Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Rock creek barrels

Anyone have any incite as to when they may start taking orders again? I’m guessing it must be a dot.gov contract keeping them occupied?

Call Hawk Hill buddy. On a tip I was told they were great, understatement all the way. Great folks to deal with.

All I’ve heard on Rock Creek has them making a lot of gov barrels.

Whatcha lookin' for. Might try bugholes.com.

Wouldn't be to quick to turn my nose up if the cal/twist/length/contour was available in a Mullerworks or Bartlein.

Curious. Will Hawk Hill contour a stainless barrel in Rem factory mountain rifle? If they will, I might try them.

give douglas a try I know some people wont use them but they work great on my rifles and get them to install it
youll have your rifle back in less than two weeks...quicker than you can get a barrel alone with the others

Cut rifle modified Kimber 84 contour - which they have.

If Mullerworks would do a light #2 …

lilja has a modified contour but they arent cut as you may know

Not sure 257. Best guess would be to call. They’re good ol boys and friendly to deal with as well.

Thanks. Thought somebody might know. Seems not many will do it nowadays. I waited on two Rock Creek 257” barrels in that contour for a full year, but was glad to get them.

I’ve never used a Rock Creek but man I’d like to. Sounds like it’ll be awhile though.

This schit is VERY fhuqking easy. Hint.

Simply source Greg,grab a blank of the length/RPM requisite,which is on the shelf and have The Plumber turn it to the contour of your whim. Hint.................

Brux may be an option.

you really need to satisfy what you want but i have yet to see the difference between a cut barrel or a button barrel in a hunting gun
i dont shoot benchrest so maybe they can i dont know .....every button barrel i had shot 1/2 moa when i did my part and so did the cut ones

Rock Creek are nothing special. have had 2 of them and will not be getting anymore. Not worth waiting to get a average barrel. Lots of better options out there.

average 100 yard 3" group on a paper plate hunters certainly won't notice the difference between Rock Creek and Douglas barrels

I haven't been able to tell much difference with any "name" brand barrel...some may clean a little easier but that's about it.

The "best" I've seen so far was a Proof Steel barrel in 6.5x284...it legit went 1/4moa straight off the lathe with the very first 3 shots out of it (after 1 test fire)...a Nosler Partition too...on a Rem 700.

I definitely can't tell the difference between Cut and Button...I most certainly wouldn't let one sway my decision.

Was that a Diablo Custom built by Ryan Kelsey?

He didn't build it. But he did have it at one point.

Benchmark will make pretty much anything you want in stainless. Cut or buttoned. Cut twist rates can be whatever you want as it's all done on CNC. Custom contours are easy too, but there is a charge.

I ordered a cut stainless 7mm 1-8 last week. Winchester featherweight that tapers to .600" at 24" finished.

8 month lead currently.

That’s just about what my Mashburn barrel is. Originally a Bart #2 but it’s been milled on pretty heavily.

I've got a #2 8 twist 7mm rock creek sitting here, wondering what it will become.... Was thinking I'd rebarrel my fieldcraft to 7mm08 but who knows....

Hart barrels are 4 months right now. I want a SS barrel turned down to Rem Sporter or Rem Mag contour, straight fluted and to be finished at 20” in a .264 8 twist.

Any other suggestions to get one quicker?

douglas could probably install you one and return it to ya in two weeks ...send it to Karl after for flutes
I have no problem getting them to shoot or clean up quickly but others think they are taboo

Call Hawk Hill. They may or may not get to your barrel quick depending on what’s on their list next.

I’d take Stick’s suggested approach. Find a smith that will turn a heavier barrel down to your desired profile, then buy something available and ship it to him.

FWIW.....Douglas barrels just posted that Stan Taylor passed away.

OMG! Such a nice guy.

Try Lothar Walther....

What caliber, length and twist are you looking for ? I have a few Rock Creek blanks. Pm me

Stan Taylor worked their many years. All round great guy. Have one of his rifles.

An especially significant loss. Most custom barrel makers do not seem to listen to the customer or try to give them good service, they act as though you should be happy to get what they give you and pleased to wait (a year) for it.
NOT Stan Taylor.

Very sorry to hear about Stan Taylor!!!!! He was a very nice man and a standup guy to deal with!!! I barrel a lot of actions and have used them all. FWIW, here is some of my take on barrels; I recently did two different rifles that literally put bullets in the same hole at 100 yards. The first is a Muller and the other is a Douglas. I have had very good luck with Douglas barrels and they are quick to get.
Last year I barreled two rifles for the same customer that wanted Hawk Hills, both rifles touched bullets at 100 yards. I would be very surprised if Shawn wont contour whatever you want. He is a very easy going guy to deal with.
I have had exceptional luck and use Pac-Nor a lot. They are very accurate and first rate folks to deal with all around. Since the fire they are a little slow to get though. I like their polygonal rifling and have had very good luck with it. Doesn't necessarily shoot better, but it always shoots fantastic.
Lothar Walther makes a great barrel, but they are a rather hard alloy and you will probably only get about 5 chambers from a reamer.
I do in fact have a personal rifle with a Rock Creek 5R barrel and I am not all that impressed.
I have a Schnieder, also a personal rifle {40X} that isn't all that either. Same with Badger, which no longer makes barrels....the last two look like a million dollars with a borescope, but just wont perform with the front runners above. When it comes to Shilen I suggest you get their higher "match" grade, I have not been impressed with the blanks that Brownell's sells.
Bartlien and Krieger are very good barrels. Sometimes they take a little break in time to perform at their best.
Obermeyer, of which I have only installed one, shot great.
The Wilson barrels I have used all were exceptional and so was an Excaliber, especially for the price of these last two.
It is easy to understand why, and I completely agree with the fells that say, "there really aren't any bad barrels out there"...I know Rock Creek, Schnieder and Badger all have made first rate barrels, I just didn't happen to get one. Bottom line, if I was going to build another personal rifle I would not be afraid to try any of the above. Never had anyone request a Hart or Lilja.

msinc
On your Douglas barrel installs.
Do you use the air gage ?

Dave

Yes sir, I do. At the very least I have always had the air gauged barrels touch bullets at 100 yards.
Here is a recent one, 223 700. 1-in-9 twist, Calvin Elite trigger, McMillan stock and HS Precision detachable magazine. This is a 3 shot group....wish I could say I was the shooter. It was not shot with the bipod, it was shot off a Sinclair rest.

Yes, Stan had a massive heart attack. He was a great guy and friend. I pray that he will RIP.

We all have different ideas and experience with different barrels. As for comp. barrels I've had best luck with Shilen, Krieger, Obermyer, and 1 Rock Creek. I've used Broughton barrels when Harold was making them, Turbo barrels when Flash Ebert made then, Bartlien, Douglas, and I think that John Holliger used a Wilson on my AR that he built. All of my hunting rifles are minute of animal. Lothar Walther has a LW50 stainless that I think is a PH steel. They ain't the easiest to chamber, but more feed and speed make a difference. I haven't had a very good one.

msinc,
Nelson Berger .. Walt's brother built my first custom in 1986. It was M700 in 280 AI with the Douglas stainless air gaged.
Nelson recommended it.
I hunted that rifle for almost 20 years and nothing within 500 yards was safe.
It was a truly excellent rifle barrel.
Rockcreek is one of my favorite rifle barrels .
For hunting and 1000 yard silhouette.
I like them alot but getting them is becoming a problem.
Dang military contracts.

Dave

best barrels i ever used in 35 years were broughton.button rifled and have 6 rifles with them.there are many good manufacturers.when i started out i used shilen,hart and lilja.then has a clay spencer built rifle with one of his barrels which was a one holer.today there are many very good manufacturers.to me go small shops.mullerworks and dan are in my opinion the best now.

I've used Douglas for several rifles over the years, they make the process very easy and all have shot well.