Barrels 2020

[Creedmoor shooter]

If any guy is shooting PRS thinking he's gonna make money in the sport he's sorely mistaken!

Just another mouse trap to suck the money out your wallet

Its a money pit. Once you get started it becomes a disease. Theres always a new bag, chassis, rail, or something you want to try. Since I've gotten into it its all I can afford to do lol

 

[VLD Pilot]

Thank you. Working at Pierce is a dream job of mine and I love what I do. I make parts for the custom actions we make. I however get to see all the rifles, barrels, scopes, actions, etc that come through the shop so it's really great for me.

John use to deal with Tim North at Broughton barrels pretty regularly. Broughton was a barrel he recommended and used himself years ago. I haven't spoke to John since he retired and I know Tim sold his Broughton barrel business recently. I haven't heard Broughton barrels much in this thread but they've been a barrel that I'd put in the same category with Bartlein, Kreiger and Brux. Very good barrels. They break in fast, clean easy and shoot faster than many others once they reach there finish break in period. I've never had any barrels that disappointed to the point I'd mention the name here. Some I'd not repurchase just because others I've had better results with.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

Always heard great things about broughton and wish I could have gotten a blank before it was sold.

hopefully the new owners are able to keep up the stellar reputation

 

[VLD Pilot]

Always heard great things about broughton and wish I could have gotten a blank before it was sold.

hopefully the new owners are able to keep up the stellar reputation

Every Broughton barrel I have are top shelf barrels. From .224 thru .338 I'd used thru the years and only experienced the best accuracy and over all performance in cleaning, breaking in and load development. 75% of barrels I've used by other companies have been as good or close. The other two I mentioned have been equal to Tim's barrels. Bartlein is my "Go Too" barrel today.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I would put Broughton in the top 3 or 4. Even higher for myself personally. One of the big problems was that he charged about $40 more than most. You would not believe the amount of guys that would not use one because of the $40. I quit stocking them because I couldnt sell them. Very sad because I feel he made the best .338 barrel hands down and he cut no corners with his stress relief. We did use them in 1k BR as well. One of the last ones I chambered won light gun group at the NBRSA nationals a few years ago. They were on that level even if you didnt hear about it that much.

One of the big advertising phases has been how cut rifling does not induce stress into the steel like a button does. Thats true, but a button is stress relieved after its made. If that cut barrel had stress in it from the steel mill, it still has stress in it after its rifled and you buy it. Theres pros and cons to both methods.

 

[WYOHTF]

That's weird. I spend an inordinate amount of time reading reviews, and I've never heard negative reviews about X-caliber. I've spoken directly with them a couple of times and emailed several times, always with great responses, and as I said above their barrels are very well made. My only complaint was about the time I had to wait to get my second barrel, which to be fair was within the predicted window of 8-10 weeks at the time. I'm curious what bad stuff you've heard.

I had an X-Caliber 9 twist pre fit in 7mm-08 A.I. put on a Savage by one of there employees at his home.
It was a Savage/Stevens 200 youth model. With the plastic stock dremmeled out to fit the new barrel
It shot factory Rem Core lokt and Fed Fusions both inside an inch at 100. And that was fireforming
It was easy to load for as well.
Think this barrel was made in 2015.
My son has the gun now, as it was built for him
I would get another X-Cal in a heart beat
I think they get a lot of negative chatter because they are relatively new.

 

[VLD Pilot]

I would put Broughton in the top 3 or 4. Even higher for myself personally. One of the big problems was that he charged about $40 more than most. You would not believe the amount of guys that would not use one because of the $40. I quit stocking them because I couldnt sell them. Very sad because I feel he made the best .338 barrel hands down and he cut no corners with his stress relief. We did use them in 1k BR as well. One of the last ones I chambered won light gun group at the NBRSA nationals a few years ago. They were on that level even if you didnt hear about it that much.

One of the big advertising phases has been how cut rifling does not induce stress into the steel like a button does. Thats true, but a button is stress relieved after its made. If that cut barrel had stress in it from the steel mill, it still has stress in it after its rifled and you buy it. Theres pros and cons to both methods.

Alex,
I bought my last Broughton 338 barrel from you. You listed one that was exactly what I needed and ordering one from Tim was a 6 month wait. Its a 4" 1000 yard rifle. It's the barrel not me. Few patches and it's clean. Shoots 300s at 3060 from a 29" barrel. Faster than any of my buddies 338 barrels of equal length with same bullets, charge etc. I'll miss them if they don't continue with Tim's quality offering. Like I said, I've been using Bartlein and am just as happy. Price is a minor trade off for the quality I received in return.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Don't burn it out! They were the fastest and most accurate I ever tried in .338. A 4" .338 at 1k is about is good as it gets right now consistently. Yes we will shoots some 1"s and 2"s but not consistently. Right now this is one of my main goals, to figure out how to get more from the .338. For our 2k match we do its the one to beat, but a .30 will shoot inside it at 1k. Theres more left Im sure.

 

[VLD Pilot]

Don't burn it out! They were the fastest and most accurate I ever tried in .338. A 4" .338 at 1k is about is good as it gets right now consistently. Yes we will shoots some 1"s and 2"s but not consistently. Right now this is one of my main goals, to figure out how to get more from the .338. For our 2k match we do its the one to beat, but a .30 will shoot inside it at 1k. Theres more left Im sure.

Accuracy is at around 3040-3050. Another slower node at 2970+/-. Both equally accurate.

 

[nksmfamjp]

Alex, thank you very much for your posts on this thread. Lot's of guys Post incredible hunting rifle and/or PRS rifle groups and that is great. I'm really impressed.

Still, best barrels are going to be found where you shoot more rounds, over better rests, heavier rifles and better conditions....there is a difference. The reloading is also at another level too.

 

[HRM Johnny]

I want to echo @nksmfamjp 's comment: thank you Alex. Thank you very much for all the information that you post that I have gained so much knowledge from!
Johnny

 

[Stockbroker]

Just recent experience-
In the past year, I've built with (on both personal and customer rifles):
Brux
Krieger
Mullerworks
Lilja
Lothar Walther
From 20 to 35 caliber
All performed to my expectations, and would use and recommend these brands without reservation.
We test fire, break in and gather data on them, not just install and send out.
Sometimes the choice between comes to timeframe, and preference for cut rifle vs button.
I don't prefer 5R barrels; all were conventional style.

When came time to settle on a standard for our in house branded rifles, Lilja is at the top of the heap for service, timeframe and customer response.

With varying degrees of quality and performance, we have used in the past but don't prefer:
Douglas
ER Shaw
Shilen

Wes Chapman
Accurate Innovations

 

[David Malcom]

I have used 2 Hawk Hill barrels recently for custom builds, I think they are the Bees Knees.

 

[Jud96]

I just recently talked to a very talented and successful FTR shooter who told me he recently tested some Shilen barrels and they are awesome. He compared them to Bartlein and Brux. These were Shilen ratchet rifled select match barrels.