Anybody using Douglas barrels

[James Jones]

I Have a couple folks that want custom guns built for deer hunting , noting long range , maybe 300yds. These guys don't shoot alot maybe a couple hundred rounds a year but they are wanting something "special" made for them just to say they have a custom gun I guess. The asked me if I liked Douglas barrels. I have never owned one so i coulden't comment.
CAn anybody offer any advice , I'm guessing that they don't want to pay for a Hart or Broughton.

Are they at least better that the factory tubs on Rem and Savage?

 

[reed mosser]

I have a douglas 22 br 8 twist barrel that will shoot in the .1's at a hundred. And if i lucky enough to hold the gun right will shoot 1.5 inches at five hundred. Most douglas barrels are very good. They just do not get the fame as some of the other barrel manufactures. If you want a really good barrel at a good price call RON at benchmark barrels 360-652-2594. These barrels are some of the best I have ever used. He stands behind his product and when you call ,you talk to the owner and he makes sure he gets everything right. Their are alot of good barrels out there but when you call them trying to get someone knowledgeable is the hard part.

 

[sniper2]

I have a .270 WBY on sako action 28" Douglas air-guage #5 taper used to shoot bug holes still shoots barely sub min.I know of several others that shoot great.

 

[rost495]

I've had a few on service rifles. Never came close to the accuracy of Krieger or Pac Nors etc... They were above the standard "factory" barrels though. Barrel life was much shorter than the cut rifled Kriegers and still 1000 rounds less life than the buttoned Pac Nor tubes.

They are cheap enough. I've never been impressed with them in M14s or AR15s even when set up by the best in the business they always fell short of top line tubes.

But I suspect for what you are chasing, a Dogless would be just fine. Want to see whats winning accuracy matches? Go the to equipment lists in PS. You won't find many Dogless tubes there.

JMHO Jeff

 

[Buffalobob]

I have a 26 " Douglas on 240Wby in 1-10tw on a FN action. It is shooting anywhere from 0.5 to huge for 5 shots. Some considerable part of this is the stock design I put on it and I didnot have the action trued when it was barreled becasue I wanted exactly what your customers want - a 200 yd deer rifle.

I supect your customers are about 55 yrs old and read sports afield and outdoor life. There is a group of us that grew up reading/hearing about Shilen, Hart and Douglas barreled custom guns and that is what we want and have (Yes, I also have a Shilen ).

The Douglas barrel will kill deer at 200 yds and that is a fact! We will see if it will kill one at 500 yds this Fall.

 

[3sixbits]

I have a special place in my heart for Douglas, That place does not extend to any rifle action I own however. The last one I had produced weather reports. This was an air gauged supreme blank fitted to a Old M-70 action that I had burned out a lot of barrels on. I want to be fair and say that I only put about twenty rounds down the tube before I unscrewed the barrel and pitched it. However please remember it takes as much time to fit the best as it does the poorest. If you have any kind of reputation to protect then I would not recommend them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[James Jones]

Well I won't be building the guns just probably sending them off to be built I recomended having they sent to
Pac-Nor but hey it what these fellas want , the Pac-Nor's an't much more expensive I guess I'll try to sway them that way

 

[royinidaho]

Douglas Premium barrel - 30 years of use. First 6 years heavy use on varmints, predators and muleys. Hung under an inch @100 the whole time. Better than 3000 rounds. Then all of a sudden it went. Throat shot out.

New bbl is Lilja. Now she hangs around a 1/2" and lots of times a lot better.

Installed and broke in properly I would have the utmost confidence in the Douglas.

 

[budlight]

I have a Douglas on my .458 American and wild cat 7mm STW. The STW I got from and friend that was into 1000 yard competitive shooting. It never performed good enough for him. don't quote me on the exact size, but all he was able to do was high 7 inch groups for 20 shot aggregates. He sold it to me and moved up to 50 BMG.

I think that it's a wonderful hunting weapon even with it's 8.5 pound 28 inch barrel. It's taken out some nice elk.

 

[Explorer1]

I had a 30" Douglas XX barrel, chamber in 300 Win Mag, on a Sako action, A-3 stock, and it kept the benchrest boys with their PPCs concerned when I attended a match. It had a 1-10 twist and LOVED the 240 Sierra bullets at 2700 fps+, easy 1/4" at 100 yds.
Great gun, should have kept it. But at 15+lbs without the Nightforce scope it was just not something I was going to carry.......

In summary, yes. I have a Pac-Nor....have shot...the Douglas XX was nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[WyoHunter]

I put a Douglas Premium Grade on my Pre-64 Winchester M70 action in 1969. It's chambered for the .257 Ackley Improved and has always shot 3 shot 5/8" groups with 100 gr Nosler Partitions and a max load of IMR4350. Have shot it a lot and the throat is getting a little rough but she still shoots! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif