Re: Barrels who do you think is the best for 6.5
We keep coming back to the term 'best'.
It's a term that's got a lot of component parts. I don't know what's the best barrel on the market, but if you can't get one in a reasonable amount of time, then it's not 'the best' no matter how wonderful its other attributes are.
I do know that my next barrel will be an L-W, but I'm not going to try and tell anyone they're any better than any other barrels. I just happen to know about them personally, and have seen similar excellent results with Shilen, Pac-Nor, and Douglas in the hands of other shooters. I can't speak about other barrels, simply because they are outside my personal experience.
Yes, there could well be an indirect relationship between longer barrel length and slower twist, but the key factor here is muzzle velocity and resulting rpm. The more rpm, the more stability, and a longer barrel allows the same velocity with less pressure than the shorter barrel.
Beyond that, stability is still a factor of rpm and bullet length, and it does not necessarily, or directly follow that you can get away with less twist in a longer barrel. The only way to know for sure is to try it, and if you guess wrong, you just hung a barrel on your rifle that is not going to do what you had in mind.
That's why I said that conservative advice will favor the 1:8" twist for LR-optimized bullets in a 6.5mm diameter. This is a question I specifically asked L-W, and they (rightfully) declined to confirm or deny the suitibility of a particular twist for my application. It was rightful because they cannot exercise any control over how I choose to employ that barrel, and I will tell you the same thing.
These days, 'best' is a flexible term. I would be comfortable with L-W, Shilen, Pac-Nor, and Douglas, and based on Frank's endorsements, Bartlein as well. These days, I would not seek 'the best', but rather, accept the fact that among (at least) all these, your needs will be served; and that a barrel in the hand is better than delivery commitment that has been missed by a mile.
I know about L-W because of some small collaboration I once had with them several years ago with a particular product's inception, but the part I played was very small, and I did gain some one-time personal benefit from the process. I would prefer to keep my confidence regarding the specifics.
Aside from that, my role is simply that of just another customer, and a satisfied one at that. My endorsement stems solely from that role.
Greg
--that's what I have coming for my 6.5x47. It was between Broughton and Krieger for me and since my smith deals with Broughton, that solved it.
