What barrel ?

[bjfemtp]

Is there any major diffrence in between the major barrel makers ,lilja,hart ,krieger, and sheilen.is one supeior to the next, what about twist rate and a "tight" barrel. Any help would be apprecited.I want to build a hunter
sb rifle and have very limted knowledge
Thank you for your time

[Bob259]

Is there any major diffrence in between the major barrel makers ,lilja,hart ,krieger, and sheilen.is one supeior to the next, what about twist rate and a "tight" barrel. Any help would be apprecited.I want to build a hunter
sb rifle and have very limted knowledge
Thank you for your time

Everyone will have a preference. I prefer the Lilja tight bore myself for smallbore and my Krieger HP is good, but I plan on trying a Lilja there also when this one is shot out.

[Bob259]

Is there any major diffrence in between the major barrel makers ,lilja,hart ,krieger, and sheilen.is one supeior to the next, what about twist rate and a "tight" barrel. Any help would be apprecited.I want to build a hunter
sb rifle and have very limted knowledge
Thank you for your time

Everyone will have a preference. I prefer the Lilja tight bore myself for smallbore and my Krieger HP is good, but I plan on trying a Lilja there also when this one is shot out.

Call or send a note to a couple of gunsmiths and ask what they are using and why would be a start.

[Joaquin B]

I've used Lilja, Schneider, Douglas, Shilen,Pac-Nor barrels and Tikka factory barrels.
They all shoot better than I can, even from the bench.

[Innocent]

They all shoot better than I can, even from the bench.

A humble man.
I have shot nearly the same list of barrels in various calibers. They all are capabale of outshooting me. I go with checking with the gunsmith doing the work
as to what barrel to get.

Mary

[bjfemtp]

Thank you very much , I guess I'll have to talk to my gunsmith and see
what excatly he wants me to buy.

[BCloninger]

Mary has a point - Unless you're set on something in particular, use what your gunsmith prefers.

[Jerry G]

Seems the latest rage is a 3 groove. Be sure you get enough twist to stabalize the longest bullet you will shoot. I believe all the reputable makers have great barells.

[Jerry G]

I forgot this was the 22 section. Ignore the twist comment.

[steve b.]

Shilen, Shilen, Shilen.

4 groove R barrel. Or, their new octagon barrel.

Lilja is 2nd. I like the Lilja's as well.

When I'm building a rifle, I spend alot of time evaluating a barrel in terms of bore uniformity (twist and diameter). Then, there is assessing how well a taper has been lapped into the bore. If I can get those in a barrel, I can build a very accurate rifle.

That being said, the last dozen or so Shilen barrels have been superb. I will continue to order them for all of my rimfire builds. I have had good luck with many of the builders, but the best shooting br rifles i have done all are build with Shilens.

s.

[Evelio Mc Donald]

Steve
I am curios, how can you tell," how well a taper han been lapped into the bore " ???????
Evelio.

[steve b.]

Through slugging both directions of the barrel blank. This is where you determine to cut the crown; ideally the tightest spot neat the end of the blank. If you can't feel this taper in the barrel, then the barrel may not have one, or you may be having some trouble with slugging, or have the improper fixture holding the barrel.

The quality of the taper is how smooth it feels during the transition from one end of the barrel to the other. This is why many benchrest gunsmiths will slug their barrel before installing them, returning the bad ones back to the barrel maker. Not all barrel makers will accept this, so you are best advised to have an agreement upfront with the barrel maker.

At our shop, this is how we build all BR rifles.

[Trent]

I know there is probably a ton of skill and knowledge that goes into the "feel" when slugging a barrel, but is it an accurate thing to say... when slugging a barrel the amount of force that it takes to push the slug through the barrel will remain constant (because the slug is being compressed consistently throughout the length of the barrel), or does it get harder?

Has anyone ever created a barrel slugging testing machine? Something that measures the force applied and the distance pushed and then prints out a graph that shows spikes in force (up or down). That would be neat.

[steve b.]

Trent,

I think the late bill myers had built such a machine, but I never had a chance to see it. much of slugging barrels is gained by experience and having a good feel. in our shop, two of us slug the same barrel, then we compare notes. nearly every time, we all land about 1/4" from eachother when it comes to where the tight spot is for the crown.

There is alot that goes into preparing the barrel for proper slugging, and using the right slugs and lube.

attention to detail is everything when it comes to slugging.

s.

[Trent]

Thanks Steve!