Craddock RTR

Did any of you all order one of those 13.9 Grendels? If so, how’s yours shoot? I can’t get mine to shoot for dick. Tried everything, the best ammo (ELDM) in the best group is maybe 1.5 MOA and I’m cherry-picking like a madman to get that number, everything else is 3+. I hate it because their other RTRs knocked my socks off but this thing is shooting about as accurately as I can make hits with a slingshot.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jsp556
I've got 4 coming, two .750's and two .625's that Craddock is doing the assembly on. Will post results. Week of the 26-30th I should have them and range time with any luck.

ETA - Who built yours/other components?
 
Last edited:
My fluted 18" RTR 22arc showed up a week back, haven't been able to test it out yet, hopefully next days off!
20240905_141555.jpg
 
I’m a little disappointed in myself. Not in the barrel, just myself. I got a 22 inch 6.5 Creedmoor and I got it with a custom .936 gas block journal and then I decided I wanted to go a different direction and unfortunately, I’m selling it.🤣😭
 
So not an RTR, but I had Craddock put together a custom upper for me in .308 Win using a Bartlein. This thing is a shooter right out of the gate, no break in, no load development. The group below was shots 4, 5, and 6 out of the barrel after getting a rough zero with 168 FGMM. I also had a load with 175 SMK and 42gr Shooter's World Precision that shot 3/4". Set up steel out to 600 to get some rough dope and this hammers. I had a 10-inch plate and a coyote at 600 yards that I couldn't miss. For an AR10 in 308, I'll take that alllll day. Paul said the 6 ARC for precision gas gun stuff has been selling like crazy, kinda got me thinking 🤔

22 inch Bartlein
.936 at the gas block
1:11.25 twist
Rubber City Armory BCG (full mass)
JP SCS h2
 

Attachments

  • 2024-11-27_15-05-14_775.jpeg
    2024-11-27_15-05-14_775.jpeg
    420.8 KB · Views: 80
  • 2024-11-29_05-18-59_165.jpeg
    2024-11-29_05-18-59_165.jpeg
    715.8 KB · Views: 80
  • 2024-11-29_05-19-15_532.jpeg
    2024-11-29_05-19-15_532.jpeg
    420.7 KB · Views: 80
Last edited:
  • Haha
Reactions: bfoosh006
Any updates on these RTR barrels looking to try something different for my Grendel or to switch to 6 arc. I know the Proof barrels are good... I'd like similar performance but wondering if I can save a little... and not willing to jump to the 7-800 for a Bartlein. (also what bolt do you use with the proofs I used the JP foe my 6,5 creed AR10 just it too is $ compared to other options).
 
Any updates on these RTR barrels looking to try something different for my Grendel or to switch to 6 arc. I know the Proof barrels are good... I'd like similar performance but wondering if I can save a little... and not willing to jump to the 7-800 for a Bartlein. (also what bolt do you use with the proofs I used the JP foe my 6,5 creed AR10 just it too is $ compared to other options).
Well I’ve been holding off on posting my update, but since you mention Grendel.

Ordered one of their lighter Pangris 13.9’s. Could never get it to shoot much tighter than a basketball @ 100. Emailed them and they said the whole initial run was bad? Anyway they had my upper a few months and I only just got it back with a new barrel.

In the meantime I rolled the dice with another extra-lightweight 6.5 Grendel (their .625 Pangris). I had it out yesterday and I swear it was spitting 3” groups @ 25. If I didn’t have another homebuild right next to me that I assembled the same time, that’s shooting @ MOA I’d think maybe I just forgot how to assemble a rifle. I took it all apart and have it back together now, but something was seriously wrong with it and I’ve put together more than my share of sub-MOA ARs.

I’ve had others of their barrels before that shoot great, but at this point I’m a bit concerned from my small sample size of recent barrels.
 
  • Like
Reactions: txrider15
Any updates on these RTR barrels looking to try something different for my Grendel or to switch to 6 arc. I know the Proof barrels are good... I'd like similar performance but wondering if I can save a little... and not willing to jump to the 7-800 for a Bartlein. (also what bolt do you use with the proofs I used the JP foe my 6,5 creed AR10 just it too is $ compared to other options).
Mine is right at MOA with Hornady factory 80's and better with 108's. No complaints from me and I would have spent the $ on a Bartlein but didn't want the wait. For me, the RTR gets me 80% of the performance with no wait and less cost! Still don't have 200 rounds down the pipe yet so I haven't looked at speed yet
 
  • Like
Reactions: txrider15
Any updates on these RTR barrels looking to try something different for my Grendel or to switch to 6 arc. I know the Proof barrels are good... I'd like similar performance but wondering if I can save a little... and not willing to jump to the 7-800 for a Bartlein. (also what bolt do you use with the proofs I used the JP foe my 6,5 creed AR10 just it too is $ compared to other options).
I can’t comment on Grendel, by my RTR 22 ARC hammers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: txrider15
Well I’ve been holding off on posting my update, but since you mention Grendel.

Ordered one of their lighter Pangris 13.9’s. Could never get it to shoot much tighter than a basketball @ 100. Emailed them and they said the whole initial run was bad? Anyway they had my upper a few months and I only just got it back with a new barrel.

In the meantime I rolled the dice with another extra-lightweight 6.5 Grendel (their .625 Pangris). I had it out yesterday and I swear it was spitting 3” groups @ 25. If I didn’t have another homebuild right next to me that I assembled the same time, that’s shooting @ MOA I’d think maybe I just forgot how to assemble a rifle. I took it all apart and have it back together now, but something was seriously wrong with it and I’ve put together more than my share of sub-MOA ARs.

I’ve had others of their barrels before that shoot great, but at this point I’m a bit concerned from my small sample size of recent barrels.
They had some that were bad blanks. Call them, they'll replace/take care of you.
 
They had some that were bad blanks. Call them, they'll replace/take care of you.
Yeah that’s what they told me on the first one. This one is a new order though only placed it a few weeks back. Anyway yeah I shot them an email. It’s shooting horrendously, and I have barrels of theirs that shoot neck and neck with Proofs and CLE etc so I know they can shoot, or at least should.

I’m sure it’ll work out. I’ll update everyone whenever it’s sorted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: txrider15
Well I’ve been holding off on posting my update, but since you mention Grendel.

Ordered one of their lighter Pangris 13.9’s. Could never get it to shoot much tighter than a basketball @ 100. Emailed them and they said the whole initial run was bad? Anyway they had my upper a few months and I only just got it back with a new barrel.

In the meantime I rolled the dice with another extra-lightweight 6.5 Grendel (their .625 Pangris). I had it out yesterday and I swear it was spitting 3” groups @ 25. If I didn’t have another homebuild right next to me that I assembled the same time, that’s shooting @ MOA I’d think maybe I just forgot how to assemble a rifle. I took it all apart and have it back together now, but something was seriously wrong with it and I’ve put together more than my share of sub-MOA ARs.

I’ve had others of their barrels before that shoot great, but at this point I’m a bit concerned from my small sample size of recent barrels.
Since you brought it up… The first ones were not bad blanks but sabatoged. They should have emailed you about replacing it. I returned mine and swapped it for an 18” then bought another since they were honest about the fuckup. I’ve shot both and they shoot the 123 eldm factory ammo +/-.75 moa depending on ammo lots. They’re gassed perfectly. With an h buffer they run perfect with or without my can using just a standard low profile gas block. If I sat down and worked up a hand load I’m sure they’d shoot better. Aesthetically they’re perfect.

I’ll buy more barrels from them just because they made good on the product. I hadn’t even installed the barrel in an upper and they emailed me disclosing the issue and requested that I send it back for replacement. I didn’t need 2 but I know they got fucked and were on the hook for no telling how many barrels. In a world full of people and companies with less than stand up character, they did what was right.
 
Since you brought it up… The first ones were not bad blanks but sabatoged. They should have emailed you about replacing it. I returned mine and swapped it for an 18” then bought another since they were honest about the fuckup. I’ve shot both and they shoot the 123 eldm factory ammo +/-.75 moa depending on ammo lots. They’re gassed perfectly. With an h buffer they run perfect with or without my can using just a standard low profile gas block. If I sat down and worked up a hand load I’m sure they’d shoot better. Aesthetically they’re perfect.

I’ll buy more barrels from them just because they made good on the product. I hadn’t even installed the barrel in an upper and they emailed me disclosing the issue and requested that I send it back for replacement. I didn’t need 2 but I know they got fucked and were on the hook for no telling how many barrels. In a world full of people and companies with less than stand up character, they did what was right.
Yeah I reached out to them, not the other way around, but that’s what they said. Something about the whole run of barrels being intentionally dicked up. I worry this came from that batch, given how it shoots.

The replacement for my first shoots night and day different. I’m not having the best of luck with it, but it’s doing MOA, maybe a little over, across 5 shot groups. This one is closer to 12 MOA even with 3 shot groups.

It’s pretty gross at the moment, but I think it’ll work out in the end. Goodness knows how many barrels they had messed up. That’s gotta set them back a good chunk of change.
 
What loads have you tried with it? What is your meaning of “well”?
3 boxes of each available factory ammo varieties. I expected 5 shot groups to be moa or better. 10 shot groups under 1.5 moa. It's a high end build, have a Zco420 on it. I can get most eld variety 6cm ammo to routinely print sub moa 10 shot groups, some rifles near half moa. Am I expecting too much?
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
3 boxes of each available factory ammo varieties. I expected 5 shot groups to be moa or better. 10 shot groups under 1.5 moa. It's a high end build, have a Zco420 on it. I can get most eld variety 6cm ammo to routinely print sub moa 10 shot groups, some rifles near half moa. Am I expecting too much?
Nah, not expecting too much I don’t think. Seems many 22 ARC like the 62VT for factory loads. Is your 6cm a gas gun too?
 
Nah, not expecting too much I don’t think. Seems many 22 ARC like the 62VT for factory loads. Is your 6cm a gas gun too?
The 75 black was prob the most consistent, but still had a random flyer here and there that opened it up. 88s were 2moa as we're the 62 eldvt. My 6cm are bolt guns, but the 108 and 103 loads have shot pretty dang well in anything from 18-26" tubes. I've pondered the idea of just getting a couple cases of the 22arc black so it's all same lot, and installing a tuner behind my suppressor and seeing if I can get it to hold Moa or better. The guns primary purpose is to be a thermal setup that'll likely only be shot out to 400y max.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cfshooter
It would have to be blanks that weren't bored properly or something to be on that level of oh shit.
They said they were ran through a machine backwards or something. Dunno, I’m not that in the know about how barrels were made. I’ve never had one shoot this bad. Usually even a
‘bad’ barrel will shoot, what, let’s say 4 MOA? Usually that’s with bad ammo too. I am lucky to get a stray even on paper @ 100 with this thing.

It’s frustrating but things happen, they already said I’m welcome to send it on in. I do want to run it without a can too. Dunno how that could be save for like a baffle strike, but it’s something to eliminate before I go wasting someone’s time.

Hell, for all I know there’s a pebble in the barrel nut or something lol but it’d take something like that to be getting results like this
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rpoL98
They said they were ran through a machine backwards or something

Usually if you buy a barrel blank it will be stamped at one end (the chamber end) because of how it's bored/lapped it will be tighter at the muzzle. So either the blanks were stamped the wrong way or they put them in the machine backwards.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
Usually if you buy a barrel blank it will be stamped at one end (the chamber end) because of how it's bored/lapped it will be tighter at the muzzle. So either the blanks were stamped the wrong way or they put them in the machine backwards.
Ah, I hadn’t considered the tighter at the muzzle part. That does make sense though. Whatever it was, it sure makes it shoot like ass lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurtG
To the best of my knowledge, it was only the Pangris bbls that were part of the drama, but I could be wrong. I don't work there, haven't been there, and am only a long time customer. I told Craddock I wasn't in a rush on mine, made some changes to the orders and still have to get them parts and consequently am still waiting for some of the final ultralight builds. I also got 2 of the 18's in the meantime and they are shooting at or below MOA with Noslers and, pleasantly surprisingly, AAC Sabre black tips. Hornady 123's of all stripes are bit bigger but consistent and acceptable.

I hope to have multiple examples of the .625 Pangris barrels soon and will do a detailed write up of those and the 18's side by side.

If there is one thing I believe, Craddock is one of the industry examples that will make sure they delivered what they promised. The can't make YOU shoot, but they'll verify the barrels do...

"Never name anything after yourself, it could end up being a bank robber or sabotaged barrel blank" - (not quite what) Clint Smith (said)
 
To the best of my knowledge, it was only the Pangris bbls that were part of the drama, but I could be wrong. I don't work there, haven't been there, and am only a long time customer. I told Craddock I wasn't in a rush on mine, made some changes to the orders and still have to get them parts and consequently am still waiting for some of the final ultralight builds. I also got 2 of the 18's in the meantime and they are shooting at or below MOA with Noslers and, pleasantly surprisingly, AAC Sabre black tips. Hornady 123's of all stripes are bit bigger but consistent and acceptable.

I hope to have multiple examples of the .625 Pangris barrels soon and will do a detailed write up of those and the 18's side by side.

If there is one thing I believe, Craddock is one of the industry examples that will make sure they delivered what they promised. The can't make YOU shoot, but they'll verify the barrels do...

"Never name anything after yourself, it could end up being a bank robber or sabotaged barrel blank" - (not quite what) Clint Smith (said)
Yeah when we spoke it was presented like it was specifically the Pangris line that was effected. Which is a shame, I ordered two lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jsp556