enee menee miny moe, which barrel maker do I go?

[tikkat3270wsm]

Ok, need a bit of advise. there is Lilja, Hart, Shilen,McGowen ,Shaw,Brux. They are all about the same price, most are about 8-10wks lead time, Brux is 6 months.
Some you can get fluted(smile),some not. So..., my question.
Which one do i get?????????
I am looking at 4-6 groove, Stainless Steel, .277cal,10-12 twist. will be shooting 175 grain Matrix. Please give me some help. Your experience, good or bad. will be purchasing sometime early 2014, income tax..
Also need advise if I should stick with 1-10 or go up for the heavier bullets.
Barrel length is another ?. 26 inch,or longer.
This will be a paper, Whistle pig, 400-? rig. looking at 1.25 at the breech to .8** at the business end.
I have been following this site since 2010, this is what you guys live for, and I am trying to learn.
Thanks,
Craig

 

[FEENIX]

Ok, need a bit of advise. there is Lilja, Hart, Shilen,McGowen ,Shaw,Brux. They are all about the same price, most are about 8-10wks lead time, Brux is 6 months.
Some you can get fluted(smile),some not. So..., my question.
Which one do i get?????????
I am looking at 4-6 groove, Stainless Steel, .277cal,10-12 twist. will be shooting 175 grain Matrix. Please give me some help. Your experience, good or bad. will be purchasing sometime early 2014, income tax..
Also need advise if I should stick with 1-10 or go up for the heavier bullets.
Barrel length is another ?. 26 inch,or longer.
This will be a paper, Whistle pig, 400-? rig. looking at 1.25 at the breech to .8** at the business end.
I have been following this site since 2010, this is what you guys live for, and I am trying to learn.
Thanks,
Craig

Craig,

Marshal of Matrix recommends 1:8 for the 175s and 1:9 for the 165s. However, others are reporting getting by with 1:10". I have a 30" 1:8", 3-groove in http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f22/my-budget-270-ai-97745/ and am very pleased with it.

Good luck!

Ed

 

[Derek M.]

I have Lilja, Hart, and Shilen currently in use. No problems with any. I have a Brux blank ready for a build. Don't have the others. You are wanting to shoot a big bullet for .277 cal so take note of the post above. I don't know if any of the other bbl makers will do a custom twist for you. My Hart bbl was ready in about 3 months. Don't think you'd go wrong with any really. My top choices would be Hart, Brux, Krieger, and Bartlein.

Since the contour specs you list appear to be a heavy bbl, I'd go 28" and flute it.

 

[BountyHunter]

There is a Benchmark group buy going on with 6 week delivery time I believe

 

[bigngreen]

You'll need to twist up a little, at 6000 feet I can stabilize the 165 and 175 Matrix in a 1-10, you may get away with the 165's at your elevation with a 1-10 but really a Feenix nailed it!
I know Benchmark has experience with these bullets!

 

[nctta]

For what its worth I have Hart, Brux, Douglas, PacNor, McGowan, and a Kreiger. All shoot good, with no complaints; but the folks at Hart had an unbelievable effort to CS, before, during, and even a year after they sent my rifle back!! The guys there were, great but Karen was a pleasure to talk to and deal with.

 

[westcliffe01]

I don't know what is up at Shilen, but they have had my money since April and I have yet to see my 6.5x284 barrel. I have 3 other Shilen barrels that I have no complaint with and they were all supplied in a "reasonable" amount of time, but this 6.5 is getting to be beyond a joke. If I cancel it will be the last one I ever order from them. 7 months vs a typical 6-8 weeks ???

 

[scsims]

I don't know what is up at Shilen, but they have had my money since April and I have yet to see my 6.5x284 barrel. I have 3 other Shilen barrels that I have no complaint with and they were all supplied in a "reasonable" amount of time, but this 6.5 is getting to be beyond a joke. If I cancel it will be the last one I ever order from them. 7 months vs a typical 6-8 weeks ???

You should give them a credit card then they bill you when they ship it. At least that's what Brux has done in the past.

 

[Mike 338]

Benchmark is having a group buy (sale) right now. According to them, they get them out fast and I've heard they shoot very well.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f42/benchmark-barrels-barrel-blank-buy-124955/

 

[deadlift]

We do have a group buy running now. I would run the 9 twist, those what we sell the most of even for traditional 270's running 130-140 gr'ers and they rock!

 

[Derek M.]

I don't know what is up at Shilen, but they have had my money since April and I have yet to see my 6.5x284 barrel. I have 3 other Shilen barrels that I have no complaint with and they were all supplied in a "reasonable" amount of time, but this 6.5 is getting to be beyond a joke. If I cancel it will be the last one I ever order from them. 7 months vs a typical 6-8 weeks ???

Krieger told me a year when I contacted them early last year about a bbl.

 

[westcliffe01]

I have heard the 6-8 week story every time I called. I was also charged the full cost at the time of sale. As I said, I got 3 out of 4 without an issue, but #3 has not made it yet. Shilen did make a totally custom 8x57 varmint barrel in a surprisingly short time. I thought that was going to be the one I would wait on, but no - it was the popular 6.5 barrel instead.

I added my report, since most buyers would not expect a Looooooong delay on a common chambering.

 

[tikkat3270wsm]

Ok, so its down to Hart and Benchmark. so...... what length barrel? Some one else suggested 28 inch.. Any thoughts??lightbulb

 

[Derek M.]

Ok, so its down to Hart and Benchmark. so...... what length barrel? Some one else suggested 28 inch.. Any thoughts??lightbulb

If you are narrowed down b/w those two, I strongly URGE you to go with a Hart. I totally agree with the someone else that recommended 28".