Best place to get 6.5CM barrel for 737R

[LostInTranslation]

Have 737R action on order need to get barrel. Thinking Bartlein or Proof (stainless) 26in, target/competition appropriate profile (MTU, Palma). It appears those are not in stock - any recommendations on best places to source them from / get on waiting list?

Thank you

 

[oldrifleman]

Call Greg at bug holes he will let you know how to get one.

 

[kthomas]

TS Customs.

You will get the barrel in 2-4 weeks and it will shoot excellent.

 

[FuhQ]

Call Eric Anderson @ Blue Mountain Precision. He built the Proof prefit for my Aero Solus, and did an absolutely phenomenal job. He even knows where the starter thread needs to be, so the words and info are fully readable when torqued onto the action.

https://bluemountainprecision.com/

 

[Rob01]

Get with @bohem Josh at Patriot Valley Arms. They can spin up an Osprey prefit for you. I have 4 of their Osprey barrels and they are excellent!

Osprey 6.5mm Prefit Barrels - All Actions

Precision rifle prefit barrels for all actions, custom ordered and ready to install. No machining or gunsmithing required. Match winning Osprey barrels by Patriot Valley Arms; we Engineer Repeatability. 100% Made in USA

patriotvalleyarms.com

 

[Maggot]

Get with @bohem Josh at Patriot Valley Arms. They can spin up an Osprey prefit for you. I have 4 of their Osprey barrels and they are excellent!

Osprey 6.5mm Prefit Barrels - All Actions

Precision rifle prefit barrels for all actions, custom ordered and ready to install. No machining or gunsmithing required. Match winning Osprey barrels by Patriot Valley Arms; we Engineer Repeatability. 100% Made in USA

patriotvalleyarms.com

Thanks to @Rob01, and @bohem, I have 3 of their barrels. 223, 6.5 CM, and 7 PRC, all shoot .5 moa or better easily...if I do my part, LOL. Easy to work with, good quality, and fast service, especially if you pay the rush fee.

 

[jmw]

TS customs

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

Call Eric Anderson @ Blue Mountain Precision. He built the Proof prefit for my Aero Solus, and did an absolutely phenomenal job. He even knows where the starter thread needs to be, so the words and info are fully readable when torqued onto the action.

https://bluemountainprecision.com/

View attachment 8533286View attachment 8533277

Eric may be the best in the country. Greg is also great. There is no beating Blue Mountain though

 

[FuhQ]

Eric may be the best in the country. Greg is also great. There is no beating Blue Mountain though

He will continue to get my business going forward after this .25CM barrel... His work is absolutely stellar. He came highly recommended by the guys at Evolved Ballistics, so that's who I had them send the blank to. Glad I did.

I tell you one thing, CarbonSix is genuinely trying to make the 7 SAW barrel fiasco right, so I will give them that... But, even if this new barrel shoots good, I'll never buy another barrel from them. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me... And if this new barrel won't shoot worth a shit, I'm just going to get a refund, and order a Proof blank, and have Eric build it out for me...Because I KNOW it will be 100% right.

I'll stick with Proof blanks & having Eric building the prefits. It's a winning combination.

 

[mark5pt56]

Call Eric Anderson @ Blue Mountain Precision. He built the Proof prefit for my Aero Solus, and did an absolutely phenomenal job. He even knows where the starter thread needs to be, so the words and info are fully readable when torqued onto the action.

https://bluemountainprecision.com/

View attachment 8533286View attachment 8533277

I was shooting a .223w he did for me last Thursday, man that thing hammers. 24" M24 Hawk Hill.

 

[FuhQ]

I was shooting a .223w he did for me last Thursday, man that thing hammers. 24" M24 Hawk Hill.

Yep, Eric will definitely get my business from now on, not only because he puts out an excellent product, but because he actually gives a damn about the quality of work he puts out with his name attached to it. Something that seems to be severely lacking in ALL the trade industries these days.

 

[bohem]

Osprey 6.5mm Prefit Barrels - All Actions

Precision rifle prefit barrels for all actions, custom ordered and ready to install. No machining or gunsmithing required. Match winning Osprey barrels by Patriot Valley Arms; we Engineer Repeatability. 100% Made in USA

patriotvalleyarms.com

Look no further. We have blanks on hand in any contour you want, available in as little as 1 week.
We also have timing setups for the barrels so that the caliber marking lines up, pretty easy setup.

 

[808state]

Osprey 6.5mm Prefit Barrels - All Actions

Precision rifle prefit barrels for all actions, custom ordered and ready to install. No machining or gunsmithing required. Match winning Osprey barrels by Patriot Valley Arms; we Engineer Repeatability. 100% Made in USA

patriotvalleyarms.com

Look no further. We have blanks on hand in any contour you want, available in as little as 1 week.
We also have timing setups for the barrels so that the caliber marking lines up, pretty easy setup.

Tracking shows my Proof CF was just delivered for chambering in 6.5. Hear you guys do good work, can’t wait. \^^^/

 

[Wisconsinner]

I don't think you can go wrong with any suggestions mentioned already. However, shout out to Travis at TS customs. He has been my go to for my last few barrels and they all shoot very well.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Have 737R action on order need to get barrel. Thinking Bartlein or Proof (stainless) 26in, target/competition appropriate profile (MTU, Palma). It appears those are not in stock - any recommendations on best places to source them from / get on waiting list?

Thank you

https://impactprecisionshooting.com/collections/barrels-impact-precision/products/6-5-creedmoor-26-m24?variant=39391905710127

The first place you should look.

 

[giumau1]

+1 Travis Stevens - TSCustoms

 

[Hawk in WY]

LRI

 

[Earnhardt]

Southern Precision Rifles

aka Bugholes

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I purchased a barreled action a couple of years ago that included a Impact Precision 737R SA and 26" Bartlein M24 chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I am now considering a barrel refresh. Of the excellent gunsmiths mentioned above, do any of them offer pre-fit barrels or will i have to send the action in to get a new barrel built?

 

[oldrifleman]

I purchased a barreled action a couple of years ago that included a Impact Precision 737R SA and 26" Bartlein M24 chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I am now considering a barrel refresh. Of the excellent gunsmiths mentioned above, do any of them offer pre-fit barrels or will i have to send the action in to get a new barrel built?

All of them likely have blanks available They are easy to install. I use Southern Precision Rifles but they have an 8 week backlog, others can maybe supply them faster.

 

[bohem]

I purchased a barreled action a couple of years ago that included a Impact Precision 737R SA and 26" Bartlein M24 chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I am now considering a barrel refresh. Of the excellent gunsmiths mentioned above, do any of them offer pre-fit barrels or will i have to send the action in to get a new barrel built?

We don't need your action, though most of the reputable shops in the country don't need a 737R SA to send you a replacement barrel these days.

I have blanks in stock in any contour you want, lead time can be as quick as 1 week depending on the options you pick. Doing a plain M24 in 6.5 Creed with 5/8 muzzle threads is a daily type occurence.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

We don't need your action, though most of the reputable shops in the country don't need a 737R SA to send you a replacement barrel these days.

I have blanks in stock in any contour you want, lead time can be as quick as 1 week depending on the options you pick. Doing a plain M24 in 6.5 Creed with 5/8 muzzle threads is a daily type occurence.

Awesome... I will be in touch

As for barrel length. Like i said earlier, mine is a 26". I have heard of some building a 27" for the 6.5 creedmoor. Is it possible to go out to 28" for a 6.5 creedmoor and is it even feasible to make used of that extra length.

This is strictly a precision target rifle i use for fun and doing things like one-mile shoots (not an ELR gun of course) and FClass F/TR. I know it is not the ideal shooting platform for FClass either but i shoot at a local club just for fun.

 

[Rob01]

Awesome... I will be in touch

As for barrel length. Like i said earlier, mine is a 26". I have heard of some building a 27" for the 6.5 creedmoor. Is it possible to go out to 28" for a 6.5 creedmoor and is it even feasible to make used of that extra length.

This is strictly a precision target rifle i use for fun and doing things like one-mile shoots (not an ELR gun of course) and FClass F/TR. I know it is not the ideal shooting platform for FClass either but i shoot at a local club just for fun.

The 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge was designed around a 28" barrel so yes 28" works fine and all I have used since 2008 for my 6.5 Creedmoors. I like the little extra free velocity over a 24". A 26" will work and I wouldn't go any shorter personally.

 

[FuhQ]

Awesome... I will be in touch

As for barrel length. Like i said earlier, mine is a 26". I have heard of some building a 27" for the 6.5 creedmoor. Is it possible to go out to 28" for a 6.5 creedmoor and is it even feasible to make used of that extra length.

This is strictly a precision target rifle i use for fun and doing things like one-mile shoots (not an ELR gun of course) and FClass F/TR. I know it is not the ideal shooting platform for FClass either but i shoot at a local club just for fun.

I'm running Nosler 140 RDF's in my 22" Solus 6.5CM with StaBall 6.5, and getting around 2,835 FPS MV. I'm pretty happy with that. Personally, I would have preferred 20" barrel, since I run suppressors on everything, but with modern powders, you can really makeup for a large portion of the missing barrel length.

 

[Rob01]

I'm running Nosler 140 RDF's in my 22" Solus 6.5CM with StaBall 6.5, and getting around 2,835 FPS MV. I'm pretty happy with that. Personally, I would have preferred 20" barrel, since I run suppressors on everything, but with modern powders, you can really makeup for a large portion of the missing barrel length.

View attachment 8536491

Imagine how much faster it would be going with a 28" barrel.

Seriously though that is very fast from a 22" barrel so you are pushing it pretty hard and that is going to effect barrel life also. It's easy to get that velocity from a 28" barrel and not push it as hard but with your use of a can all the time then your choice to go shorter for being more maneuverable for you. But with a 22" barrel and 7-9" can it's the same length or longer than a 28" with a brake.

 

[FuhQ]

Imagine how much faster it would be going with a 28" barrel.

Seriously though that is very fast from a 22" barrel so you are pushing it pretty hard and that is going to effect barrel life also. It's easy to get that velocity from a 28" barrel and not push it as hard but with your use of a can all the time then your choice to go shorter for being more maneuverable for you. But with a 22" barrel and 7-9" can it's the same length or longer than a 28" with a brake.

True, but 28” + 7” to 9” can = Hell No

I run Alpha 6.5 CM SRP brass. 45.0 StaBall 6.5, CCI 400’s, and seated 0.010” jump. It’s close to pressure in that rifle, but no ejector swipes even with virgin brass, and it still shoots around 1/2 MOA, so I’ll keep running it. And the ES and SD on that load are great.

I’m not too concerned about barrel life on a factory tube…I’m just waiting until the day I can screw on a Proof CF 20” 6.5CM barrel onto it.

 

[TheBigCountry]

Joe Walls in Hastings, FL

 

[Rob01]

True, but 28” + 7” to 9” can = Hell No

I run Alpha 6.5 CM SRP brass. 45.0 StaBall 6.5, CCI 400’s, and seated 0.010” jump. It’s close to pressure in that rifle, but no ejector swipes even with virgin brass, and it still shoots around 1/2 MOA, so I’ll keep running it. And the ES and SD on that load are great.

I’m not too concerned about barrel life on a factory tube…I’m just waiting until the day I can screw on a Proof CF 20” 6.5CM barrel onto it.

I ran my 26” 300WM with a 9” can in matches. Was fun.

 

[FuhQ]

I ran my 26” 300WM with a 9” can in matches. Was fun.

Yeah, all but one of my magnums are still 26” + can. The only on that’s not is a purpose-built 22.5” 7mmRM for hunting. And after a powder change, I’m still getting 1/4 MOA 3-shot groups (I don’t do 5 shot groups with magnums due to heat), and 2,935 w/ Berger 168 VLD’s. Brass life sucks, but it’s a hammer, and I only use it for hunting.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Never one to want to push a rifle hard, however, why give up free velocity on a rifle meant to shoot targets. It’s not like you are humping your 6.5 Creedmoor in the brush of Kodiak Island in search of a thousand+ pound brownie.

 

[kthomas]

Never one to want to push a rifle hard, however, why give up free velocity on a rifle meant to shoot targets. It’s not like you are humping your 6.5 Creedmoor in the brush of Kodiak Island in search of a thousand+ pound brownie.

I've personally have settled on 24" barrels for 6.5 Creedmoor.

For me that's the sweet spot for balance and ballistics performance. A 140 Berger Hybrid going 2800 fps is more than capable ballistically.

I also happened to shoot suppressed, and while its still manageable, a 28" barrel and a suppressor is not as much fun to move around obstacles as a 24" barrel w/suppressor.

Everyone's preference is going to be different. There's not really any wrong answers here. In the grand scheme of things, a difference of 4" in barrel length is pretty negligible.

 

[NateVA]

I also happened to shoot suppressed, and while its still manageable, a 28" barrel and a suppressor is not as much fun to move around obstacles as a 24" barrel w/suppressor.

Out of curiosity, what length suppressor do you use for it?

 

[kthomas]

Out of curiosity, what length suppressor do you use for it?

I use an Abel Co Biscuit which is ~5-1/2" in length.

 

[LostInTranslation]

What should cost of pre-fit barrel be (sweet spot - not "best of the best with no cost concern")? I see some (such as stainless Proof) at less than $600 and up for others on the list.

 

[Rob01]

What should cost of pre-fit barrel be (sweet spot - not "best of the best with no cost cancer")? I see some (such as stainless Proof) at less than $600 and up for others on the list.

Usually the $600-800 range is the area you will find most. Proof is good but you don't get the choices as you do from other places for contour, length etc. You save some money but lose some choice. This is why I like PVA as Josh will make you whatever you want for a barrel. Contour, length, muzzle threading, flutes, etc. Lots of choice. I actually just ordered a new 6.5 Creedmoor barrel from Josh last night.

 

[LostInTranslation]

Usually the $600-800 range is the area you will find most. Proof is good but you don't get the choices as you do from other places for contour, length etc. You save some money but lose some choice. This is why I like PVA as Josh will make you whatever you want for a barrel. Contour, length, muzzle threading, flutes, etc. Lots of choice. I actually just ordered a new 6.5 Creedmoor barrel from Josh last night.

Thank you for the insight. I actually don't want the choice - this is my first build - I'd rather go with what is most common / follow the crowd wisdom

 

[LostInTranslation]

He will continue to get my business going forward after this .25CM barrel... His work is absolutely stellar. He came highly recommended by the guys at Evolved Ballistics, so that's who I had them send the blank to. Glad I did.

I tell you one thing, CarbonSix is genuinely trying to make the 7 SAW barrel fiasco right, so I will give them that... But, even if this new barrel shoots good, I'll never buy another barrel from them. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me... And if this new barrel won't shoot worth a shit, I'm just going to get a refund, and order a Proof blank, and have Eric build it out for me...Because I KNOW it will be 100% right.

I'll stick with Proof blanks & having Eric building the prefits. It's a winning combination.

On their site I saw Benchmark prefits - $800. If I were to follow your suggestion - proof blank / Eric build - how much would that run? And when people refer to "Eric" - do I actually call and ask for him and order on phone or go through website and he is the main guy who builds them?

 

[Rob01]

Thank you for the insight. I actually don't want the choice - this is my first build - I'd rather go with what is most common / follow the crowd wisdom

But you aren’t as you are getting a blank and then going to a guy to build off it. Lol You can order the same thing through Josh with an Osprey blank. He is in this thread already and can answer any questions you have. It’s easy though. Just order from the site and use his drop down menu. Place the order and done.

Osprey 6.5mm Prefit Barrels - All Actions

Precision rifle prefit barrels for all actions, custom ordered and ready to install. No machining or gunsmithing required. Match winning Osprey barrels by Patriot Valley Arms; we Engineer Repeatability. 100% Made in USA

patriotvalleyarms.com

 

[FuhQ]

On their site I saw Benchmark prefits - $800. If I were to follow your suggestion - proof blank / Eric build - how much would that run? And when people refer to "Eric" - do I actually call and ask for him and order on phone or go through website and he is the main guy who builds them?

I can’t tell you a price, that’s his job. I’m not affiliated with any company. You will need to call them and talk to them yourself.

 

[LostInTranslation]

But you aren’t as you are getting a blank and then going to a guy to build off it. Lol You can order the same thing through Josh with an Osprey blank. He is in this thread already and can answer any questions you have. It’s easy though. Just order from the site and use his drop down menu. Place the order and done.

Osprey 6.5mm Prefit Barrels - All Actions

Precision rifle prefit barrels for all actions, custom ordered and ready to install. No machining or gunsmithing required. Match winning Osprey barrels by Patriot Valley Arms; we Engineer Repeatability. 100% Made in USA

patriotvalleyarms.com

I think the tread took a bit of life on its own... My original post was "Have 737R action on order need to get barrel. Thinking Bartlein or Proof (stainless) 26in, target/competition appropriate profile (MTU, Palma). It appears those are not in stock - any recommendations on best places to source them from / get on waiting list?" Going one of routes on thread may still be the simplest way forward - but I'd probably be saying "build me whatever is most common in precision shooting"

 

[Rob01]

Common is easy. For the 6.5 Creedmoor:
26-28”
M24-Proof Comp contour
7.5-8 twist
5/8-24 muzzle thread
Stainless finish

What I just ordered last night was:
28”
7.5 twist
Proof Comp contour
5/8-24 muzzle thread
Stainless finish.

 

[oldrifleman]

I would check out the impact precision web sight and find the barrel and order it. Simple and they know the action, are shooters and deliver great products. I guess I am just not sold on a proof barrel. I am a Bartlein/ Krieger/CRB/ Osprey person. But minimum size is M24, i am actually using more Heavy Varmit/comp contour tubes.