy the best barrels made. They still may go through half a dozen or more.before they select "the one".

[Lorenzo]

Yeah I have been checking out LW looks like good stuff. About 400 for what I'm looking for I'm gonna take my time and keep looking around for awhile. I can shoot the gun with the factory barrel for awhile anyways.

[RC20]

Agreed and I would.

What I can say is that mine was the best finished (better than Shilen which is pretty darned good)

It also harder material so the barrel will last longer.

Good to have criteria as to what makes it best.

Low cost is one aspect but finish (cleaning) is another as is barrel life.

[Deadshot2]

I have budget barrels that shoot unbelievable but the cleaning is tedious and the accuracy is short lived due to fouling. I think RC20 is right, the best value is an accurate barrel that is easy to clean when cleaning is required. I'm going to follow with Scott and say X-Caliber. I prefer Apache but factory is good if you are good with SAAMI chamberings. I would not hesitate with any quality prefit.

I've had good luck in turning a "budget barrel" that shot pretty well into an even better shooter and easy to clean by just hand lapping it myself. Poured lead laps and some fine lapping compound to start and lots of patience to finish. Last one was a factory Savage barrel and I consider it to be an "economy barrel as it came with the rifle. Lapping turned the barrel into a 1-2 wet patch, 3-4 dry patch cleaning job with no real copper fouling for a couple hundred rounds.
accuracy was sub .5 MOA avg with many days dropping down into the "30's". It worked well until Benchmark finished my new barrel and the old barrel just sits on the shelf for maybe a new project based on a cheap pawn shop find in an obscure caliber.

[CaptnC]

Just found this thread. I'm in the middle of searching for a barrel myself. My biggest issue is the caliber I want it chambered in...6.5-06...X-Caliber and McGowan are at the top of my list...just checked LW but their caliber list doesn't inclue my caliber.

I've thought about the 6.5 x 284 but new dies...new brass bring the cost up a lot.

I'm already making brass and have the dies for 6.5-06.

It's pretty much a 6.5 Creedmoor on steroids. I'm getting close 3,000fps out of 140s. The brass is easily made out of 25-06 brass.