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

raider1v1

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Missouri
I know this can open a can of worms, but other than Shilen i havent ever used anything for a savage prefit and was interested in what other premium manufactures are out there.

for reference, i easily get 1/2 MOA on the Shilens Super Select Match barrels.
 
My latest pre fit is a SSSM from Pac Nor. It has been a shooter from day one. I'm not bound by brand loyalty but, I'd have to have a real good reason to not get my 5th Pac Nor barrel. I don't know if I caught them at a good time or not but, I had my barrel in less then 2 months.
 
Have 2 xcaliber barrels. One on a savage action for my .300wm and shoots right around 1/2 with factory ammo. The other barrel I have on a tikka action in 6.5-284 shoots .62. I think I can get better grouping out of it. Going to switch to a different powder to see so.
 
I have a Kreiger that a smith turned for me as a Savage Pre-fit in 6mm Comp Match, as well as 3 savage "Take Off" barrels that were bought used. Fitted to a Bighorn TL3 in a JAE-700 chassis, they all shoot 0.5moa or better. The take-off barrels were all purchased for around $100-$200. They aren't premium, but they work on my 300 yard range just fine. When I need a new one I will probably have Keystone Accuracy make one for me - He'll do either Green Mountain button rifled barrels or Kreiger cut rifled barrels.
 
I have 4 X calibers, 3 McGowan's and 2 shillen barrels. The very best shooting one I own is a McGowan that likes to shoot very small groups. But overall across all barrels my X-calibers made by Apache Gunworks have been the best.
 
I have found the accuracy and workmanship of the Criterion Pre-fit to be excellent. My 6.5x47 Lapua on a Savage LRP action
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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
 
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.
 
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