Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing What barrel maker would you recomend

Want to get a new barrel for my model 700. Want it in 260 rem and to be a mountain rifle profile. The rifle will be finished in some kind of black finish so dont really need stainless unless its really that much better than a regular steel one.
Any suggestions?

Thanks

Pac-Nor or Douglas offer good hunting grade barrels (they will shoot better than you.) Brouhton (sp?), Bartlein, Kreiger, Lilja, Schneider all offer match grade barrels used by many competitors. Shilen and Hart are old names in the business and still produce quality barrels. Brux and Benchmark are new names.

I have 5 Shilen Match grade barrels...all are SS and all shoot very well. My thought is there are many fine barrels out there....my buddies 25-06 on a ruger 77 action is a douglas and man does it shoot. I think what is more critical is how well the barrel is installed and how good is the action, stock , bedding, trigger...and your shooting capability.

Go with what the smith likes, unless you are doing it yourself. I'd still go stainless on a tube, easy enough to coat black.

All the barrels mentioned are top notch and you couldn't go wrong with any of them really. Me, I'm a fan of Hart Barrels in NY. They offer excellent gunsmithing services for a 700 as well and can Black-T them all in one shot. They only make one grade barrel, that is SS match.

I've had great shooters in my latest Bartlein and Brux tubes.

I think a more revealing question would be "which barrels would you not reccomend"

Well....

I'd like to try a Brux, haven't played with a Lilja nor Schneider but certainly would try one.

There are only 2 tubes listed above that I won't use if getting a new tube screwed on, Hart and Shilen.

Same question then...

What question? All I've seen was 'Well' after Jkob's post, which I understood to mean you were wondering which barrel/s he wouldn't recommend.

Why don't you like Hart or Shilen

I went with a http://www.pac-nor.com/ b/c my smith (Redneck) recommended them, their turn time is super fast and many people here on the *fire* have used them with good results.

Between pards and I we've had 4 Shilen tubes yanked that wouldn't shoot as we would like. Secondhand experience (meaning I don't own or have shot the rifle)from a few other friends and they've had like issues with Shilen, they've also had Shilen tubes that shot well also.

The experience with Hart was only 2 tubes and only in 25 caliber but both were quirky.

For the reason you mentioned about a barrel (s) being quirky is why I like to use the barrel maker as the installer as well. I know that Hart Barrels do great installs and if something is FU I'm not going to eat any "gunsmithing" costs. I'm sure the other makers would do the same on their installs.

And that's why I go with the smith's preference, mostly.

Pac Nor "Super Match Grade.

I have used Douglas, Shilen, Schneider, Kreiger, Pac-Nor, Lilja, Montana, and maybe something I don't remember. Only one that was a bummer was a Shilen.

I tend to be in the "go with the smitty's preferences" camp because if it doesn't shoot well, he wants to know why. Choose a different barrel maker, and you are probably on your own.

One of the top BR gunsmiths in the country will not even let one of Schneider's tubes in his shop, I know as I took one any to his shop to have fitted to my Hall action for BR match shooting and he flat refused to mount it.


My vary best barrels have come from Hart, but they have all been heavy or LV contours. Lilja I have many of and like, but I got two sour ones in a row. I have had a few really great barrels from Shirleen but I bought 6 at one time and was just maybe lucky with the two I choose to mount for my own. I might have different standards for what is good than you do. For hunting rifles I hold different standards. Find the best gunsmith you can find that fits barrels to BR standards and buy what he likes to work with.

You really didn't say how good you want your barrel to shoot. The argument that they all can shoot better than you (or any shooter) is not true. Contrary to some popular opinion the human can shoot better than some equipment is capable of producing. I have chambered and used most of those listed and have a couple of stinkers from more than one maker. However, from the same maker I have won a state benchrest championship with. I would say the barrel you choose should fit your requirements, whatever they are. If I wanted to shoot hunting bullets at ranges under 300, probably any would do. If I were building a tackdriving sheep rifle for you I would suggest a Bartlein. If you just needed a good barrel to take to your treestand I would recommend a shilen or a douglas. But you are the customer and the one spending the money.