I think the factory barrels can be very accurate. They are much harder to clean. Seems to me if you can get a new factory barrel from someone as a take-off (never fired) you certainly can save a lot of money and are likely to be 1/2 MOA with right load development. The sporter contours can be had for under $100 and a varmint contour for about $120. Chances are you won't find many, however. The $300 aftermarket barrel will nearly always be capable of shooting better than 1/2 MOA, but how much better is up to the shooter, the effort you put into load development and prep, the trigger, stock, etc. So it comes down to what you are looking for and what is avail and price. As for me, if I want a new hunting barrel I would look at Apache Gun Works for a Green Mountain or Shaw barrel. If I want assurance of higher chance for better than 1/2 MOA, I would look for one of the higher priced barrels from Apache or other vendors. Having said that, one of my best shooters is a factory varmint in .223. You never know for sure till you shoot it.