Best Pre-fit Savage barrel? Better than Shilen Super select?

[Tidus56]

My last 2 barrels have been pre fit barrels and I couldn't be happier(?) Both are super easy to clean and shoot under 1/2" at 100 yards. I not really sure about your statement that all pre fits are massed produced. When I ordered my first pre fit I asked if it was in stock. I was told they didn't turn it until it was ordered. I have learned a ton in doing my pre fits and satisfaction level is high. Of course, as you say, I've maybe have been lucky in getting good barrels.

We must both be lucky! I have bought the gauges and put all my guns together. I have one that makes the local gunsmith cry when I told him I only had $800 into the gun. It shoots .1 when I do my part. All my prefits are 1/2 MOA or less. My buddy spent $1300 on a gunsmith and his gun barely gets .5 moa. I am very happy with my prefits.
I guess my prefits would be considered custom as they aren't on a shelf. They are made to my specs and blanks are ordered from the manufacture I ask for. Maybe that's not a true pre-fit?

 

[FURMAN]

I am not a big fan of pre-fit barrels for many reasons. They can be good or they can be bad. If you get a good one then you are lucky, If you get a not so good one you haven't saved any money and get what you get. Pre fit barrels are mass produced and do not have any allowances for discrepancies that may be present in your action. Things that a good smith can anticipate.

Pre fit barrels are a lot like stocks that don't need bedding and are advertised as drop in. (One size fits all) There is more to installing a pre fit barrel than head spacing it. Not knocking the pre fit barrel makers just the concept of them trying to get proper thread fit, alignment to your action, proper torque, ETC.

By the time you buy a pre fit barrel, you have paid for a barrel, gun smithing, and you need proper tools to install correctly and buy this time you have spent almost as much as you would have buy using a smith, without the advantage of experience and expertise furnished buy the smith.

There are many top quality barrel makers that sell there premium barrel blanks for much less than most pre fits. of the many pre fits that I have repaired, None used the top quality barrels because of the price of the pre fit. This is especially true in the AR platform. when you can buy a complete upper for less than $400.00 how can they use a $400.00 dollar
barrel. (They don't).

Like everything else, you get what you pay for. recommendations normally come from those that have had good luck with a particular brand, but not from those that have not had good luck and probably quietly sold there pre fits and road of into the sunset licking there wounds and absorbing there loses.

I know it sounds negative but it is just a warning that you get what you pay for.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

I have yet to see a quality Savage prefit not shoot under .5 moa and usually closer to .25 moa. I don't think anyone is saying that a factory untouched Savage action is going to compete with a completely prepped custom action. A quality prefit is not much different from a "custom chambered" barrel all else being equal. If both are done correctly using the same reamer there is not going to be much difference. Having said that when the barrel is installed at home obviously most of us do not have the tools to check to see that the action is the best it can be and most of the time it is not going to be. From the gunsmiths I have dealt with most "custom actions" actually need the same work that a factory Savage or even Remington would need. Most people buying prefits are doing so to stay within a budget yet still have a rifle that is very accurate. I personally have owned many Savages that would shoot with any of my full blown customs. For me the reason to go full custom over a Savage with a prefit has nothing at all to do with accuracy. My top three choices for prefits would be Shilen, Pacnor, and CBI in no particular order. Prefit does not mean off the shelf junk. Every prefit I have had was done by a quality smith to my specs in a few cases that was with a SAAMI reamer.

 

[yorke-1]

Most barrel makers will make you a prefit or you can just buy the blank of your choice and send it to the shop of your choice to thread and chamber it. I've had prefit barrels from McGowen, Shilen, PacNor, Benchmark, Lothar Walther, Criterion and X-caliber and they've all shot .5 MOA or better with a couple of them being sub .3 MOA when I do my part.

 

[Greyfox]

I was a latecomer to the do it yourself, pre-fit barrel world, and fully regret not having adopted the practice sooner. I was convinced to try it after observing more the a dozen rifles at matches that delivered exceptional performance. Ther's no magic given the proper tools, a squared action/lug/nut, and a reputable pre-fit barrel like the Criterion. The results that I have been able to achieve from my pre-fits are indistinguishable from those archieved by my barrels fitted up by top quality gunsmiths....with the added advantage of no long waits, lower cost, and the flexibility to tune headspacing to my exact requirements.
Shown:My competition rifles in 6.5x47 Lapua. A gunsmith shouldered up Surgeon/Kreiger and; a Savage Criterion Pre-Fit.

 

[Ndfarmer]

I have three McGowens and three Criterians and they all shoot amazing, clean up really easy and have been easy to work up loads for. No offense to any gunsmiths but I don't see any difference in accuracy between my prefits and my custom rifles. I will be the first to say the full customs are prettier to look at.

 

[L.Sherm]

You gotta love 'em Made in Montana barrels.

Go to savage shooters forum on the after market barrel section and look at the link on the 3rd thread in the "Tapered thread on barrel" post.

 

[Viking264]

I've had very good results with Criterion and X-Caliber on Savage platforms. I hand load, only, but have had no trouble maintaining 0.2 - 0.3-MOA 10-shot groups. I just take my time in all phases, and don't do a lot of aggressive cleaning.

I agree with NDfarmer, also, re: accuracy of pre-fits on the Savage rifles that I have owned. They are extremely accurate rifles, and frankly I can't imagine that they lose much to custom rifles costing significantly more to produce. I don't particularly care for the extractor/ejector set up in Savage actions, having had some ejector failures in the past. I've had Savage 10 and 110 actions barreled in .243 Win, .260 Rem, 6.5x55mm, and .284 Win. If I had to trust one rifle to make a long range shot, then it would be a Savage. Unfortunately, the issues that I've had with ejection lead me back to my Mauser 98 actions when it comes to ultimate reliability, but this is just a "once bitten, twice shy" thing for me; I imagine that there are hundreds if not thousands of Savage actions that have performed without a single hiccup throughout their existence. I find it interesting that so many purpose-built tactical actions (adopted by various militaries around the world) using plunger ejection go with a double-plunger system to provide contingency in case one of the plungers fails to operate properly. But that's clearly another topic...

Circling back, my opinion of value and performance was forever altered when I fired my first Savage with an aftermarket barrel. For an investment of <$400, the rifle was stupidly accurate. I cannot see a need to spend thousands on a custom rifle if the only requirement is extreme precision, when I have assembled several Savages performing at this level for less than $1,200 each.

 

[FEENIX]

Go to savage shooters forum on the after market barrel section and look at the link on the 3rd thread in the "Tapered thread on barrel" post.

I haven't been there for a long time.

 

[L.Sherm]

I hadn't ever been there until a few months ago

 

[Greyfox]

I've had very good results with Criterion and X-Caliber on Savage platforms. I hand load, only, but have had no trouble maintaining 0.2 - 0.3-MOA 10-shot groups. I just take my time in all phases, and don't do a lot of aggressive cleaning.

I agree with NDfarmer, also, re: accuracy of pre-fits on the Savage rifles that I have owned. They are extremely accurate rifles, and frankly I can't imagine that they lose much to custom rifles costing significantly more to produce. I don't particularly care for the extractor/ejector set up in Savage actions, having had some ejector failures in the past. I've had Savage 10 and 110 actions barreled in .243 Win, .260 Rem, 6.5x55mm, and .284 Win. If I had to trust one rifle to make a long range shot, then it would be a Savage. Unfortunately, the issues that I've had with ejection lead me back to my Mauser 98 actions when it comes to ultimate reliability, but this is just a "once bitten, twice shy" thing for me; I imagine that there are hundreds if not thousands of Savage actions that have performed without a single hiccup throughout their existence. I find it interesting that so many purpose-built tactical actions (adopted by various militaries around the world) using plunger ejection go with a double-plunger system to provide contingency in case one of the plungers fails to operate properly. But that's clearly another topic...

Circling back, my opinion of value and performance was forever altered when I fired my first Savage with an aftermarket barrel. For an investment of <$400, the rifle was stupidly accurate. I cannot see a need to spend thousands on a custom rifle if the only requirement is extreme precision, when I have assembled several Savages performing at this level for less than $1,200 each.

I had similar issues with the ejection/extraction of the stock Savage actions. With advise from other shooters on this site I have to say that these issues can be easily corrected with little cost or effort. Using the replacement ejector pin/spring, from Midway(heavier spring and longer plunger with spring support), and simply replacing the extractor detent ball(.125") with a .140" detent ball from Brownells, ejection/extraction has been much improved and highly reliable.....simple upgrade.

 

[jasonco]

Shilen is great but, pricey. 7STW
I currently have a couple EABCO, excellent. 28 Nosler, 6.5x284 Norma
Waiting on an X-Caliber stainless 5R 6 Creedmoor.
Whichever you do, swap out the nut & recoil lug for precision pieces and if possible, have have the action trued.
Yes swap out the extractor also.

 

[Viking264]

Greyfox - thank you. I'll check that out.

 

[jasonco]

I am not a big fan of pre-fit barrels for many reasons. They can be good or they can be bad. If you get a good one then you are lucky, If you get a not so good one you haven't saved any money and get what you get. Pre fit barrels are mass produced and do not have any allowances for discrepancies that may be present in your action. Things that a good smith can anticipate.

Pre fit barrels are a lot like stocks that don't need bedding and are advertised as drop in. (One size fits all) There is more to installing a pre fit barrel than head spacing it. Not knocking the pre fit barrel makers just the concept of them trying to get proper thread fit, alignment to your action, proper torque, ETC.

By the time you buy a pre fit barrel, you have paid for a barrel, gun smithing, and you need proper tools to install correctly and buy this time you have spent almost as much as you would have buy using a smith, without the advantage of experience and expertise furnished buy the smith.

There are many top quality barrel makers that sell there premium barrel blanks for much less than most pre fits. of the many pre fits that I have repaired, None used the top quality barrels because of the price of the pre fit. This is especially true in the AR platform. when you can buy a complete upper for less than $400.00 how can they use a $400.00 dollar
barrel. (They don't).

Like everything else, you get what you pay for. recommendations normally come from those that have had good luck with a particular brand, but not from those that have not had good luck and probably quietly sold there pre fits and road of into the sunset licking there wounds and absorbing there loses.

I know it sounds negative but it is just a warning that you get what you pay for.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

You know that's when the "floating bolt head" comes into play when there's an alignment issue between action and barrel? More so if, in the least the front of the action hasn't been trued. Just sayin.

 

[J E Custom]

You know that's when the "floating bolt head" comes into play when there's an alignment issue between action and barrel? More so if, in the least the front of the action hasn't been trued. Just sayin.

Sorry to disagree with the Floating bolt head correction on misalignment.
When the rifle fires the bolt head if forced back against the bolt and the squareness of the bolt face is effected by the machined surfaces between the bolt head and the bolt.

The floating bolt head was designed for interchangeability from one bolt face diameter to another without changing the bolt itself. This way, a long/short action can be used with any bolt face diameter to get the best length and by changing the Floating bolt face only.

J E CUSTOM