Bolt action barrel recommendations

[N310toN170]

So, with the Remington $75 mail in rebate, I picked up an SPS Varmint in .204. The question is now, what barrel to put on it to make the .300/WTF?

The AAC prefit has been out for awhile, any thoughts as to quality and accuracy? Are there advantages or disadvantages of the prefit chamber and having to headspace from the recoil lug?

Or do you just go with a known barrel maker (Shilen, Krieger, Douglas, et al) and use a .300 BLK; .300/WTF reamer?

If a custom barrel is used... Does anyone have experience using the 5R or C type grooves with subsonics? I've used my 5R .308 for a few loads subsonic and was quite impressed but didn't know how that may carry over to .300/.

Your input is greatly appreciated, as always!

[ohnomrbillk]

A local smith who does work for me made a recent model 7 youth 223 into a 300 RSSGI (300 whisper). He used a Shilen number 3 contour. Barrel cut to I believe 17.5" gave a muzzle diameter of I believe 0.780. It shoots. One in 8 twist will be the way to go.

I recommend supporting your local smith if at all possible to build a good relationship and save you shipping charges. If that isn't an option, Spook on this board does great work, and is very knowledgable.

I've ran Shilen, PacNor, and Brux barrels on all of my builds, and have no complaints. I have not used any of the rifling variations you mentioned on the 300 RSSGI. The barrels from AAC are finished in a way that I would stay away from due to concern of heat exposure, not to mention they are made by a mystery maker who spends his off time as a rocket scientist who practices voodoo.....

[BWE Firearms]

I have used Douglas, Shilen, and Lothar Walther with good results.

[ds762]

300 RSSGI ?? Do tell!

[Mike Bell]

300 RSSGI

Oh shit, not another one...

[ohnomrbillk]

ds762,
You are the originator of the 300 wtf, and I wouldn't dream of stealing your thunder.....that said the SGI of RSSGI is "Steals Great Ideas" if you ask in my shooting group. As to who RS is, I assume it is Russel Stover's, and I can only assume it has to do with spending too much money on chocolate for Valentine's Day. No way it has anything to do with the cartridge you came up with and anyone who is trying to promote it as there own. I have no doubt the name of their wildcat will change again....I suspect next month sometime. When it does, I will be sure to post it for you.

[TCCrewchief76]

So are we to bash Remington for giving us the 260 Remington? If I remember correctly, it was Rick Jamison who made it popular, but Remington who gave it corporate support. Look what the 260 has done in the tactical/competition arena. One could even argue that it has popularized the 6.5 caliber in a way to say that it is the reason, fundamentally, that the 6.5-284 and 6.5x47 Lapua have come to fruition and become popular.

With the above being said, I own not one Remington product (although I have in the past), and if the anti-gunners could see how we are basically turning on each other OVER A NAME, they would laugh themselves straight to the voting booth to make sure they put just one more nail in the coffin for this freedom that we seem to be all too happy to trivialize by trouncing on the responsible parties that further the cause.

Off my soap box now,

Kevin

[rsilvers]

The AAC barrels are treated much the same as the new Army XM-2010 sniper rifle.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/militar...per09_ST_N.htm

I am not sure what heat-exposure concerns you have, but the nitriding-treatment is a benefit. Glock, HK and Swiss Arms does it to their barrels.

There is no saying how the AAC barrels compare to any specific custom barrel without shooting many samples of each and taking measurements to see which is more in spec. That being said, we already did that work. The AAC barrel is made to a very high standard.

[rsilvers]

ohnomrbillk,

If you are serious about being upset that I helped bring this cartridge to SAAMI - what was the alternative? It had to be in SAAMI in order for most larger companies to consider making guns and ammo for it. Would you rather the 300 Fireball concept stayed obscure?

"Well, you could have called it 300 Fireball." No - that name is engraved on too many guns with random chambers... It would not have been very likely to get SAAMI approval for that.

22 Varminter existed before 22-250 - and I am sure at the time a few people said that the SAAMI cartridge should have been called 22 Varminter - but there was likewise a wide variation in the existing chambers. A new name was needed.

Also, SAAMI does not allow cartridges with registered trademark names - this is why 6.5 Grendal was rejected from approval in January.

[ohnomrbillk]

Originally Posted by rsilvers

I am not sure what heat-exposure concerns you have, but the nitriding-treatment is a benefit. Glock, HK and Swiss Arms does it to their barrels.

There is no saying how the AAC barrels compare to any specific custom barrel without shooting many samples of each and taking measurements to see which is more in spec. That being said, we already did that work. The AAC barrel is made to a very high standard.

In a study done which you can find here: www.riflebarrels.com/articles/barrel_life1.pdf , the conclusions note that, "there is peeling of the oxide layer by tangential cracks under the surface resulting from shear stress." They note that chrome lined bores do the same thing, but in less time. That does not sound like accuracy to me.

If it made for the most accurate barrel, benchrest shooters would be all over it. For a battle rifle like an AR, it may be ideal.

George at GA Precision has told me most US sniper rifles pass accuracy as long as they can hold MOA accuracy. No doubt many shoot better than that, but they are not required to.

I guess answering the "are they accurate?" question is subjective to what the buyer defines as being accurate. By looking at the suggested premium barrel manufacturers, I'm guessing the expectations are high.