I'm rebarreling my rifle after I accidentally damaged the rifling substantially. It's a Mossberg Patriot. Since it's a budget rifle and my first rebarrel, I'm going with a budget barrel brand. I'm looking at X-Caliber and McGowen right now. Which would you choose? They're within $30 of each other when optioned as I want. I've decided on rebarreling instead of buying a new rifle as I can't spend the cash on a new rifle of the quality that I want, but a new barrel (plus related tools that I would need) is doable. I also have wanted to get into gunsmithing more, and a prefit Savage-style barrel setup as the Mossberg has seems like a good start for learning.

So, McGowen or X-Caliber?
I'm curious what you could have possibly done to damage the rifling?
 
I have gotten (1) X-Caliber Remage, carbon fiber, pre-fit in 6.8 Western, and (2) CarbonSix shouldered Remington 700 prefits in 6.5 PRC and 7 SAUM. As someone mentioned earlier, McGowan does the blanks for CarbonSix. All three shoot very well. I trued all three actions concentric to the bolt raceway and left the threads the standard size, just touched them up a little. The only strange thing I noticed is the 6.8W seems to be throated short, or something else is going on. I never seemed to be able to get a load with a COL over 2.85" with any .277 bullet combo. I asked them about it and they gave me a standard answer, "we used a SAAMI spec reamer, yada, yada, yada. COL is not a determining factor in handloads, your jump or jamb is." While I agree, I still find it strange that a cartridge that is supposed to have a COL up 2.95" for the 175 Sierras is a whole 0.1" shorter with just a 0.01" or so off the lands. The whole thing just never added up to me. I also used a REM 721 action, maybe that played into it as I saw something interesting later in a CarbonSix on a 722. I ended up letting the issue go as it shot well and continues to shoot well to this day. In the end I prefer the shouldered pre-fit look a lot better than the Remage. However the Remage was plug and play. I had to adjust headspace a tad for the 6.5 PRC CarbonSix pre-fit, it was a hair snug. As for the 7 SAUM, I used a REM 722 action and I had to adjust quite a bit to get proper headspace for it. I chalked it up to being a 722 and not a 700, or I also used Mack Brothers bolts and one bolt seemed to have larger lugs than the other. No matter I solved the problem. Most people would likely just go to a gunsmith and have professional take care of it. I am not most people and I have very few gunsmiths in my area and none are accepting work these days. So I learn to do all my own work. Both CarbonSix's shoot a bit better than the X-Caliber. But nothing to complain about. In the end I think X-Caliber and McGowan both make fine barrels. You should be in good hands with either.
 
I'm curious what you could have possibly done to damage the rifling?
I was trying to find the chamber length using a bullet with empty brass. Bullet got stuck in the chamber, it wouldn't knock free with tapping the butt on the ground, I only had wooden dowels available to try to push the bullet out, and those dowels got stuck in the bore. After freeing the bullet a couple days later by drilling into the back of it, I tried carefully drilling out some of the dowels, but I ended up touching the rifling with the drill bit after the bit split the dowels. It was a big learning experience full of moments when I knew I should have slowed down to think a little more, but I ignored that thought in favor of getting things done "quicker". Now I get to spend hundreds of dollars instead.
 
I'm not discounting your experience with McGowan at all as it sounds like you've had great luck with them. However, I'm not willing to take the gamble on them with recent reports of what is coming out of their shop.
They sent me the wrong barrel on a recent order.
Then jerked me around for a month, denying they screwed up even after I sent the barrel back, on my dime.
Finally after they "found" the barrel I sent back the barrelmaker called me.
Fingers crossed that they get my order right this time.
Too bad the hunt I wanted that rifle for came and went in the process.
I'm never ordering from McGowen again.
 
Those guys put out a lot of bad info about McGowen barrels among other things..

I've literally used 6 McGowens now and every single one shoots .5s or better.
My newest is a 300 NMai and I shot a 5/8" 3 round group at 200 yards over the weekend.

I've built a pile of rifles with top tier barrels costing $1000+ and none of them would out shoot a McGowen.

My family has several Carbon6 barrels and whether it was their machining or the McGowen barrel itself we have not been particularly happy with any of them. Bad chambers, some pressure out with several less grains than other rifles, average accuracy, they just generally haven't been good.

I was trying to find the chamber length using a bullet with empty brass. Bullet got stuck in the chamber, it wouldn't knock free with tapping the butt on the ground, I only had wooden dowels available to try to push the bullet out, and those dowels got stuck in the bore. After freeing the bullet a couple days later by drilling into the back of it, I tried carefully drilling out some of the dowels, but I ended up touching the rifling with the drill bit after the bit split the dowels. It was a big learning experience full of moments when I knew I should have slowed down to think a little more, but I ignored that thought in favor of getting things done "quicker". Now I get to spend hundreds of dollars instead.

This is what you need.
 
I was trying to find the chamber length using a bullet with empty brass. Bullet got stuck in the chamber, it wouldn't knock free with tapping the butt on the ground, I only had wooden dowels available to try to push the bullet out, and those dowels got stuck in the bore. After freeing the bullet a couple days later by drilling into the back of it, I tried carefully drilling out some of the dowels, but I ended up touching the rifling with the drill bit after the bit split the dowels. It was a big learning experience full of moments when I knew I should have slowed down to think a little more, but I ignored that thought in favor of getting things done "quicker". Now I get to spend hundreds of dollars instead.
Maybe there is comfort in knowing my shop sees about 2 such incidents a year.
 
I have two McGowan barrels. A 280 and a 6mm Remington. Both shoot fantastic and my order was correct and delivered on the estimated time frame given at the time of purchase. These were 700 prefits. Had local Smith install the barrels and set headspace. Very pleased with their barrels.....
 
I have a Mcgowen barrel and it shoots fine, no issues. However, if you have to contact them, prepare for a bad attitude and apathy.

No experience with X-caliber, but I'll be buying one soon over Mcgowen for my current project.

Your mileage may vary
 
I'm rebarreling my rifle after I accidentally damaged the rifling substantially. It's a Mossberg Patriot. Since it's a budget rifle and my first rebarrel, I'm going with a budget barrel brand. I'm looking at X-Caliber and McGowen right now. Which would you choose? They're within $30 of each other when optioned as I want. I've decided on rebarreling instead of buying a new rifle as I can't spend the cash on a new rifle of the quality that I want, but a new barrel (plus related tools that I would need) is doable. I also have wanted to get into gunsmithing more, and a prefit Savage-style barrel setup as the Mossberg has seems like a good start for learning.

So, McGowen or X-Caliber?
I have both, they both shoot pretty good groups and are both in fast calibers, McGowan 26 Nosler - X Calber 220 Swift both just a little tighter than .5 at 100 yds for both. I do hand load and took a bit to get the 26 Nosler where I wanted it about 100 rounds, I loaded 15 for the Swift with 1 powder and 1 bullet type and it was done the fastest won but not by much.
 
I have two McGowan's, two X-Caliber, and three Wilson Arms barrels. The McGowan barrels were prefit for rem and Savage. I had a smith chamber and shoulder the X and Wilsons. He was impressed with both brands.
All have endured well, and are accurate to the point where I am the limiting factor.
Developing loads for each has been easy.
 
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