Please help with .260 build.

[manbearpig]

I have a Savage 16 in .308, and id like to order a prefit .260 barrel for it from mysticplayer.
i have a few questions though:

Shilen offers two 1:8 twists: standard 6 groove, and 4 groove ratchet rifling.
does anyone have any experience with these? im assuming that the latter is similar to Remington's 5R? is it a no-brainer decision?

i have about $450 to budget on it. this gives me a choice between a stainless heavy contour barrel thats either:

26", select match
or
30", regular match

which would you choose and why?

thanks

 

[GunBoy]

26" is more then enough, I had several build in 25" and 26" with gaillard barrel, very impressive result.

 

[Mystic Precision]

I was out testing my Shilen SS Select match 260AI barrel today with a new lot of primers and was getting test groups at 200yds in the 1/4" to 1/2". This is a 26" 8 twist Bull contour, standard 6 groove.

I have not tried the ratchet rifling and Shilen has no opinion pro or con. They offer it due to customer demand. Most of the BR rifles use the standard rifling style.

The Reg match barrels can shoot just as well but the Select would be my choice if I was building a competition rig.

My 7RM reg match CM is new in testing but it shows the potential for 1/4 min accuracy at 200yds as well. Shooting 180gr Bergers over 3000fps which will be quite fun at extreme distance.

For barrel length, I would decide based on how you plan on using the rifle. 26" is way more handy and will get you plenty of velocity from the case. 30" will get all the velocity the case can offer and that can be an extra 50 to 100fps.

If you using this for LR plinking with some hunting ambition, I would stick to the 26". The 30" is nice but you will need to ballast the buttstock or else the rifle will tip too easily.

Let me know...

Jerry

 

[RayMan]

For the uninitiated, what is ratchet rifling?

 

[Obtunded]

 

[ivo]

I would also go 26" select match. I don't believe paper or even deer for that matter know that your bullet is going an extra 100fps, I know some may say it makes a difference at long range but I believe accuracy and a low ES are far more important than added velocity.
Ivo

 

[Obtunded]

If you are upgrading to a "precision" barrel, either go all the way or not at all. Get the best possible barrel you can. Why sink money into something that may never shoot as well as you want?

 

[Mystic Precision]

Great pic. That shows all the common forms used in smokeless firearms.

Note the ENFIELD with the 5 R rifling. This is early 1900's technology not something new. Enfield also tried lowering the groove count to 2. I had such a barrel and it shot as well as any other Lee.

Also note, that some barrel manf call the Hybrid rifling polygonal.

All of these rifling designs were tested at length for over 100yrs, some in the 150yr range. The various designs have roots in trying to deal with the black powder/lead fouling. Various groove to land ratios have also been tried.

Today, I have yet to hear any rifling shape offer better accuracy. As far as I know and have shot, it all works more or less the same.

As for some rifling styles claiming better velocity, I have not seen it either but I am open to seeing tests.

The consistency and accuracy of the bore dimensions does play a very important role as does cutting a true bore with the exterior of the barrel. Today, better barrel makers hold their competition grade barrels to tolerances at the 4th decimal place.

Pretty darn good stuff...

Jerry