Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles barrel vs action for accuracy?

Just for interest sake.

How much does a barrel contribute to accuracy vs the action? I do now that for ultimate accuracy a stiff, true action, combined with a good barrel is needed. But, if someone is stuck with an average/below average action, would you get better (sub moa) accuracy from a good barrel opposed to an average barrel combined with a great action? Lets say both are properly bedded.

Barrels are quite expensive around here and such an experiment is out of the question. I am just curious

Pieter

95%

Most rifles are farrrrrrrrrrrr more capable,than their owners.

Now that may just be the most true statement I have ever read on 24hour.

Lots of days I resemble that remark.

I'd go with barrel first, gunsmith second, action third. Provided you're using a decent make for the action. If you're using a decent barrel, the gunsmith might be more important than both. A gunsmith can clean up an action, but there's not a lot that can be done with a mediocre barrel.

Having owned a bunch of customs and a bunch of remingtons and a whole bunch of custom barrels.....barrel is about the biggest factor.

..ok I'll go as high as 96% then but not one purnt higher

But a 'gunsmith' can flat ruin a good barrel.

...but a bad barrel can flat ruin a good gunsmith too.

If all is not well-You have a pos! Including the driver.

Factory barrels suck....

A bad gunsmith can ruin anything. That's why a good one is high on the list.

Not hardly. Good smiths own bore scopes plus Deltronic bore pins and cull bad barrels from the get go.

....was talking about word of mouth.

m77 what "average/below average" action are we talking about?

Barrel and proper installation are more important than action, within reason of course.

I put the gunsmith way down the list. Nearly anyone with a good lathe and a little skill can turn out a shooter, it is not that hard. I have threw some crap together that looked like hell from stuff scrounged from the bottoms of drawers that shot very well, I give the credit to the tubes.
I have been told by the shooter I most respect that all that matters is barrel and bedding.

Well the jimmy behind the trigger is numero uno....

I am thinking something like a 98 action. I know it is a good action, but not the first choice in trying to get the best accuracy.

Pieter

I do understand what you guys are saying about the nut behind the trigger as that is a problem I often see. I have friends that have taken their guns to gunsmiths, guns that I know shoot well, to get them 'fixed'. They really believe the rifles are the problem I think gunsmiths probably make most of their money fixing accuracy problems that does not exist

I shoot quite a bit on my range and outshoot most of my rifles. I guess most people will if they used rifles as often as I do. I was just curious about the part actions play vs barrels.

If I could choose a setup I would get a Barnard action, lilja barrel and have a local company shape the stock for me

Pieter

Pieter IMO a Model 98 will benefit from a top end custom barrel. I have put Krieger tubes on FN Mausers and they shot very well.

Might be good to know intended use for the rifle and chambering(?).Is this a general purpose hunting rifle or a specialized rig for LR work on small targets?

If the former,I would say sure, a M98 will work fine and is capable of benefiting from a good custom tube. I have barreled them up with Krieger tubes in everything from 257 Roberts to 270,280 and 30/06,and they shot fine.

They may not have the stiffness,bedding surface, and other attributes of a tight tolerance "accuracy" action; the firing pin fall is heavier and slower but provides very reliable ignition under tough,dirty conditions.

If you want a varmint rifle or very specialized long range rig there may be better choices but as a general purpose BG rifle a Mauser 98 is good and I would not hesitate to put a good barrel on one.