Question on custom 223 barrels

[Fox Red]

Had a good chat with Alan Maughan on Friday about a custom barrel for my 223. Going for a 25” medium heavy barrel in 1/8 twist to stabilise 77gr TMK’s.

Hoping to send it off next week. Alan uses
Bartlein, Krieger or Brux barrels. Not sure which to go for so left in his hands. Any feedback appreciated. All sound good.

Disappointingly, it seems that the 77gr TMK’s are widely out of stock. Looks like it’s not just the 39gr Blitz that I’ll be struggling with for my 204. Not sure what’s going on with Sierra.

Any other 77gr TMK alternatives out there? Does anyone use the 75gr A-Max?

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

No experience of either but these might be more available!

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/22-cal-.224-80-gr-eld-match#!/

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/22-cal-.224-75-gr-eld-match#!/

 

[GGG]

I use both, not a lot between them in my .223 (Kreiger barrel), both shoot well and just make maximum length for magazine feeding.
Unfortunately, they are both pretty difficult to source these days, although I’ve got a few stashed.

 

[Ronin]

Sierra 60g HP work just fine in Sassen 8 twist (223)

From a recent clients Rebarrel

I’m sure any of the US barrels will shoot equally well (or they should) despite being considerably more expensive

Brux, Bartlein and Kreiger are always top quality, so are Broughton, Shilen, Pac Nor, Schneider, I B M etc etc

 

[Malxwal]

Alan Maughan

 

[MarinePMI]

Bartlein. I've never had an issue with any of them, standard twist, LH twist and/or gain twist. Frank Green knows his stuff.

 

[dropmdead]

I would suggest that you don't really get "bad" barrels as such, especially for sporting use.
Find a bullet, and ensure you can get a good supply of them, and build the barrel around it.

 

[308tikka]

Have used
Border (no longer in existence)
Krieger
TruFlite
Bartlein
Pacnor
GB barrels
And picked up a sassen recently.

Choice will be limited / waiting times will be long so go where you can get what you want.

Brux, Broughten, Shilen, Hart, Maddco are all good.

I wouldnt use pacnor again. Very rough bore.

Krieger is still my preference-never had a bad one.
For hunting-Im generally happy with a tikka hammer forged chrome moly.....

Just remember barrels are a consumable, they are meant to get worn out by hard use.

 

[One on top of two]

Bartlein 1-7 twist and throated for 80 Amax ( but shoot 75 grn Eld- m just as well )

 

[MarinePMI]

Have used
Border (no longer in existence)
Krieger
TruFlite
Bartlein
Pacnor
GB barrels
And picked up a sassen recently.

Choice will be limited / waiting times will be long so go where you can get what you want.

Brux, Broughten, Shilen, Hart, Maddco are all good.

I wouldnt use pacnor again. Very rough bore.

Krieger is still my preference-never had a bad one.
For hunting-Im generally happy with a tikka hammer forged chrome moly.....

Just remember barrels are a consumable, they are meant to get worn out by hard use.

That's interesting. I've always had a good experience with Pac-Nor. Was your barrel before or after the fire? Just curious...

 

[308tikka]

That's interesting. I've always had a good experience with Pac-Nor. Was your barrel before or after the fire? Just curious...

2017 manufacture (if I recall correctly)

 

[the prowler]

What about 223 Auckley chamber. Would that help with the speed with heavy bullets

 

[Yorkie]

Have used
Border (no longer in existence)
Krieger
TruFlite
Bartlein
Pacnor
GB barrels
And picked up a sassen recently.

Choice will be limited / waiting times will be long so go where you can get what you want.

Brux, Broughten, Shilen, Hart, Maddco are all good.

I wouldnt use pacnor again. Very rough bore.

Krieger is still my preference-never had a bad one.
For hunting-Im generally happy with a tikka hammer forged chrome moly.....

Just remember barrels are a consumable, they are meant to get worn out by hard use.

Hi.
Did you like the Truflite. Got one fitted to my 25-06, but due to covid over the last couple of years i have done little with it.

 

[308tikka]

Yes, it did the job.

Most 416R steel is the same quality from the same supplier in Italy. It is supplied in 40” blocks then gets profiled bored and de stressed.

Its whats after that part which sets apart barrel makers.

 

[User00040]

Yes, it did the job.

Most 416R steel is the same quality from the same supplier in Italy. It is supplied in 40” blocks then gets profiled bored and de stressed.

Its whats after that part which sets apart barrel makers.

Would be interested to look at Alan Swan Rifle barrels from Aus.

Apparently everything is made domestically.

 

[6mmAI]

Hoping to send it off next week. Alan uses
Bartlein, Krieger or Brux barrels. Not sure which to go for so left in his hands. Any feedback appreciated. All sound good.

Disappointingly, it seems that the 77gr TMK’s are widely out of stock. Looks like it’s not just the 39gr Blitz that I’ll be struggling with for my 204. Not sure what’s going on with Sierra.

Any other 77gr TMK alternatives out there? Does anyone use the 75gr A-Max?

just say to Alan put on it what he would put on his own rifle, that’s what I’ve done and the 2 6mmAI he’s built for me will shoot 5shot one hole groups

 

[bluesako]

whats up with sasson barrells bs.

 

[dropmdead]

One thing to consider is given its a sporting rifle and not a competition rifle, we look for accuracy and longevity.
Not every manufacturers steel is the same eg. Sassen over lothar Walther - one is very soft (and lovely to machine), and the other knocks the stuffing out of reamers potentially.
LW barrels do have a longer lifespan if all other things are equal. Sassen are at the other end of the scale

 

[Ronin]

whats up with sasson barrells bs.

Nothing at all - they machine very well and last equally as long as any other premium barrel

Lothar Walther mentioned in the following post who I also use - they machine well with appropriate tooling and proper lubrication of cutting surfaces and last very well too

A previous comp gun I used, which I chambered in 6.5x47 using a Lothar Walther barrel lasted in excess of 3500 rounds of hard repetitive use. Many of the earlier A I barrels were also made using LW steel

 

[MarinePMI]

Nothing at all - they machine very well and last equally as long as any other premium barrel

Lothar Walther mentioned in the following post who I also use - they machine well with appropriate tooling and proper lubrication of cutting surfaces and last very well too

A previous comp gun I used, which I chambered in 6.5x47 using a Lothar Walther barrel lasted in excess of 3500 rounds of hard repetitive use. Many of the earlier A I barrels were also made using LW steel

I seem to recall that LW blanks are much harder than normal barrel steel, so longer life would make sense. Even Bartlein now offers their own nextgen barrel steel blanks for extended barrel life.