Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Opinion of Jarrett rifle's

1234567,

As mentioned in the post to Mark, only one of the rifles was a 7mm and that was a 7mm-08 AI.

Personally I would probably just stick to a 7mm Wby., or if you really want the extra zip go with a 7mm RUM.

I had one of his earlier Rifles.I bought it used and was told it was a Kreiger barrel.It was a 280AI with a 28" tube.An early beanfield rifle.It shot lights out dead on 3/4 " groups at 200 yds.Problem was the weight,too dang heavy for walking around.A fine Rifle for what it was intended.

This one was built for Grit's Gresham around 1986.Weigh's around 9 lbs.complete with 3x9 Zeiss,Hart barrel,McMillan stock.He had said the last time he shot it ,3 shot group with 150 Partitions was .015".Even say's "Custom built for Uncle Grit's" on the barrel.I'll send a few cases to Redding when I get it so it'll be a while before I sit down with it.

A dedicated long range rifle is and should be heavy, makes them easier to shoot accurately

I'd agree with MD on this. I have owned 3 Jarrett Series rifles and wrung out others for a friend. The loads Jarrett sent with each gun were excellent but I prefer to do my own load development. With 2 different 300 Jarrett Series rifles on 700 actions and 1 Jarrett Windwalker on a Jarrett action & barrel I had an easy time with 165, 180, or 200 Accubonds or Partitions. Around 1/2 inch was the easily obtainable norm. I also had a Jarrett Series rifle in 280AI which shot 140 Accubonds into tiny little 1/4 inch clusters and killed deer like a lightning strike. I'd have to say I prefer the older series rifles built on 700 actions to Jarretts own action but that is just me. I have owned, handled, shot, & done load development on many of the high end custom rifles. Of those I'd rate the Jarrett in the top 3 or 4 as far as being consistently high quality and superb accuracy. I've never heard of a Jarrett that wouldn't shoot and probally wouldn't believe it if I did. Just my $.02

He makes some good rifles in interesting chanberings, but they sell for more money than I want to put into a rifle. I would rather spend the bucks on hunts.

jim

Agree completly. I did state earlier that I'd rate the Jarretts in the top 3 or 4 as far as being consistently high quality and superb accuracy. Of those 3 or 4 top custom rifle builders I would rate all of the others higher than Jarrett in terms of value for your hard earned $$$$. I think new Jarretts are way over priced and I have never bought a new one. Each one I owned I bought used for less than half the cost of a new one. They did hold their value well and after playing with em for a couple years I sold em for about what I paid for em without much trouble. Kenny Jarrett has done a great job marketing his rifles and he finds people to buy them even at the top prices he charges. If he can get the $$$$$ he asks for em I can't say I blame him for doin it. I've spoken to Kenny several times and I don't think he's too interested in selling a bunch of guns just a few of the very best he can possibly make. I think he has stuck to that all along and that is why he consistently turns out the high quality product he does. YMMV 163bc

I have been hearing the words "underpriced" and "overpriced" for years now concerning firearms (and other stuff). Aside from the fact there are ways to get deals on just about anything--including buying used rifles--I usually keep my opinions to myself about price, figuring that if a certain product sells consistently for a certain price then obviously quite a few people think that's a fair price.

Price is something that is always a selfish thing. I am sure there are members that have 10 or better rifles....I know I do!!! But I also know that you can only hunt with one rifle at a time and some become the owners favorite and more often than not these become the "Go to" rifles.


So if that is what YOU want then by all means have at it!!!

He has some pretty well heeled clientelle.Schwartzkoff,Yeager etc.I once read somewhere Dale Earnhart bought 6 or 7.

Much like real estate

don't buy a custom for accuracy I made that mistake, I have 2 full on custom rifles that I bought for accuracy, and they are very accurate, but only with their preferred loads.

you guys are going to think I am crazy but if you want an accurate rifle just buy a tikka. I have 3 of them, the only 3 I have ever shot and all of them shoot sub .5 moa, with RANDOM loads and factory ammo, never bothered to wring them out with ladder testing.

custom rifles are for it you want a stock to fit you a certain way, or if you want some hot rod wild cat.

MD I agree for the most part but the thread title here says "opinions on Jarrett Rifles" so I gave mine as honestly as I could. That includes the fact that I think that as new they are over priced. Anyone can look at Jarretts prices listed on their web site and form their own opinion. I didn't say no one should buy one or that I would never buy one. Quite the contrary. I am a fan of Jarrett rifles and think they make a superior product. I also think Kenny Jarrett has been a trailblazer and trend setter for custom rifle builders of today. Some have said some harsh things about Kenny but I have talked to him at lenght several times and found him to be very interesting and quite willing to take time to discuss rifles, ballistics, scopes, hunting, and whatever else I asked him. If someone sees the value, has the means, and wants to own something that is perceived as the best there is I'm all for it. What it all really comes down to is that the only opinion that really matters is that of the buyer. 163bc

My mileage varried. Mine's a switch-barrel on a 700 action. Never did shoot with any of the three barrels, or of the next three barrels. Would consistently put two rounds touching at 100 yds. with a flier sometimes 3/4" out and other times 2" out.

Calibers are 7stw, .338 Jarrett and .416 rm. I sent it off to another 'smith to have it trouble-shot, as I did not trust Jarrett anymore and refused to line his wallet further.

The new 'smith said the receiver was not true and the lugs were not making full contact. The recoil lug was welded (they don't do that anymore, to which Kenny said, "well, there was a learning curve") which caused the receiver to have hard and soft spots making it very difficult to true up due to the chatter.

Kenny was not interested in making good on it. Said he had just had a hip replacement when the work was done and his stocker, John Lewis went "nutz" on him about the same time and left. Due to the surgery he had to rely on others to do some of the work, but admitted to "trueing" the receiver himself.

I had it rebuilt from the ground up with a new Borden Timberline action, HS Precision stock and three Krieger barrels. It now shoots bugholes.

I would never say that Kenny doesn't build an accurate rifle. He wouldn't have the reputation that he does if that were the case. I'm just saying he did not build one for me.

1flier

IOW,you bought another rifle.

Absolutely. The only component from the original Jarrett is the Jewell trigger. There was nothing wrong with that.

1flier

When Jarrett first started to get the publicity I had him do a .280AI. It shot great, but I no longer shoot it much. To heavy for walking around hunting.

The rifles kept climbing in price. I used to stay in touch and one time I asked when he thought that would level off. His reply was that he could only make so many rifles per year and that as long as people where willing to pay more dollars the price would continue to rise.

I think he should be given credit to be the first to see a market for an above average accurate hunting rifle and figure how to capitalize on it along with giving someone a rifle they could feel was unique. We see it every day here. Others have certainly copied and found they could do it for less dollars or even better in some cases.

Like his rifles or the man, that's up to the individual. It still seems he sells all he can make.

I know both John & Kenny,Cowden is across the river from the upper end of the farm I hunt on. I have had several Jarette & Lewis rifle. I have found both stand behind their product. I am not as good a shooter as most here and have only had 1 beanfield rifles so I am content with the 3/4-1/2" groups I am capable of reloading & shooting with their rifles.

I do indeed buy custom rifles for the accuracy and if I have one that is finicky I will send it back to be corrected. Unless I am buying a work of art I expect it to shoot and shoot well with a varity of bullets and loads.. I believe that with a quality match grade barrel and a propper smith that a custom should shoot .5 MOA and do so with a varity of loads and of coures shoot even better with a taylored load.

Jarrett bought his barrelmaking equip from Harold Broughton. Harold was making new equip. for his barrelmaking and he sold his old stuff to Kenny. Kenny and Harold were buddies. His barrels are button rifled. Harold taught Kenny the barrel making business. After Harold passed away the family sold the business to somebody in Montana or Wyoming or that part of the country. That didn't work out and the presentguy has it now. I understand he makes decent barrels. Making an accurate hunting rifle is not rocket science. Kenny is a marketeer and I believe he put a couple barrels or 2 on his to guarantee the accuracy.
Butch