JC Custom Barrels vs Benchmark or Krieger

Interesting perspective Peter, but I have a thought on the point...

I heard that management at Hart has shuffled from Father to sons in somewhat recent years, and I've heard that may have changed the quality at Hart... Just unverified range talk.

Also, sort of along the same point, I have not ran into anybody shooting a Hart barrel in many years, so having said that, I have seen no evidence either for or against the performance of a newly produced Hart barrel.

I myself have a Hart barrel on a 223 that kicks butt big time, but I have had that barrel for several years.

All I can say is the accuracy of my "old" button rifled barrel is better than all but one of the many cut rifled barrels I have purchased since.

So if this is about button vs cut... I see no edge either way.

If this is about new Hart vs old Hart... I cannot comment.

I am left to wonder though about the existence of a follow the leader mentality on the rifle range and when a guy wins everybody follows suit with his gear... even though the guy would probably have won just as well with just about any other good brand.... and this applies to anything from triggers to cleaning rituals.... I think much of this is superstition and voodoo... just chicken bones and tea leaves.

I'd sure like to come across a guy with a new Hart barrel and see how he shoots with it.

But if they are hard to get here, we buy what we can get... right.
 
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I have owned 2 Bartlein barrelled guns. Amazing shooters. I believe more winners are using Bartlein barrelz now in competition than any other brand right now. Get a gain-twist rifled barrel with a wylde chamber. It will be scary accurate.
 
I agree with this, I'm by no means bashing Bartlein I own a few and they shoot well, but I do know of a couple that had bores up to .080 off center. With either cut or buttoned sometimes you'll get a hummer, sometimes not.

BadAsMo said:
Interesting perspective Peter, but I have a thought on the point...

I heard that management at Hart has shuffled from Father to sons in somewhat recent years, and I've heard that may have changed the quality at Hart... Just unverified range talk.

Also, sort of along the same point, I have not ran into anybody shooting a Hart barrel in many years, so having said that, I have seen no evidence either for or against the performance of a newly produced Hart barrel.

I myself have a Hart barrel on a 223 that kicks butt big time, but I have had that barrel for several years.

All I can say is the accuracy of my "old" button rifled barrel is better than all but one of the many cut rifled barrels I have purchased since.

So if this is about button vs cut... I see no edge either way.

If this is about new Hart vs old Hart... I cannot comment.

I am left to wonder though about the existence of a follow the leader mentality on the rifle range and when a guy wins everybody follows suit with his gear... even though the guy would probably have won just as well with just about any other good brand.... and this applies to anything from triggers to cleaning rituals.... I think much of this is superstition and voodoo... just chicken bones and tea leaves.

I'd sure like to come across a guy with a new Hart barrel and see how he shoots with it.

But if they are hard to get here, we buy what we can get... right.
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Yes there may be the follow the leader mentality in some cases BUT.......

when you compete in matches and I am not talking club matches, I am talking a match hosted by a club under a sanctioning organization NOTHING is left to chance. This is even more so when you may not have the cash flow to throw out for barrels and the chambering costs.

Yes you may throw one of the smaller names to try out and see but the bottom line you usually go back to the brand that has given one the most luck.

In today's world the cost of trying to shoot say 5000 rounds in practice to try and get better or even be competitive is getting cost prohibitive in my eyes.....I am looking at between 5-6 G notes to shoot that much in practice before travel to matches.

So back to barrels, I am not about to take a chance on a lesser brand versus someone who has been making barrels for decades and have been proven in the BIG matches and place in the top 10.

JMO
 
The "to much money card " does not work for me , cost of competitive minor hockey 15-25k , competitive dance 8- 13k , carting 15-25k , a new ATV or bike 11-39k ,
Cost to sit on the couch ,watch tv,drink beer , and smoke cigarettes competitively 4-8 k depending on consumption rate .
So if I can compete against the the best guys in the world at sbr for 5-6 k , I'm in , not very many sports where we can even get the opurtunity to compete against the very best ,
The winningest guy of all time does it on a very modest budget , he just makes it a priority to do so , you get out what you put in .

As for barrels, Both button or cut barrels will shoot , the operator is just as important as the equipment ,I've had good and not so good from krieger ,Bartlien , Shillen, benchmark , I have not tried a JC barrel but I do like that it is Lower production more hands on operation ,
 
This is my take
Nearly everyone is looking for a hummer
The accuracy shooting sport that some people take part in requires a hummer barrel to win. Most custom barrels regardless of the manufacturer are good but not likely a hummer. I also doubt that any manufacture can produce a hummer on demand.
It's a bonus to have a hummer barrel on a Fullbore target rifle but not a requirement. Even at the highest competitive levels a good barrel will suffice simply because the game is weighted more toward displaying the skill of the Indian and not as much the accuracy potential of the equipment.
If you play the ultimate accuracy shooting games be prepared to try several barrels before you find a hummer.
 
Last summer I visited JC, and ordered a barrel. .308, 1-12, light Palma, stainless, to finish at 28". Set the barrel up in a rifle as follows:
Rem 700 receiver, PT&G bolt body on which I installed an extended handle. Threaded, chambered, crowned, brake installed using standard techniques. Used a Magpul stock, with Magpul detachable magazine system. Wanted to see what this stock is like. Just screwed the barrelled action into the stock. Leupold Vari-X III, 6.5-20 AO, with target knobs.
I did not work up any loads for the rifle. Used two batches of ammunition that I had on hand. First batch had been assembled for a TR. 155SMK, 46gr. Varget. 15 years old. Second batch, 154 Scenar, 47gr. Varget, loaded for a PR 5 years old. Didn't chronograph the loads in this rifle. The SMK load produced 2950fps from a 30" TR barrel.
Fired a handful of shots to get a basic zero at 100m. First 5 shot group was with the 155SMKs: .622 moa.
Shot a total of 9 groups, some with the Sierra and some with the Lapua loads. Average for all 9 groups was .890 moa.
I consider this to be excellent performance, particularly considering that an economy stock was used, along with ammunition that I had on hand. I suspect that with load development for this particular barrel, groups will shrink.

With respect to cleaning - using an ammoniated (metal fouling remover) cleaner, very, very little copper fouling was evident.
 
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I have barrels from Krieger,Hart,Broughton,Benchmark and Brux. They all are excellent shooters. But if I had to only choose one I think it would be BRUX. Only reason is they have produced the least copper fouling during break in. This was my first Benchmark and just started breakin the other day but it copper fouled the worst out of all my barrels. Now to be fair all my other barrels were broke in using Berger bullets and on the Benchmark I was using the 130 gr AccuBond. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the top builders. I know I can't shoot good enough to say that one is WAY better than the other.
 
See my post #48.
Have another barrel on order from him, a .224 1-8, also light Palma contour.
I have Hart, Schneider, TrueFlight (NS), Rock Creek (Mike Rock), Kreiger and JC barrels on target rifles. JC barrel holds its own in comparison with the others.
 
I'm ordering a barrel from JC
Question...has anyone had JC custom thread, chamber and install to action?
My other option is Ian Robertson..
Which of the two would you choose?
 
I have had JC thread, chamber and fit to a sportsman 78 action. (8 twist 22-250ai.)
He has another that is going on a 600 mohawk action as we speak. (308)
My next project will also wear a JC barrel, just can't decide what to do first, a 6mm creedmoor or a long action thumper.
 
tinymike66 said:
I am definitely ordering a JC barrel.
Just wondering of the two I mentioned..who would most choose.
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I'd pick JC. I have a JC barrel he chambered and installed for me and I have a rifle that Ian chambered for me. Both shoot good. The next one I do I'll get JC to do. I've shot with JC and I've visited his shop (nice setup he's got) and I plan to get my next barrel from him. I have nothing bad to say about Ian, he's treated me fair, but moving forward I'll be buying from JC. Doesn't hurt he's localish.
 
nbmonte said:
I'd pick JC. I have a JC barrel he chambered and installed for me and I have a rifle that Ian chambered for me. Both shoot good. The next one I do I'll get JC to do. I've shot with JC and I've visited his shop (nice setup he's got) and I plan to get my next barrel from him. I have nothing bad to say about Ian, he's treated me fair, but moving forward I'll be buying from JC. Doesn't hurt he's localish.
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Well I can have Hirsch send action directly to JC
Then have the barreled action sent to Ian for in letting.
I hear Ian is awesome at in letting
 
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