Carbon barrels

I think a CF barrel is good cutting weight. Thats all. For PRS I wanted a heavy rifle so I got a Criterion MTU profile SS barrel. For a lightweight elk rifle I used a OMR CF prefit. Both are .3 at 100 and sub moa at 1000. But the SS barrel has zero poi **** from a clean cold bore, zero. Best barrel Ive ever seen in that aspect. I wouldnt run a CF in PRS, the mirage gets bad fast coming off the barrel. But in fairness my CF is a 7mag compared to the SS is a 6XC. I agree that thickness creates stiffness, and stiffness probably creates better/wider harmonic nodes but imo CF isnt the be all end all barrel. And I wouldnt put a CF on a target rifle where weight is a plus.
I will agree that carbon does move heat more quickly and under high rates of fire, I too have experience significant mirage with carbon but IMO and IME that is the only draw back....especially shooting something like 6xc that has very little felt recoil.
Carbon will outperform steel in every other aspect and under all conditions. This is one of the reasons the air force and other secret programs moved away from Titanium and use carbon nearly exclusively for all high heat, high stress, weight savings and durability programs. Ambient temps have very little to no affect, and its pretty easy to make and store, and use is molding and lots of other applications. Unless its a tank and you dont care if it weighs 60 or 63 tons LOL
 
My recommendation is that if you are planning on buying a high end rifle and have expectations of using it for both hunting and PRS style strings of fire, a shorter #4 fluted or thicker longer barrel, say a #6 fluted should be the way to go.

I have a Bartlein 3B to replace the Proof carbon on my 65SS for NRL Hunter where coming in under 12 lbs. puts you into the light class. I expect it to hold up fine for that type of shooting. Normal NRL or PRS? No way. My rifles for that weigh over 20 lbs.
 
If Bartlein doesn't have one ready to ship bugholes.com may. A 7 twist isn't really standard but the 8 is likely in stock. Greg and Russ are good folks and get large shipments of barrels monthly.
I will check in with them as well I will need two sense the wife is building the 7 max.
 
Love George and he has not been a proponent of carbon at any point in his career until now. Why, cause they all shoot now and they are all good barrels. Why can I say that, cause other than the 1 outlier bad barrel everyone talks about from whoever, if a rifle shoots under 1/2 MOA, the rifle, the barrel, the ammo and the shooter are all high quality.
Thanks for posting the video sir, found it interesting
 
Have you all considered the fact that the Carbon fibre and the steel barrel liner expand at different rates as they heat up? We're not talking much, it does happen.
 
I had Christensen that pressured up fast for me. Very fast and very accurate, but I dismissed it early as it was 12 tw RUM (who does that). Probably would not do another based on my interaction with customer service.

Had a Proof on a 300 WM that shot very well, but we aren't going to talk about that one.

Have (2) Carbon Six barrels. One on a 308 win that I sent to them to chamber/fit. It shoots ok. My other C6 is on a 300 RUM. It too pressures up fast, but is below Berger recommended max with above their max velocity if that makes sense. It shoots the 215s, 245s very well....and it was a Remage I put on in the garage :p .

I think it has more to do with the GS than the manufacturers you mention. Can charge $700 for crap and get away with it for long.
Before I go off, let me say that a Chris carbon 300RUM cost me a boone and crocket black bear. And I had it all on film. Helicopter drop hunt into central Newfoundland. Waited for days for this bear. Finally pulled the trigger and nothing happened. Looked and noticed the bolt was open. Closed it and the gun fired hitting the bear in the gut. Never found him. But the camera was running. I can't begin to tell you the problems I had with customer service before and after. The gun would split cases in half but shoot 1/2" at 200. There was no rhyme or reason to the splits. The bolt would lift like there was no tension on it. There wasn't. When I had Dave Tooley measure the chamber it was .011 or .017 over max saami chamber length. Was a long time ago. Check your chamber. I finally sent the gun back with the film and records to the owner suggesting what he could do with it. It took two years for them to replace the gun with a lesser model worth half of mine. When i got that one the bolt handle was broken off because they shipped the gun in a cardboard box with the bolt in the action. I returned it and it took another year to replace. The bolt handle broke off again because whomever did the soldering caught just one small spot .080 long and .015 wide. The bolt handle itself is actually split nearly all the way thru. So when I hear ppl having issues with a Chris I am Never surprised. Kinda like throwing darts whether you get a good one or not..
 
I have a Hells Canyon Armory Carbon Killer in 30 Nosler. I've only shot 10 rounds through it during barrel break in but I was amazed a few shots, how quickly the barrel cleaned up (after each shot). I love my rifle and Mike is so good about customer service.
 
I own a Hells Canyon Armory Carbon Killer. I have 10 rounds through it, during barrel break in. It was amazing, because after 3 shots (cleaning after each), the barrel had less residue and cleaned easier. I was shooting Gunwerks ammo with 215 Bergers. Mike said the rifle will get better after every session. Mike is so good to work with and great with customer service! When I picked it up at the local gun store (FFL), I got it out and with all of the guys ooohing and aahing over it, one would have thought I had a bikini model with me.🤣🤣
 

Attachments

  • 30 Nosler 3.jpg
    30 Nosler 3.jpg
    51.7 KB · Views: 163
I own a Hells Canyon Armory Carbon Killer. I have 10 rounds through it, during barrel break in. It was amazing, because after 3 shots (cleaning after each), the barrel had less residue and cleaned easier. I was shooting Gunwerks ammo with 215 Bergers. Mike said the rifle will get better after every session. Mike is so good to work with and great with customer service! When I picked it up at the local gun store (FFL), I got it out and with all of the guys ooohing and aahing over it, one would have thought I had a bikini model with me.🤣🤣
Well it does have 2 legs on it.
 
I don't think any barrel maker is head and shoulders over the others. I have a steel Bartlein that's an absolute hammer and a carbon Bartlein that's driving me crazy. It's never great and never bad, just a consistent 3/4" moa barrel no matter what I do.

I have personally had great luck with Proof carbons, but seen a few that were downright picky that weren't mine. It's all a little luck of the draw on any barrel IMO. Every manufacture can make a great barrel and they all can make a not so great barrel the next week.
 
I replaced my perfectly good steel Bart 300 RUM with a top end, fat contoured carbon for a faster twist. Big mistake. Never could get it to shoot much better than 1.5" at 100 yds. Sent it back to my rifle builder after wasting 2 lbs of H1000 and a variety of bullets. He tried all kinds of loads and couldn't get anything to shoot either. Took that worthless carbon barrel off and now I'm still waiting for a steel replacement barrel to arrive. Not gonna name the brand but lets just say its about the most expensive one out there. So quality should not have been an issue. I am also unconvinced by the claims of superior heat dissipation. I suspect that people reach that conclusion because the exterior of the barrel stays cooler. But thats move likely due to the carbon acting as an insulator than a heat dissipator. Think oven mitts here. I am done with carbon for good.
 
I replaced my perfectly good steel Bart 300 RUM with a top end, fat contoured carbon for a faster twist. Big mistake. Never could get it to shoot much better than 1.5" at 100 yds. Sent it back to my rifle builder after wasting 2 lbs of H1000 and a variety of bullets. He tried all kinds of loads and couldn't get anything to shoot either. Took that worthless carbon barrel off and now I'm still waiting for a steel replacement barrel to arrive. Not gonna name the brand but lets just say its about the most expensive one out there. So quality should not have been an issue. I am also unconvinced by the claims of superior heat dissipation. I suspect that people reach that conclusion because the exterior of the barrel stays cooler. But thats move likely due to the carbon acting as an insulator than a heat dissipator. Think oven mitts here. I am done with carbon for good.
Yeah but I bet it looked cool! 😎 I've got some Krieger all Steel that just put the others to shamezz.
 
Top