thinking about putting an AR15 together as an "accuracy" piece,say maybe to 600 yd max. prob 1/8 or 1/7 wylde. looking $300-400 max for a barrel. yes,i know bartlein,krieger and lilja are superior. price to high for budget. actually walther a bit highish. so; ballistic advantage,jp,white oak are what i have looked at so far. anyone with multiple experiences with those 3 brands? i have about everything else needed. no,i don't need to hear "you just have to spend a lot more money because i do".
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ar15 barrel quality experience
- Thread starter mosin46
- Start date
Comparing WOA & JP to BA is like comparing a top shelf steak to ground beef..................WOA or JP by a mile for a relatively small $$$ distance.
Buy an 18" SPR of whatever flavor you like from WOA & rock on, price can't be beat for what you get for value.
With BA, you might get a shooter, maybe not.......................like going to a casino..............the odds are not in your favor of getting a barrel equivalent to the WOA.
JP is great if you want to spend the money..............remember, you get a $100+ bolt with their barrel too.
Also look at CLE's, "Ready to Ship" Douglas 16" barrel for $300.............16" will make it to the 600 yard line.
MM
Buy an 18" SPR of whatever flavor you like from WOA & rock on, price can't be beat for what you get for value.
With BA, you might get a shooter, maybe not.......................like going to a casino..............the odds are not in your favor of getting a barrel equivalent to the WOA.
JP is great if you want to spend the money..............remember, you get a $100+ bolt with their barrel too.
Also look at CLE's, "Ready to Ship" Douglas 16" barrel for $300.............16" will make it to the 600 yard line.
MM
Mega Arms 16 Barrel 5.56 - In Stock
Mega Arms 16 Barrel 5.56 - For Sale - MPN: MA-556-16-SS - UPC: 676538046317 - In Stock - Price: $199.00 - MSRP: $240.00 - Add to Cart
www.omahaoutdoors.com
I was going to post the 18in version but its out of stock. I have used their 14.5in barrels and I'm pretty impressed.
There are other options as MontanaMan has suggested but I wanted to stay within your budget.
I have used multiple WOA barrels and for the price they can not be beaten. Excellent quality every time.
Any of the good names above, plus I really like Ranier Arms Ultra Matches. I've used them for years and they are tack drivers.
Woa will send you a clamp on gas block with gas tube on their 18” predator barrel. It costs about $350 and is threaded 5/8-24 at the muzzle. That is going to be one accurate barrel. Thermal fit upper , a clamp on gas tube , free float hand guard, 5/8-24 or crowned muzzle and a good trigger would be a recipe for a accurate ar.
Pretty sure White Oak is Shillen, but could be mistaken. I would actually take a hard look at a Criterion barrel in that price range. I am a bit of a barrel snob, but you can also quickly get to diminishing returns on an AR platform. The quality barrel shops, like Craddock, Compass Lake, White Oak, etc., all are going to use a good blank. Craddock and CLE will offer three or four, with Criterion being table stakes, and Kreiger or Bartlien taking the price prize, and Douglas and Shillen being somewhere in between. But, Criterion has come up quite a bit. You want a solid blank for the rifling accuracy, and a solid barrel shop to chamber, contour and headspace.
Keep one thing in mind: The AR starts with the barrel. You define the gun with the barrel. That is not the place to go cheap. Go cheap on your lower receiver.
Keep one thing in mind: The AR starts with the barrel. You define the gun with the barrel. That is not the place to go cheap. Go cheap on your lower receiver.
Cheap lowers, blem rails, blem CH, BCG’s from OEMS. This is how to build an accurate gun on a budget.
AR Performance Stainless 5.56 18'' 3R 8 twist 3G/Varmint Barrel
AR Performance 5.56 Stainless 3G/Varmint is a light weight profile with a slightly different taper to stiffen the barrel. Chambered in 223 Wylde, shoots 223 and 556 ammo and is more accurate.
www.blackstonearms.com
You would need to spend twice as much to beat that.
Your are mistaken; unless you specifically buy a Shilen blank barrel (or a Bartlien), the barrels from WOA are Wilson blanks.
All their prices are based on Wilson, unless it says Shilen or Bartlien, which are both significant upcharges from the Wilson barrels.
There are plenty of decent barrels available for under $400.................but not the best of the best, if that's what it desired.
The OP said he want something between $3-400, not the best of the best. Criterion's can be very good, but for the price, not really better than what WOA can be had for, & most are more expensive, if you get into their stainless lines.
JMHO, YMMV
MM
Of the three you listed, WOA and JP (over the years, I have had several WOA SS BBLs that shot under a minute ar 100m in 5.56 and 6.8 spc). BA can be hit or miss depending on what you end up with as well as your standards for precision potential. Douglas / CLE should also be considered.
That said, why are Bartlein, Krieger or Lilja outside your budget. Why not just save up and buy what you really want as opposed to settling for something that may or may not make you happy? The bbl is the heart of your platform so why not spend the difference, even if it means waiting a little longer to do it?
this is not a build from scratch. essentially a barrel upgrade. have a gun that i am pretty sure is a straight PSA. was told a BA barrel and i don't believe that. have added the geegaws i do on ARs. with good ammo about a bit< than 2 moa with surplus a bit < 3moa. so,just looking for the best affordable barrel and $300 +/- is it. saw a WO barrel that looks about what i want. they call it post ban service rifle. 20",rifle length,.75,1/8 0r 1/7 wylde. 1/7 would be great but on backorder. prefer 68-77gr for this use. in no hurry so will keep looking at others mentioned. $240 well in budget but i know more $ = more quality so keep looking. tx for all replies and input.
ThisAR Performance Stainless 5.56 18'' 3R 8 twist 3G/Varmint Barrel
AR Performance 5.56 Stainless 3G/Varmint is a light weight profile with a slightly different taper to stiffen the barrel. Chambered in 223 Wylde, shoots 223 and 556 ammo and is more accurate.www.blackstonearms.com
You would need to spend twice as much to beat that.
Blackstone Arms is taking over the barrel business, it may take a little while for him to catch up.AR Performance Stainless 5.56 18'' 3R 8 twist 3G/Varmint Barrel
AR Performance 5.56 Stainless 3G/Varmint is a light weight profile with a slightly different taper to stiffen the barrel. Chambered in 223 Wylde, shoots 223 and 556 ammo and is more accurate.www.blackstonearms.com
You would need to spend twice as much to beat that.
I would go WOA before Wilson. Holiger was one of the original 3 custom highpower barrel makers in the early 90s. Compass Lake eng, Derrick Martin at Accuracy Speaks and Holiger at WOA. They were the very first to make custom AR barrels.
There is a difference between a highpower barrel and a 3 gun gamer barrel.
Sadly, my range is only 200 yds. But it easily stays sub moa to there. I use Black Hills 40gr vmax, Hornady 55gr vmax and Black Hills 77grMK 262 in it.
I have a 20” Wilson Combat super sniper that is an absolute hammer with my hand loads. Shoots lots of .4’s and routinely makes easy hits out to 750. It’s like $250 or so from Wilson Combat directly. 750 is the max range I have. I actually had a complete WOA upper 18” SPR build that I just sold. It shot, at best .75’s. I expected better, but maybe too much from it. I also have multiple Wilson Arms bull barrels and they shoot decent as well. Next step for me is Krieger or Bartlein. There is a lot of good choices out there in your price range, but I feel you have to be lucky to get a hammer vs stepping up just a bit and be damn near guaranteed.
What kind of crown does that barrel have? Some time in the last few years Wilson started making their own barrels, their new barrels do not have 11* crowns. They have a flat crown with a 45* chamfer at the bore.
WOA is probably the best bang for the buck on the market. Holliger puts out a superb product at a reasonable price point. I've got several and they are all consistent sub moa performers. However, going to JP or Craddock or CLE will definitely cost more and most assuredly result in a top level performing barrel, but most people aren't good enough shooters to tell the difference between those four manufacturers. If you are a top level shooter, then spend accordingly.
My 24" 1-8 twist Wilson WOA bull barrel has allways shot very good, surprisingly even with Winchester white box 45grain varmint.
I kind of expexted them to come appart on the way to the target but made a diagonal elongated hole on a ten shot string.
I kind of expexted them to come appart on the way to the target but made a diagonal elongated hole on a ten shot string.
PROOF-RESEARCH Products - GameMasters Outdoors
www.gamemastersoutdoors.com
Proof 16.25" 223W 8T mid gas button barrel on sale right now at Stockys for $239.
I'll let you all know Friday how they shoot.
https://www.stockysstocks.com/proof-research-buttoned-ar15-barrels.html
I'll let you all know Friday how they shoot.
https://www.stockysstocks.com/proof-research-buttoned-ar15-barrels.html
Faxon 5R , DD . Go ahead and laugh but I'd opt for Old Bushmaster aka Windham Weaponry CR bore . Winchester white junk left stringing ,one fouler followed by #15 using BLC-2 charge with Bulk 55 grain pills . better than #2 decades back now . Someone was misinformed about cr bores Not being accurate .
#15 under the dime at 200 yd.
#15 under the dime at 200 yd.
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Take a look at X-Caliber too...buy during one of their sales and it meets your $400 criteria. I had a horrible experience with McGowen barrels and decided to go with X-caliber. After receiving the barrel on Saturday and looking over it with a fine toothed comb, including bore scoping it, it's perfect. Got the rifle together today and hope to shoot it tomorrow. They have an accuracy warranty if matched to a JP or RCA bolt and will head space it for $10 (which I did).
No idea who makes their blanks, and I have a sample size of one. But my 20" Rock River Arms complete upper has been an absolute hammer. 1-8 twist loves 69gr SMK. Might be worth buying just their barrel, and under your price limit by a tiny bit
www.rockriverarms.com
20 Inch Heavy Stainless Steel Barrels
Rock River Arms, Inc. offers a complete line of American made, custom built AR15 style rifles.
Just add it to your cart, there's a discount applied in the cart. It looks like it's on back order now though (says requested quantity not available).
Wilson Arms, not Wilson CombatNo idea who makes their blanks, and I have a sample size of one. But my 20" Rock River Arms complete upper has been an absolute hammer. 1-8 twist loves 69gr SMK. Might be worth buying just their barrel, and under your price limit by a tiny bit
20 Inch Heavy Stainless Steel Barrels
Rock River Arms, Inc. offers a complete line of American made, custom built AR15 style rifles.
X-Caliber use to be Montana Barrels, they made all the barrels for DPMS.
I have my bolts checked for headspace when bought together but dont recall ever being charged for it.
Go to their FAQ. All the info is there. Their guarantee is only good for RCA or JP bolts and they talk about the reasonings there.
For an uncommon bolt/bolt face or large frame variant, I can understand sending the bolt in so the chamber can be checked/reamed using that specific bolt and the appropriate gauges. I suspect X-Caliber's stipulation is more oriented to those situations. I'm not sure of the advantage of sending in a 5.56/.223 bolt. Those bolts have very little variation between reputable manufacturers regarding the dimension that affects headspace. Many production barrel makers use gauges like below, and not actual bolts, for the common chamberings. These gauges are made to that particular manufacturers Go/NoGo chamber dimension specifications.Take a look at X-Caliber too...buy during one of their sales and it meets your $400 criteria. I had a horrible experience with McGowen barrels and decided to go with X-caliber. After receiving the barrel on Saturday and looking over it with a fine toothed comb, including bore scoping it, it's perfect. Got the rifle together today and hope to shoot it tomorrow. They have an accuracy warranty if matched to a JP or RCA bolt and will head space it for $10 (which I did).
