best rifle barrel

5mmgunguy

If you were to build a custom rifle what brand barrel would you use?

5mmgunguy

Just wanted to thank eveyone for their help!!

gunut 1

krieger

Mk 19

pac-nor

Hawk Carse

I have one of each. I think the Krieger a bit better on MY rifle.
You should also consider Hart. Bartlein is getting some ink on the target shooting boards. No doubt there are others. Good installation and chambering count for a lot.

Bert H.

quote:Originally posted by 5mmgunguy
If you were to build a custom rifle what brand barrel would you use?


What type action? There are a lot of well known commercial barrel makers, and at least a dozen or so private makers that make really fine barrels.

Mooseyard

The main question is what caliber and for what purpose. In the rimfire world Kreiger and Pac-nor are hardly used, but Lilja, Broughton, Shilen and Benchmark are popular. Some barrel makers tend to lean towards more specific sports or disciplines.

bigcitybill

I'm partial to Lilja barrels for .22 and .24 cal. - esp. fast twist for heavy bullets.

5mmgunguy

22 cal cenerfire bolt action varmint rifle

cpermd

Sir
There are so many barrel makers that will outshoot you it is amazing.
Broughton, Douglas, Hart, Krieger, Lilja, MacMillan, Shilen and many others.
Finding someone to chamber and fit one properly is at least as important.

CP

cattle buyer

centerfire 1.) Schneider 2.)Lilja

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rimfire 1.) Lothar Walther I am sure there are many other fine barrel makers but I can vote from trigger time behind on these.

nononsense

5mmgunguy,

Here is a fairly complete list of barrel makers. Note that two of them don't make barrels but offer barrels from other makers as their own. Christensen Arms wraps barrels in carbon fiber poorly so they claim to be a barrel maker.

I didn't rank any of these, it's simply a list.

Rock Creek Barrels
Obermeyer Barrels
Shilen Barrels
Hart Rifle Barrels
Lilja Barrels
Pac-Nor Barrels
Krieger Barrels
Lothar Walther Barrels
Spencer Rifle Barrels
Broughton Rifle Barrels
Douglas Barrels
Bullberry Barrel Works
Blackstar Barrels
Schneider Barrels
Wiseman Barrels
Christensen Arms Barrels - doesn't really make barrels
Lawton Rifle Barrels
Classic Barrels and Gunworks-Dan Pedersen Cut Rifled Barrels
Gaillard Barrels
E.R. Shaw Barrels
Kostyshyn & Barwick Precision Barrels
Butler Creek Barrels
Volquartzen Barrels
Badger Barrels
Border Barrels
Sarco M16 Barrels
Montana Rifleman Barrels
VanHorn Barrels
Fred Zeglin Barrels
Z-Hat Rebore Barrels - doesn't really make barrels
Green Mountain Barrels

"22 cal cenerfire bolt action varmint rifle"

Price and availability is always a matter for consideration. Most of the makers in the above list have a waiting time of 3 to 6 months. A couple of the low quality companies can be a little faster. Do NOT expect a custom barrel maker to have anything in stock unless it a standard .30 cal. in a tactical contour... Brownells has a stock of middle-of-the-road and slightly lower quality barrels.

Varmint shooters are the hardest on barrels so I usually suggest getting a Lothar Walther LW50 stainless barrel which is a tougher steel than the rest or a top-of-the-line cut rifled barrel which is harder and tougher than the button barrels.

Best.