barrel selection question

M

milo

Member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
35   0   0
Location
Williams Lake BC
I have ordered a barnard single shot action and a suitable stock from Robertson Composites for a .338 Lapua project that will be smithed by Rocky Mountain Rifles. The rifle will have a long heavy profile barrel and a muzzle brake. Having decided on my stock and action, I am now faced with the question of barrel selection. I am going to go with a Lilja barrel since Robertson can bring one in for me and I know they are good. My intended purpose for the rifle is to whack gongs at 1000 yards and if I can find a longer range perhaps even at a mile. My mind is made up on stock, action and caliber but I would appreciate some advise in terms of barrel selection, rate of twist, profile and muzzle brake. I imagine that I will primarily be shooting 250 and 300 grain bullets. What barrel profile and length would work best. I will probably never hunt with the gun and I am happy with having a heavy gun to soak up some of the recoil. I think most of the shooting will be prone with a bipod. I am not too concerned about the weight or portability. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Milo
 
Depends on the bullets, but for 300's you would probably be best with a 9.5 although a 10" twists will work.

Go with a minimum of 27" 28-30 being optimal Any longer and you may have issues with the barrel being too heavy for the action, requiring some barrel bedding.

A brake would make shooting it much more civilized for you, but not for those around you :)

Profile, go with the profile that will balance best with your stock and action. A heavy varmint/target profile would be nice I would think.
 
Why not get the facts right from the maker... Dan will give you excellent advice.

Warranty Information

We warrant our barrels to be free of defects due to material flaws or workmanship. As stated elsewhere, our stainless steel barrels are guaranteed to be free of internal tool marks, and the exterior of all barrels is a 320 grit ground finish. We do not however make any guarantee as to the accuracy potential of our barrels. Since we do not do any gunsmithing work here, other than the drop-in 22 rimfire barrels, we have no control over the other important factors affecting accuracy. These factors include the quality of the fitting, chambering, and crowning work, action bedding, scope quality, ammunition quality, and most importantly the marksmanship abilities of the shooter.

When asked for expected grouping ability for a particular cartridge and rifle, we qualify the answer by stating that if all of the above mentioned factors are as they should be then the barrels should be capable of a given degree of accuracy.

On the very rare occasions though when we feel that a barrel needs to be replaced we are quite easy to deal with. We want satisfied customers. If you feel that you have a legitimate complaint about accuracy or fouling problems, and have looked at all the other factors that affect accuracy and fouling, please give us a call. We'll try to help you solve the problem and if necessary we have replaced barrels when that was shown to be the cause. The vast majority of our customers are extremely satisfied with their Lilja barrel and become repeat customers.

Occasionally a customer will decide after receiving a barrel that they want a different caliber or twist or contour. We will accept barrels back for credit or a refund if it is in the same condition as when sent to the customer. We charge a $25 restocking fee on returned barrels that fall into this category.

One of the keys to our success has been in keeping satisfied customers. We try our best to deliver a quality product on time. If you feel you have a legitimate complaint, contact us. Telephone: (406) 826-3084, Fax: (406) 826-3083, or Email: lilja@riflebarrels.com.
 
I would look at the choices offered by Prairie Gun Works. Several highly trained military and police units use their products. Then when you've made up your mind, ask PGW if your specifications make sense. No you are not buying a complete rifle from them, but they probably sell something else you need. ....
 
An assumption on my part... I assumed PGW actions were designed for tactical rifles with the tolerances to match. Do they make BR or Target actions with very close tolerances as well?
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
I would look at the choices offered by Prairie Gun Works. Several highly trained military and police units use their products. Then when you've made up your mind, ask PGW if your specifications make sense. No you are not buying a complete rifle from them, but they probably sell something else you need. ....
Click to expand...

But they are nearly impossible to get a hold of. They MAY make great rifles, but talking with them about it since the won that contract is a no go in my experience.
 
Understand that recoil is best described as heavy even with a brake. The heavier the rifle is the better.

Talk to Ian about being able to add lead to the buttstock. If weight is not a concern, go over 20lbs. 30lbs gets you in real comfy category.

A 28" pipe with a 1" muzzle is the smallest contour I would use. I have a 1.28" straight barrel on my monster. But I also use a barrel block.

AS for muzzle brakes, a gill brake is the best. Rear venting of the gills will also improve recoil reduction but concussion to you and those around you will be rude. Sideways venting with a heavy rifle makes life very comfortable.

A 2" wide brake, 3" long, 1.5" thick will give you plenty of size and volume to use that exhaust gas to good effect. Wider the better. 3 Gills.

Jerry
 
A buddy built a .338 LM last year , bernard action and Robertson stock.
Barrell was from a local magician(barrell maker) and My buddy picked up a H AND H Muzzle brake.
He had the barrell maker clean it up to match the barrell and you can't tell where the barrell stops and the brake begins, it looks fantastic and works amazing.
Whole rifle BEFORE scopes and rings is 20.5 lbs. The recoil is very managable.

Mike.
 
Whole rifle BEFORE scopes and rings is 20.5 lbs. The recoil is very managable.
Click to expand...
Don't make it too heavy, you might want to carry it more than 10 yards from the truck. I'm using a TRG-41 that weighs 5.1 kg, and a scope that weighs approx 1 kg. With a muzzle brake the recoil is sharp, but tolerable. Probably the best thing to do is to have the stock fit you very comfortably.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom