Brux vs Benchmark-ultimate accuracy?

[kennyg]

Okay folks, I cannot make up my mind here. I am building a 7saum (or maybe 7wsm) for long range shooting. I want to target shoot north of 1k, and will be shooting 180s, either the Bergers or SMKs. I am kind of an accuracy freak so I want the best groups possible. Unfortunately I am also on a budget, which is why I am building on a savage...well and because its fun.....anyway I can get both of these barrels chambered and threaded for my savage for about the same price. I have read everything I can find about these barrels on here and other boards, and I still can't make up my mind. Brux is cut rifled 4 groove, benchmark is button rifled 3 groove or 5r. I want the best accuracy I can get. Any opinions and/or advice?

[geargrinder]

I'm a firm believer that the barrel manufacturer is only part of the equation. The next big factor is who does the work on it.

[kennyg]

Okay good to know. SSS would chamber the Brux, and Kevin Rayhill the Benchmark. I have heard that they both do quality work, but have no personal experience with either.

[geargrinder]

I have also heard a lot about both of them, good and bad. I prefer to use vendors that support this site. Neither of them are site sponsors.

Sin Arms sells and chambers Brux barrels. I've uses a couple of his barrels and have been very pleased.

[358Hammer]

I would pick Benchmark only because I have NEVER had a bad anything from them in answering your question. Yes they do gunsmithing work as well.

On a Budget? I would choose Jim at Northland shooters supply for a Criterion Barrel by Kreiger. $250. for a ready to go barrel seems close to the least expensive top of the line barrel out their.

Neal

[kennyg]

Thanks for the reply Neal. I have read your posts about Benchmark barrels, and that is one reason I am considering them! I checked with Criterion, but they will not throat my barrel out for the 180 Bergers, and I do not want to purchase a reamer. I am willing to spend the extra $$ for a barrel if it will get me better groups. I am also interested in knowing more about the Nitriding process you have done. Have you always had Benchmark do this for you? Thanks, Kendal

[morf33]

ok whats is sss means i see it many time is it a manufacture or ?

[sinman]

I have never heard of a bad Brux barrel, and for as many as I have done there has never been a problem with one. I like Brux because of their quality and attention to what the customer (me) requires of their barrel. I have seen quite a few different barrels come from different companys that had lots of problems and with a Brux barrel they have been perfect.

[geargrinder]

ok whats is sss means i see it many time is it a manufacture or ?

SSS is Sharp Shooter Supply. The owner is a moderator and frequent poster here.

[82boy]

Well I can say in my experience, I have had just about every barrel you can think of. The problem you run into is every barrel has its own personality. You can take two barrels made from the same manufacture, and even one made right after the other, have it chambered by the same smith on the same machinery, tooling, and at the same time, and them barrel will be a different as night and day. I will say that I expect the best accuracy out of all my barrels, but when you find one that shoots better than the rest it will scare you, and you will get to the point you don't want to shot it, because of wear. I have seen good and bad barrels from every manufacture you can think of, in all reality buying a new barrel is a crap shoot. I am familiar with the 5r or canted land barrels, and I can say I cant prove any difference, or that they are any better, than a standard barrel.

I have compaired button rifled barrels against cut rifled barrels, and I can say I have not seen any accuracy difference. I can say a cut rifled barrel will last longer, and if you watch the top benchrest shooters nearly all of them are shooting a cut rifled barrel. I will say this, if the price is the same I would choose the cut rifled barrel every time to a button rifled barrel. I have seen that most button rifled barrels are either faster or slower than there intended twist rate, but a cut rifle barrel will be right on the nose with the right twist rate.

I can say this about Brux barrels, I have one and it is THE BEST shooting barrel I have ever owned. I have it on my IBS/NBRSA short range Competition rifle and every time I have fired it in a competition, I have either won, or placed. THIS BARREL IS A FREAK!!!! As I said before when you find a great shooting barrel you get scare to use it, so I pulled it and replaced it with a Bartline, and a Krieger which neither one of them shoot as good. I save this Brux barrel for only the best such as big sanction matches, when the top level of accurace is needed. (And a lot of luck.) The bad thing is I could order another one, but who know if it would shoot as good.

I can say that I have had great shooting Shilen, krieger, Criterion, Douglass, and other barrels that would get the job done, and are super accurate. The moral of the story is just about all these top name barrels will shoot about the same, so it is hard to say one is better or worse than another. The only way to guarantee you will get a good barrel is to do like most of the benchrest shooters and buy 10, you should be able to find one that shoots great out of them all. Now finding a hummer barrel well that is like hitting the lottery, keep buying barrels hopefully one day you will find one, but I am willing to bet if you do, it will be a cut rifled barrel.

[kennyg]

Thanks for the replies guys, I am new to the building a rifle yourself thing, and I have learned a lot by reading from those of you with way more experience then me.

[rsbhunter]

What 82 boy said is the truth......i have a Kreiger bbl , that is my first "custom" bbl. Had it installed on a trued 700 action.Now i do love my Stevens and Savages (i now own 5) but with this bbl, i now know the"i'm saving it" feeling. Maybe it's "normal" accuracy for a custom bbl...but i have shot two 1 inch or better groups....at 500 yards...NOT MOA groups, actual measurement.....with a 300 RUM....if i need or want to shoot an elk, deer or anything at long range....i have the ultimate faith in this weapon......just started working with a Pac-Nor, and it's got alot of potential, have another Kreiger shipping hopefully this next week....but you will know you have one of these bbl's when you're afraid to shoot it...cause you don't want to "shoot it out"...rsbhunter

[ChipEckardt]

I have a couple of Brux barrels and been very happy with them. About a year ago Randy Gregory was going to start making barrels. I know the quality of Randy's work and if he is now making barrels I would certainly try one of his.

Chip ECKARDT

[Harriershot]

To 82boy, would you be kind enough to share with us who did the chambering and other work on this great shooting Brux barrel of yours.

Thanks
Charlie

[82boy]

To 82boy, would you be kind enough to share with us who did the chambering and other work on this great shooting Brux barrel of yours.
Thanks
Charlie

SSS

[Firefighter]

I LOVE my Benchmark Barrel,,,It is a 6BR, 1:8 tw, 26", 1" Bull Barrel, It is chambered with a PTG reamer with a .073 free bore, .270, no turn neck, the chamber is like a mirror, they liked the reamer so much they bought from me. It shoots in 3's @ 200. Nice guys there and will be buying another barrel from them again!!!!!!

[Handloader]

I have a few Benchmarks in the 7mmWSM. Both shoot lights-out. I have never shoot a Brux, but they are well known.
If I had to do it all over again, I would try the Brux, from Sin (site sponsor).
The wait on the one Benchmark was 9 months (not that those lengths of time are unusual in this game). My advice is to decide which barrel, and get it ordered NOW. If you keep putting it off, by the time you order it, it will be next year before you see it....LOL

[kennyg]

I have been trying to order a Brux from SSS, (Sinman doesn't have the reamer I want) but they are so hard to get ahold of!

[nhm16]

I have been trying to order a Brux from SSS, (Sinman doesn't have the reamer I want) but they are so hard to get ahold of!

I would also suggest ordering a blank from Brux directly and having a local smith chamber and thread it. I ordered a 30" 6.5mm blank directly from Brux, they said it would take about 8 weeks, and it arrived in 8 weeks. I had my local smith thread and chamber the Brux in 6.5x47 Lapua, and the total cost was only a little more than ordering a chambered and threaded barrel from SSS or Sin Arms (YMMV depending on what your smith charges, of course).