I'm currently building a custom rifle with a local buddy of mine who runs a research and development machine shop. I just bought a brand new Rem 700 Action/Receiver with Ultra Mag bolt face as my starting point. This is my first ever custom rifle and I'm doing this on a decent budget but not huge. Was thinking 7mm Mag, 300 Win Mag, & 300 RUM as my calibers. I'm gonna buy all the parts for him and he's gonna true everything and build it. My next purchase will be the barrel. I've looked at Hart, Brux, Bartlein, Douglas, and others. I've decided on a #5 contour, fluted with brake. My buddy will thread the blank and do all the custom work. What I don't know is what twist I need and what length blank I need. All suggestions are helpful. Thanks guys!
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What barrel to use? Contour, Fluted, brake, length...
- Thread starter jayjay24
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Buttermilk
Well-Known Member
I'd choose a Bartlein barrel in either a #3B contour, #4 contour, #10, or even a #13 contour.
5R, or a 4 groove barrel.
26"-28" long on the barrel length.
I'd pick the contour on how much weight I wanted the rifle to have and where I wanted the balance point. The #10, and #13 Bartlein contours will put a bit more weight at the muzzle end. If weight wasn't/isn't an issue, I'd go for a heavier contour barrel.
Bartlein contours are numbered a bit different than other manufacturers contours.
Standard twist is a 1:10", but might go with a 1:9" twist.
5R, or a 4 groove barrel.
26"-28" long on the barrel length.
I'd pick the contour on how much weight I wanted the rifle to have and where I wanted the balance point. The #10, and #13 Bartlein contours will put a bit more weight at the muzzle end. If weight wasn't/isn't an issue, I'd go for a heavier contour barrel.
Bartlein contours are numbered a bit different than other manufacturers contours.
Standard twist is a 1:10", but might go with a 1:9" twist.
bigngreen
Well-Known Member
A fluted #5 is nice for what your looking for, Brux is going to do a run of 7mm's here shortly Hart had decent lead times right now, Bartlien just hasn't gave me the warm fuzzies. In the 7mm or 300 Win mag a 26in with a brake remains very handy, the 300 RUM begs for more barrel! The 7mm twist at 1-8 and the 300's 1-10 and you'll be GTG.
I've looked at Brux too. I'm a bowhunter at heart so all this is all kinda new to me. Only rifles I shot growing up were out of the box Remington .243 & .270 which killed deer just fine. I went to my boss's house a saw all his Jarrett's & McWhorter's and it enticed me, but I wanna build one (with the help of a good smith)...
Do you know what stock you are going to use? You need to decide on all your components so they will fit together.
Here is an example of some of the issues you will encounter. In your first post you have Krieger listed as a possible barrel choice. Then you say you want a #5 fluted barrel. Krieger won't flute a #5 barrel so that eliminates them. Some people, I'm one of them, don't think a #5 is big enough for a 30 caliber with a brake. When you get in the larger barrel sizes, you eliminate a lot of your stock choices.
Here is an example of some of the issues you will encounter. In your first post you have Krieger listed as a possible barrel choice. Then you say you want a #5 fluted barrel. Krieger won't flute a #5 barrel so that eliminates them. Some people, I'm one of them, don't think a #5 is big enough for a 30 caliber with a brake. When you get in the larger barrel sizes, you eliminate a lot of your stock choices.
Buttermilk
Well-Known Member
8-8.5# without scope means no bigger than a #3B Bartlein most likely. Perhaps even a #3 Bartlein contour. I'd have to look and see what that corresponds to for other manufacturers contours. Fluting would save a few ounces at most.
In the 300 RUM, I'd strongly consider a 9" twist for running the heavies like a Berger 230gr., though a 10" twist would work. There are other bullet choices like a GS Custom bullet, for example, that would benefit from a faster twist.
In the 300 RUM, I'd strongly consider a 9" twist for running the heavies like a Berger 230gr., though a 10" twist would work. There are other bullet choices like a GS Custom bullet, for example, that would benefit from a faster twist.
Well then you can kiss your #5 barrel goodbye.
This is exactly why I posted this thread. My smith is gonna help me a lot thru this process but you guys will too. I've gotten quotes from Red Hawk, Kyle Craig, McWhorter, Jarrett, and Greg Tannel, but I like the idea of getting all the parts and having it built right close to me so I can feel it and make adjustments as I see fit.
If it gets to be too much to consider or think about I'll just call one of those custom makers and order what I want and have it in 6-12 months. 300 Jarrett is kinda calling my name. May just send Mr. Kenny or Jay my new action and have a Beanfield made...
longrangehunterII
Well-Known Member
You can go look at the various manufactures barrel contours which will show you there profiles and more importantly for you the barrel weight. Just pay attention to the length with what weight you're looking at. They all have slightly different profiles/contours. With the RUM, you'll need at least 26", and with that round you'll need a good brake. The Remington Sendero/Varmit contour is very popular but at 5.43 lbs it might be tough to make your weight of 8-8.5 lbs.
Personally, I wouldn't flute the barrel, waste of money unless you made the mistake of choosing too heavy a barrel and you can't live with lugging it around. AI, Shilen, Jarrett and a few others wont even offer fluting as an option. POI changes become more pronounced when barrels have been fluted as proven by AI.
Kenny is a very good friend of mine, I just sold my 300 Jarrett after the season was over. Very accurate and fast round, I took an Elk last fall at 482 yards with it using a 165 MRX @ 3,450 fps. The Berger 185 Juggernauts I ran @ 3,050 fps which was slow but very accurate out to 1,000 yards. Back then he used only a 1:12" twist because of the speeds didn't really require the 1:10", but now with such long and heavy bullets he builds them with the 1:10". And no, he will never flute his barrels. I still have a 280 AI he built for me about 15 years ago, tack driver!
Personally, I wouldn't flute the barrel, waste of money unless you made the mistake of choosing too heavy a barrel and you can't live with lugging it around. AI, Shilen, Jarrett and a few others wont even offer fluting as an option. POI changes become more pronounced when barrels have been fluted as proven by AI.
Kenny is a very good friend of mine, I just sold my 300 Jarrett after the season was over. Very accurate and fast round, I took an Elk last fall at 482 yards with it using a 165 MRX @ 3,450 fps. The Berger 185 Juggernauts I ran @ 3,050 fps which was slow but very accurate out to 1,000 yards. Back then he used only a 1:12" twist because of the speeds didn't really require the 1:10", but now with such long and heavy bullets he builds them with the 1:10". And no, he will never flute his barrels. I still have a 280 AI he built for me about 15 years ago, tack driver!
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C.O. Shooter
Well-Known Member
My advice would be look through the Gun Photos - Long Range Hunting Online Magazine thread and see what you like. Maybe look at other reputable builders and get some ideas.
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