what do you guys think of them? i have one comming for my first build and was just wondering
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what do you guys think of them? i have one comming for my first build and was just wondering
I have a 25" SS fluted Shilen #5 contour barrel from McGowen on my 110 action chambered to 270 Gibbs. With Cheap bullets AND fireforming brass during barrel break-in I am getting .5-.75 inch groups fairly regularly IF I do my part. I can't wait to start so load workup with good bullets.
I have two with a third coming! I also have a Kreiger and Broughton! Minimal copper fouling, All shoot great, the third barrel coming speaks for itself!
how is it a shilen mcgowan barrel?
i got a 26" 243ai ss varmint contour barrel comming for my build i cant wait to see it
A Shilen Number 5 contour in a Mcgowen Barrel.....Quote:
Originally Posted by calib
This is unique!Quote:
A Shilen Number 5 contour in a Mcgowen Barrel.....
I've got a 30" Bull barrel ( straight cylinder ) McGowen on my BVSS. It performs flawlessly...gives me extremely tight groups and cleans easily. I've got other barrels from Krieger, Bartlein, Lilja and now a Lawton. Can't say yet that any of the other custom tubes are easier to clean....and for the most part....accuracy at these levels falls more on my abilities than to conclude it has something to do with the barrel.
I would say...." Use and enjoy the McGowen with full confidence!"
Wayne
Wayne, what caliper and twist? Just wondering, and also I am interested in your groups.
Dennis:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
Caliber is .308 Win. Twist is 1:10". Groups....wish I had taken a photo...a close friend of mine built the same rig when I did...we are both getting a ragged hole with three shots....numbers four and five open up slighty because we start getting worked up about how well these shoot. We had about an hour this past fall to chrono some test loads....and we hit a home run with one recipe. Once the snow melts.....probably around August...I'll shoot groups and measure. As it stands...with two pulled shots I'm at 1/2" five shot groups. I'm using Nosler brass, Fed 210 primers, 43.0 gr. of Varget with a 185 gr. Berger VLD / Hunting bullet. I was absolutely blown away with my ES of 10. My velocity is 2760 fps...this is at about 900 ft. elevation. My whole objective was to have a long range .308 using 175 + gr. bullets. This barrel is a flat out shooter....it smokes the Rem. PSS I used to own....also spanks the Rem. Milspec 5R in its stock configuration.... I have since converted it to a .260 Improved with a 32" Bartlein barrel.
Anyway....I have nothing but good things to say about my McGowen barrel. Jim Briggs set me up with all the parts. I had a great gunsmith do a little tweaking and bed the action....and I couldn't be happier.
http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/p...h_DSC01666.jpg
Latest Picture of my rig.....Hard to tell it's a McGowen.
Wayne
Wayne, keep us updated! I am always interested with everybody's success and also trying different loads!
what i am hearing sounds good about the choice i made. cant wait for parts to get here and start assembling this gun. i just ordered my stock this evening a choate tactical looks kind of like a b and c tactical.
Calib:Quote:
Originally Posted by calib
I'm far from being an expert....But my experience with my barrel has been tremendous. I understand the apprehension....spending the $$$ on something that you haven't seen or heard much about. I was really concerned because after I ordered my barrel...I had read some threads regarding chambering problems with .308 barrels from McGowen. This was wasted energy on my part. I suspect you'll have a very positive experience as well....if not...make sure to get in contact with McGowen if there are any problems. Also....I think you'll enjoy that new stock of yours.
Congrats on everything! Give us an update....with pictures, please :), so we can enjoy the finished project with you.
Wayne
I just put on a McGowen in a 6X284 with an 8 twist and just fire forming loads I was getting. 25-.50 groups with 105 Bergers at 100 yards. I had very little copper fouling.
I posted my rig in the picture post section.
I think you will be happy with your McGowen barrel and keep us posted on how well it shoots.
What bullets do you plan on shooting?
I've ordered one that's supposed to be delivered today. I've heard good things about them too especially after they got their chambering problems fixed. I may be able to put it together today but will be a while before I have time to shoot it. I have high hopes for it though!
thanks every one and i will post pics. i am planning on shooting the 95 berger from the 1:9 twist barrel thats coming. i am hoping i can get some speed, but who knows. i did some ballistics for it at 3400 and d-a-m it looked good. ay or rite around 200" at 1000yds it said about 14 or 1600 fps at that range still.
i had thought od doing a 6-284m but the barrel i had seen was a 1:10 and i have 1500 243 pieces of brass so the ai i went.
when fire forming did you load as if that was what you where wanting to shoot in the end. like same bullet, regular load not tamed down or what?
I started low and worked up just to see when I get pressure signs with virgin brass and now I will load them up and see what speed I can get out of it when the brass is formed to my chamber. The Begers shot better when I got up to top velocity
thats good to hear about the bergs shooting better at top velosity range i can shoot for the speeds i was looking for then.
Just shot my new rig with a McGowan stainless barrel in varmint contour this weekend. Didn't really get to do much dialing in. I was too busy fighting the wind and cleaning after ever shot/ every other shot, and only managed to shoot 11 times. I will say that I didn't see very much copper fouling at all with the barrel. I will keep you guys posted as to how it turns out. I hope to go back to the range this weekend. I started reloading some ammo tonight.
sounds good i am interested in hearing how it does what caliber is it in?
i should be getting my barrel in the mail today, but wont mess with it tell next week. i have a coyote contest tonigh and tomorrow then my wrench should get here wed.
Keep us posted...on both the contest and the barrel.Quote:
Originally Posted by calib
Wayne
Mine came Tuesday and I installed/headspaced it Wednesday. It looks great and I can't wait to shoot it! Still got some stock work and a few other things to do before it will be ready.
well the contest 36 people and 20 dogs brought back. the way we run our contest is the put divided by the # of dogs brought back and then we have small and big dog side pots. i shot one and missed one, my partner missed a couple and total only seen 8. i ended up getting payed for my share of a three way tie for big dog then the money for getting a dog = 170$ not bad
i got my barrel yesterday in the mail and am now just waiting on the wrench and the correct shank size lug to get here wed. once i get the wrench i can take the 308 barrel of the new stevens action clean it all up and then throw the newbarrel and hard wear on. then i am also waiting on my trigger and bolt handle from sss to get hear and ill be able to assemble everything.
i may need some assistance on a little bedding, but that will be after everything else is done
efm did your barrel come with all kinds of stuff in the chamber and rifleing?
Yeah it was a little dirty. Looked like pieces from the cardboard and other packing material. One swipe with a bore snake and that took care of it.
just cleaned it all up looks pretty good. ancy to get it together
I have a McGowen ss 26" 6.5 creedmoor on a 116 LA and also an 18" ss 308 on a stevens 200 action I bought here. They are both great and easy to clean. Just put the first 40 rounds through the 308 last weekend at 100yds. Here's the first 5 groups I shot with it, with the first one being a 10 shot with boresight group, and all of the others were 5 shot groups. Shot with Federal GMM 168gr with swirling winds on the range from 10-15mph, about 60* and 30% humidity. Best group was under 3/4", measured edge to edge only (no subtracting for bullet diameter). Didnt get to shoot on the 200-400 range, there seems to be a shortage of RSOs at the local range and nobody was there to man the 400. I expect the groups to tighten up a little more once I get some more rounds down the tube. I also have some Black Hills 168gr I want to try.
[img width=600 height=400]http://i51.tinypic.com/2jfkrc8.jpg[/img]
[img width=600 height=400]http://i53.tinypic.com/25z11s1.jpg[/img]
[img width=600 height=400]http://i51.tinypic.com/sdmvrs.jpg[/img]
i just got my barrel wrench today hopefully i will be able to get it put together tonight and in a couple weeks get some pics up of groups. the only thing i am waiting on to get here is the trigger and bolt handle from sss
got my build done check it out in the photo section called "1st custom build"
I can't say enough good about the quality or the customer service!
I have a 22BR pistol barrel from them that shoots great. Well under 1/2 MOA with just over 900 rds thru it. Was religiously cleaning it when I first got it and couldn't see any copper fouling. Now I clean it about every 100 rds and still barely any trace of copper. I have two more barrels from them that should be finished this week both 6.5BR, one 19" for a pistol build and one 27" for a rifle. Both are going on Savage Target Actions.
Took my new rig (Savage 111, 7mmRemMag) with a 26" McGowan varmint contour ss barrel to the range and got it lined up. I am currently working up loads for it, so I am convinced that I can do better. I shot a 6 shot group of 0.6" as my best thus far. The barrel is very easy to clean. When breaking the barrel in I noticed a very very minute trace of copper fouling. And yes, mine was dirty as well from the factory. This was cleaned with one wet patch pushed through the barrel.
Well, update: back at the range today for more load development. I managed to shoot a .37" group at 100yds. Not too shabby.
I ordered mine last week...now just have to wait......
i have recently ordered two more barrels from mcgowan(a 22 250ai and a 6-284) i had a 243 ai done this past november, and two prior to that. they have all been great shooting barrels and i have had zero problems with any of them.
Don't you just hate starting a new build and have load production done first time to the range. McGowan built me a 24" 223 rem full bull in 1/7 twist. Shot some AR handloads a couple weeks ago and shot pretty good. Today I worked new nosler brass, Nosler Custom Comp 69 grainers, fed match primers and IMR 8208. Working from min load to max load in .4 grain steps. over 9 loads of 5 round groups, worst group was .641( only one over .5) and best was .152. average was about .350ish. All these were seated at the lands. barrel had hardly any copper after 50 rounds. Very happy with this barrel