Barrel Preference

[DB]

All you competition/avid shooters, what kind of barrel do you prefer?

[54Bucks]

 Prefer?? Depends on the purpose. For accuracy(paper) I prefer a straight barrel. Staying away from lighter (across the flat dimension) per calibre sizes. As for hunting...the swamped barrel is my preference. Because of the balance and handling characteristics .Even though it's a very rare swamped barrel that will outshoot (on paper) a straight barrel.
 As for brand of barrels...... Generally speaking, it's hard to beat Rice's swamped barrels or Green Mt. straight barrels. And you can't really predict ahead of time which barrel might be outstanding.

[LH]

54 pretty much summed it up.  I've used primarily DeHaas and Rice for my competetion guns over the past 15 years, but I dont build alot of guns.  Maybe 15 or 20 in that time.  I've seen several GM barrels that were complete dogs not worth the price of scrap metal, but I have an old one that is as accurate as any roundball barrel I've ever owned.  (Had to do a radical lapping job on it though)  Two Getz barrels that never did satisfy me or their owners in the accuracy department.  One Colerain swamped barrel that shoots like a house afire ,  One Oregon barrel that is supremely accurate.  Of the 10 or so DeHaas barrels I've had experience with,  all were so accurate and forgiving it was almost scary,  but Mark has fallen off the radar these days and I'm not sure if he's still making barrels.  Never had a problem with a Rice either,  but I've only worked with three.  From any manufacturer you might get a lemon,  but you cant know til you try it.  Building and tuning a gun plays a big part in how one will perform too.  Misdiagnosing a poor shooting gun might lead a feller to think he has a bad barrel when the problem might be something else.  Pay your money,  take your chance.   

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Kind of a "What kind of car do you like?" kind of question. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Above are two images of the Hawken rifle I built while I was working for Don Robinson here in Prince George during the early 80's.  Don reserved the first ten serial numbers for prototype and personal rifles, and this one is # 5.  Originally, I used a .50 calibre GRRW barrel, and built the rifle, only to find that I could not make it shoot.  I re-barreled it with a Green Mt. .54 cal barrel, and it was a wonderful shooter.  At one rendezvous, we had an 18" gong hanging at 200 yards, and I was the only one to hit it every time - offhand.  So I invited anyone else who wanted to use my rifle to try, and six shooters in a row hit the gong with  their first try.
Back to the discarded barrel...another builder bought the barrel from Don and built his Hawken around it.  But he RE-CROWNED the muzzle, and the barrel performed very well after that.  So, it was not a $#@* barrel, but a poor crown that was causing the trouble.
The point of all this, is to show that just because a shooter can't get a rifle to group does not necessarily mean that he has a poor barrel.  I return to Don Getz comment that if the barrel is uniform in the bore over it's whole length - no loose or tight spots, and is rifled, it will shoot better you can hold it.  So my first test when buying a new barrel is to run a very tight patch on a jag down the bore.  If it is uniform in the bore, I have more confidence that it will be a good accurate barrel.
I prefer barrels that have narrow lands and wide grooves, rifling ~ .012" and square rather than round bottomed.  Yet my wonderful little Jaeger has a 31" Getz .60 cal. barrel with deep round grooves...go figure.  i don't think there's any one answer to the question.

[Daryl]

My best shooting barrels have been a Large .58, GRRW .69, Bauska .50 and Bauska .45, GM .45 and a Goodoien .40.  In preliminary testing, Tracy's .45 GM shot 3 back to back 3/4", 5 shot groups at 50 yards off the bench, so it might be another good shooting GM. - looks like ito far,  and it's only 30" long.  The crown has much to do with being able to load a nice, tight combination, IMHO.

[northmn]

I had a GRRW 58 that did not shoot well until I kicked it up to over 140 grains of powdeer, then I did not shoot so well.  I won more than a few matches with the old button rifled Numrich barrels.  The Douglas XX were popular.  I now have a Green Mountain 58 that is not fussy.  I found most barrels can be made to shoot if one plays with the load.  Always felt far too much emphasis was on barrels and not enough on locks.  The ignition system permits accuracy.  A $250 lock and a $150 barrel might make more sense than a $150 lock and a $250 barrel.

DP

[Daryl]

further to what Dave noted about his .58's - all of my .58's with the exception of my current 24" bl. Musketoon would only start shooting well at 140gr. also. That included the "Large" barrel mentioned, a Zouave and a Numrich underhammer with ratchet shaped rifling. I assume the cutter rocked when drawn through the barrel- or some such thing. It shot very well as long as 140gr. of 2f was fed to it.  100gr. 2F, same heavy denim patch and .575" ball that I used in all .58's at that time, shot 9" groups at 100yards, with 140gr. 2F dropping that to 1 1/2" to 1 3/4". The Zouave was a solid 2" @ 100yard gun.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I am finishing up a .58 with a 42 inch OTR barrel.  The gun will weigh less than 7 lbs.....if it takes at least 130 grains of ffg to be accurate it is rapidly going to become a wall hanger.... That's headache country!!  Good news is that to hunt I seldom have to shoot more than 50 yards so a lighter load might work???  $#*! 90 grains seems to work fine in my .62 smoothie.... Moment of deer.........

[Daryl]

Less than 7 pounds - Yes, I guess you'll be hoping it likes lighter loads, Tim. At only 50 yards, you can get away with loads that will not work satisfactoraly at 100 and further, of course.

 I'm sure 90gr. to 100gr. will work just fine, as a hunting load in your .59, Dr. Tim.  My 48" twist .58 Musketoon likes 75gr. 2F GOEX and produces 1,308fps with that load.  It will shoot into 3" at 100 yards with that load or up to 90gr. (1,400fps) and would more than suffice for deer, dang betcha.  3" is pretty much my upper bench limit group size on accuracy for hunting those smaller big game animals.   

[firelock-inc]

I have a Hawken Rifle build in the early 1980's. It is 58 cal barrel by Bill Large with  a Roller lock.  At 25 yards, 3 shots go into one hole. 100 yards it opens up to
1.5 inches. It is a classic that my Son will own some day.

Rickp

[Standing Bear]

My most accurate are Douglas straight barrels w/ 1:66 twist.  I know they no longer make ML barrels (understand they could not get and maintain supply of material be it blanks or bar).  Starting to wring out a GM .54 and time will tell.
TC

[ohiostate]

I have had them all, and now will only use an Ed Rayl.  They shoot the best for me and he will make a barrel that is historically correct for a gun, as I like guns that look and feel like they did 250 years ago. 

[dagner]

 goodoine  made great barrels  i have a old  false muzzel buffalo  ken brezen target barrel that he refreshed that will shot with any    i have a great  1 1/4  rice target barrel     had some fine ones from john and don getz    for the most accurate new   hands down   spydermatic  barrels by paul griffith or any barrel that has been lapped and sweetened up by charlie bowers   that man does some fine finish work on the barrels  and makes them shoot  like everone elese i have a grren mountian that flat shots  a lot of it boils down to does the top maker you want make the type  of barrel you need  some will not make swamped   or exaxt type  some have max  legnth   or  flat size -  like old goodoine   you may want a caliber with a cectrain flat size  i wanted a `13/16  40  he refused   said he only made target barrels  money did not matter to him  he flat refused to make it   he made me a 7/8 40 that has won a ton of matches   i am just going by ones i have done bussiness with  that were recomended to me    warning on custom  barrel makers   figure 1 to 3 years to see your barrel
 dag

[hanshi]

HUH! 

[ken]

For accuracy I will take a Getz,s  barrle every time !!    Ken