Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Now that Pac-Nor is out of action for a while

I have used Douglas for about 35 years, no reason to change.

Holy [bleep] you guys are a broken record with the Larry schit and for what?

Let's all be cool, talk about rifles/fun stuff and give the drama a rest.

Ok dad!! Grin

Hart has fast turn around, broughton is slower than hell....

Oooops we are in trouble... again... sorry Hig, I vote STIHL for the win...

I have had a dozen Douglas barrels and got 2 bad ones. I have had 4 ER Shaw and all have been spectacular... I have had 5 Montana Rifle Co. barrels and they have been very good.
I had one Adams & Bennet and it was very good. I had one Brux and it was good. I have had 3 McGowen and they are ok.....
That's all.....

Krieger and Border have made the very best barrels I have owned. Had good experiences with Bartlein and Shilen too.

I had a couple of Broughtons that were good, but had one that shifted a 1/2 MOA after the cold bore shot and then tightened up for the next shots in sequence. The smith who did several barrels for me blamed the barrel. The barrel maker blamed the smith. The same smith replaced it with a Krieger and everything worked again. A couple other Broughton were ok, but I will not buy any more barrels from him after that hassle and waste of time.

And the best answer is something will eliminate certain barrel makers.

I wanted a Brux for my last barrel and they wouldn’t make it without a takeoff in hand (I wanted to give them measurements). Then they said they wouldn’t make the blank even until I sent them the barrel. Lilja made the blank and Redneck sent them the takeoff when the blank was ready.

I once waited way, way past delivery estimate for a Rock. Like, I ordered another barrel from a different maker a year later and then got them at the same time.

I once was going to order a Benchmark but they wanted a custom contour fee and it was going to be a near $450 barrel, there are other good barrels.

Krieger and Bartlein won’t make skinny SS barrels if that’s important to you. Some guys really think cut barrels are superior and they will use a CM Krieger.

The barrel makers I’ve had:
Bartlein
Krieger
Rock Creek
Brux
Obermeyer
Pac Nor
Lilja

Plenty of others left to try. My next will be a Schneider, evidently their turnaround is super fast and they must do something right because the Marines use them for their sniper rifle barrels. I’m not a Marine but I respect them all the same.

I just experienced the same with the first cold bore hitting zero’d POA, then the subsequent rounds walked left as much as 2.5.

Builder blamed the barrel. Barrel maker said “It sounds like we made a bad barrel”...”We’ll work with your builder for the warranty replacement”.

Barrel Maker - Proof Research CF 1:8 for a 6.5 PRC. Good people. No excuses. 😎

This has been my go to for a while. There are a bunch of internet sellers that stock barrels by the best makers now, it's usually just a matter of doing a little searching to find what you're looking for unless you're looking for something really exotic, a quick search shows plenty of 7.5 twist 6mm barrels out there from several good makers. I prefer not to have the barrel maker do the chambering anyway, I'd rather deal with a good gunsmith that'll do what I want. I know several that'll turn around a simple chambering job in a few days. One of the best guys I know will chamber it while I go get lunch if I call ahead to make sure he's free.

There's no reason to wait months for a barrel to be made and fitted, it's silly. If you order an in stock barrel from one of the stocking dealers you'll have it in a few days and installed a few days later. I've used Pac-nor before and while they were OK they weren't my favorite, they weren't really any cheaper than others out there that I could see.

Yep, but there is something to be said for getting a barrel made and fitted at the same place. No blame game when things are wonky. I ordered a Bartlein last November and they trued the face of the receiver and bolt, screwed it together and it was sent to me in about 4 months. I didn't care because I had other things to play with. I couldn't be happier since that gun can now shoot 1/2" MOA.

That said, I found a local guy that I will try next.

Yeah, I understand that thought process too. I've had several put together by the barrel makers and have for the most part been happy. The big name gunsmiths are backed up a lot but I've been lucky to locate a couple that aren't as well known who do fantastic work without the backlogs and prefer to use them nowadays. I feel I get better quality from them than the barrel makers, I know they're running the lathe and the quality they'll put into the job where with the barrel maker it might be little Jimmy the apprentice that gets to experiment with my rifle that day. There are a surprising number of gunsmiths that cater to the benchrest and palma shooter crowd who aren't well known on the forums but will do work to a higher standard than most of the famous names and don't have the backlog of the famous guys. Those guys are out there but you have to search them out, they don't pop up in the advertisements like the big names everybody fawns over. I'll wait for quality if I have to but I much prefer to order the barrel, take it or send it to the gunsmith and get it back in a week or so. I'm not as patient as I used to be.

This schit is funny! I enjoy Droolers trying to "talk" rifles,with their version of "knowledge","experience" and "results". Hint. Congratulations?!?

I've shot well over 100 PN barreled rifles,mainly because they are exceptional on the average and everywhere I've been...folks have followed suit,after shooting mine. Have never shot one greater than .510",but have gunned their 17's and 20's,with more than a few stops in between. Never had a contour greater than straight 1.350" or sub MR. Only a few have been CM,so I cain't really speak to that,as S/S obviously rules the roost. Have yet to see one shy of sensational. Hint.

Now as other flavorings go,I only shoot(own) A&B,Bart',BHW,Brux,Boots,Chanlynn,Criterion,Douglas,GM,Hart,HS,K&P,Krieger,Lilja,LW,McGowen,McMillan,Schneider,Shilen,Wilson,X-Caliber,though am certainly overlooking a few. Am spinning off a Criterion now,to make way for another Bart'. Prolly have a "few" different Rimfire barrels too. Hint.

I MUCH appreciate the Paper Hat Brigade doing their best,because that Stupidity never ain't not fhuqking hilarious! Hint. Laughing!

Tough break for Chris and Crew,but it sounds like they'll be building new and I'll be curious to try the new wares and extrapolate against the elder.

I rather like the "odds".

Hint.................

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Just for the record, I am still ignoring Stick and trying to follow campfire rules... i.e. Stick can say whatever he wants.... and I am not allowed to respond....

Have a good day & peace on earth....

Oh and this goes for you too Jud.....

Appreciate the responses. Not looking for next week delivery but wanted to eliminate a six month or longer wait. Also appreciate the names of those stocking barrels, might have to poke around their sites and see what they have. I agree that there are plenty of guys who make great barrels, getting a good smith is crucial.

As mentioned earlier, looking to replace the barrel on the current .243 AI. Nothing fancy about the rifle, it's an early 90's vintage LH Remington 700 SA that's been previously trued, but it's shot pretty straight with the other three barrels it's worn so I figure it deserves a fourth one. The current barrel is a Remington standard sporter contour and has a round count of between 3000 and 3500 rounds, I quit counting sometime after 2800, and it still shoots in the .2's and .3's with the Sierra 85 gr. BTHP. Just getting bored and want a fast twist 6mm to play with the longer bullets.

Jim, what 6mm you thinking?

Go Seex Kreedmire 1-7.5" and simply grab one offa Greg's shelf and have him mail it to The Kali Kid. Keep freebore at .120" or less and you are there,with a no-turn Alpha chamber. Tell him to dupe the bitch,because he LOVES contouring spouts! I'd go Aztec. Hint.

Them Sugar 85's are fhuqking hilarious! 243 SALAMI,Seex Kreedmire,243 Aye-Eye. Hint.



Don't be in a hurry,to make a bad decision. Hint.

Thank me later.

Just sayin'.

Hint.................

I have 3 or 4 Pac Nors barrels and like then all, Had a Lilja the was so bad only use was as a jack handle! I really like the Hawk Hill, but hard to find a smith that will have one done by next season! Don't know if barrel makers are that important. A few years ago had a gunsmith square up a 700 action, lap the lugs and recrown the barrel and screw on a new take off 7mm Mag barrel for one of my boys, bedded it in a wood BDL stock and the thing shot clover leaves all day long. We are talking 1/2 MOA. Younger son liked it so we did it again with same results. Barrels were $35.00 each.Having him do my 308 now to see if lighting strikes 3 times.

Boy everyone want's other's to tell them what the best of whatever is. Be better to ask other's what to avoid! In barrel's I'd doubt there are many bad barrel maker's, they wouldn't stay in business long! Only custom barrel I ever bought is a couple Shilen Match grade barrels. They probably shoot better than I do! I got them to say I have them and they do shoot pretty darn good! I think if I was to do it again though, I'd go with something like a Douglas. Less expensive and still probably shoot's better than I do! Now were I thinking competitive barrel, I sure as h*ll wouldn't get on most internet sight's and ask the common man what the best barrel is! No offense guy's but most of us are hunter's that shoot like hunter's!

I forgot proof. currently have two being put on actions and the two I’ve had are beyond amazing.

Even did ok with a green Mountain this year and the past five. 😂😂😂😉😎😎😎









Let’s play what barrels do you use to kill shït. These went with a green mountain.