Looking for 16" Match Grade Barrel for AR

[Bullitt2075]

Hello Guys

I'm helping a friend build his AR-15 and he is looking for the best match grade barrel for the price. He is looking to shoot out to 300 yards for groundhogs and coyotes. I'[m sure you guys will be able to help us out with this issue. Thanks

 

[ORD]

Don't think about it or delay for long because these tubes generally don't stay around for long as they are some of the best off-the-rack barrels made and come with a guarantee on accuracy/satisfaction or your money back!!! I have run several of the Rainier UM barrels in various rifles and they are top-notch!

https://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=809

Good luck!

 

[Cobracutter]

I don't buy it. I have read too much about Rainers barrels and issues people have had. They are hardly "match" and there are a good number of people that have sent them back beacuse they didn't group well.

Generally with Barrels you get what you pay for. You might get lucky and find a good Barrel/ammo combo on the cheap, but you usualy pay for quality.

If Value is your concern, you cannot and will not do better than WOA. 16" is more than adaquate, but I would not limit myself based on what is in stock/shipping....

Go here: White Oak Armament | AR-15 Barrels Fulton also sells Criteron which are pretty good tubes for the money. Kriger and Lija also make good AR barrels, but are much more pricey.

 

[AnschutzNerd]

Noveske or Noveske!

I have a long barrel Krieger and await arrival of a custom Bartlien. I'm trying to see if they can outshoot the Noveske's I have.

Can't go wrong with the Stainless Noveske Recon with pinned LP GB. It's a 16-in barrel with meaty profile.

Nerd

 

[HellsCanyonArmory]

White Oak barrels have been wickedly accurate for myself but I've also had good luck with Lothar Walther as well in a Seekins Upper/lower. I have a like new 18" LW barrel I'd get rid of if he's interested. Less than 300 rounds through it. 1:8" twist, 5.56 chamber, .750" gasblock, 1/2-28 muzzle threads. Sitting in a Seekins billet upper with Odinworks 12.5" K-mod rail right now but I'd be willing to pull the barrel if he's interested. This barrel was 1/2-3/4 MOA if I did my part with the Hornady 55 grain V-max ammo. Never handloaded for it.

Mike

 

[Cobracutter]

Noveske or Noveske!

I have a long barrel Krieger and await arrival of a custom Bartlien. I'm trying to see if they can outshoot the Noveske's I have.

Can't go wrong with the Stainless Noveske Recon with pinned LP GB. It's a 16-in barrel with meaty profile.

Nerd

I think he is looking for cheaper barrels, which noveske deffinatley is not. There are also "better" shooting barrels than noveske in that price range and some under such as WOA. I have yet to see or even hear of one that isin't a shooter.
I just wish they made .308 and .260 barrels. They would dominate that market as most of the good ones cost $500-600.

 

[RTH1800]

I have tried many AR .223 barrels. Dozens. Most accurate are Les Baer. Krieger, WOA and Bartlein are top notch. The barrels provided by Kevin at HCS are made by Dougless and are very accurate. "Best match grade barrel for the price" is an oxymoron. Buy for the price, or buy the best. Seldom do they intersect. More so in barrels. Good luck with your project. Most of the better barrels take months to get. Generally speaking, if it is cheep and available today, you do not want it for accuracy. I just received 5 Kreigers that I ordered last spring. Not sure the date but I think March. Arrived today. Baer is similar or longer wait. ...

 

[Desert_Racer]

I don't buy it. I have read too much about Rainers barrels and issues people have had. They are hardly "match" and there are a good number of people that have sent them back beacuse they didn't group well.

Generally with Barrels you get what you pay for. You might get lucky and find a good Barrel/ammo combo on the cheap, but you usualy pay for quality.

If Value is your concern, you cannot and will not do better than WOA. 16" is more than adaquate, but I would not limit myself based on what is in stock/shipping....

Go here: White Oak Armament | AR-15 Barrels Fulton also sells Criteron which are pretty good tubes for the money. Kriger and Lija also make good AR barrels, but are much more pricey.

I can back up this claim with personal experience. The Rainier Ultra Match barrel I got was absolute dog shit. I thought I would give one a try since they were supposedly (at the time of purchase) cut from Shilen blanks by WOA. I'm not sure how valid that rumor was, but after my experience I will assume it is false. Still waiting on a Krieger I ordered in January. I should've just bought one in the first place. There's two things I will never skimp on when building a rifle: the barrel and the optic. Save yourself the time, effort, money, and heartache and get yourself a quality barrel from the aforementioned manufacturers (except for Rainier!).

I'm not bashing Rainier as a company, but I was just not pleased with their barrel.

 

[splean]

I agree with CSAR FE, don't skimp on barrels and optics. WOA is my choice when it comes to AR barrels. Good luck and keep us posted. - Splean

 

[BLDTYLRY]

Take a look at Wilson Arms barrels. It took about 100 rounds to smooth out the barrel and OCW testing but my 16" 8-Twist SS BBL Wylde Chambering is shooting 1/2" groups at 100yds. Paid $190 for it.

 

[Luky]

I have a Fulton phantom carbine upper with 16" 1:9 barrel. Very accurate with hand loads, .5-.6 moa @ 100 yards with hornady 68gr.

 

[BCP]

Hello Guys

I'm helping a friend build his AR-15 and he is looking for the best match grade barrel for the price. He is looking to shoot out to 300 yards for groundhogs and coyotes. I'[m sure you guys will be able to help us out with this issue. Thanks

My rainier ultra match was great. I am doing another 16" now and using a white oak.

No matter what your buddy gets make sure he buys something that either has an accuracy guarantee or a really good rep since during the last rush I think a lot of barrel companies turned out a high number of duds.

 

[slothlacrosse]

I finally got around to installing a Rainier Match barrel that I had sitting around. I have no complaints with the accuracy from it.

Your friend might want to check out ER Shaw. I built a budget rifle a few years back and used one of their barrels. Surprisingly accurate with XM855.

 

[cotntop]

Ran through a lot of diff barrels and the best i have shot came from Satern and WOA. Make sure you have a quality upper, lot of sloppy uppers showing up lately. Too much play at barrel extension. Ranier UM ain't bad for price.

 

[Desert_Racer]

Ran through a lot of diff barrels and the best i have shot came from Satern and WOA. Make sure you have a quality upper, lot of sloppy uppers showing up lately. Too much play at barrel extension. Ranier UM ain't bad for price.

I had a Satern barrel for my 6.5 Grendel that shot lights out. Satern doesn't get mentioned very frequently for some reason, which is beyond me. They make an excellent product.

 

[ksthomas]

Satern's barrels have become the only choice for me in my Service Rifles, and I've had outstanding results with them. I prefer the single point cut barrels anyway, which eliminates most of the other barrels that have been mentioned here. I'll use buttoned barrels, but the list of folks I'll use them from is pretty small. Satern also makes buttoned barrels under the Liberty brand name, and they're some of the best going. Lot of differences in how a buttoned barrel can be made, and Steve does them right; drilled undersized, finish honed to final I.D. dimensions, lubed and buttoned at a reasonable speed, and that's not the case with many others I've seen mentioned here so far. Finally, his gas ports are correctly located in the groove when the barrel extensions are installed. These are done right, and I've got no hesitation in taking them to Perry.

 

[a1-equipment]

As hard as barrels are to get I would say
Take what you can find in a name brand kieger, baer, satern,woa, ect

 

[smschulz]

Sometimes we just want to blame something and the barrel usually gets the first punch.
I have builds with six Ultra Matches and in three calibers with varying lengths.
They all shoot sub MOA.
I did send one back to Rainier (308 18") once but I don't think anything was wrong with it.
It was my first time building a 308 and certain ammo had high pressure signs (primer popping, etc).
I have since learned how to properly reload for the round and never had a problem since.
Not to say anything can't have a problem than needs fixing but I suspect many times it is just inexperience that is more likely the problem.
Accuracy also has many more components than just a barrel.
Rainier Ultra Match Barrels have been excellent for me.
Fantastic shooters.
YMMV

 

[Afkirby]

for the price white oak armament barrels shoot great, you'd have to be a top tier shooter to see the difference between them and other more expensive barrels.

 

[benchmstr]

ive been running BCM, noveske, and WOA as far as 556 AR's go...good experience with all

bench

 

[clayne_b]

Im no pro when it comes to AR's but I have one with a FN 1:7 20", with my hand loads its shooting 69grn SMK right at or below 1/2 moa at 100 yards, and 85 gr bullets even better... been the only AR barrel I have ever had, so take it for what its worth...

 

[tickled pink]

Does anyone ever use Brux barrels or (blanks)? I have one on my bolt 6mmNorma BR. that shoots way under 1/2" five shot groups at 200 yds. They have a warranty on accuracy. If you are not happy they will give you another one at no charge. You may have to have someone to chamber & thread & taper it for you though. All of theirs are bench rest quality.

Here is a target my buddy shot with his reloads with his Colt 6720 M4.

 

[346ci]

We run AR15 Performance barrels/bolts in our ARs, very consistant and accurate for the money. Others I would consider would be WOA and Shilen.

While many brands consider theirs a "match" grade, most of the time that is not the case.

 

[tickled pink]

Investigate Brux barrels. I had Ray Rayhill of Stockade Gunstocks build a 6mm Norma BR. for me with a Brux barrel that I had Brux send him the rifled blank. It was built for hunting antelope. I have shot a .084" five shot group at 100 yds with it and shot a 3.25" group at 1,000 yds. Not to bad for a cut rifling and hand lapped off the shelf barrel blank.

This is the only picture of a target I shot with it in competition at 1,000 yds. 3 five shot groups shot over a period of about 3 hours. 50 points was a perfect score for each group. The scores and group sizes are in lower right corner. All 15 shots would have hit the boiler room of an antelope at 1,000 yds. Not to shabby for a hunting rifle. It was the second time I ever shot at 1,000 yds.

Scores for each group was (46) (42) + (44) out of a possible 50 points for each group.

Brux barrels rock.

 

[jrob300]

The Brux on my .260 was an honest 1/4 minute barrel. My WOA 16" has pasted consistent sub-MOA groups with 77's out to 750. For a button rifled barrel, they are awesome.

John

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Satern's barrels have become the only choice for me in my Service Rifles, and I've had outstanding results with them. I prefer the single point cut barrels anyway, which eliminates most of the other barrels that have been mentioned here. I'll use buttoned barrels, but the list of folks I'll use them from is pretty small. Satern also makes buttoned barrels under the Liberty brand name, and they're some of the best going. Lot of differences in how a buttoned barrel can be made, and Steve does them right; drilled undersized, finish honed to final I.D. dimensions, lubed and buttoned at a reasonable speed, and that's not the case with many others I've seen mentioned here so far. Finally, his gas ports are correctly located in the groove when the barrel extensions are installed. These are done right, and I've got no hesitation in taking them to Perry.

Plus One. Steve is just plain intense on quality; and, more importantly, he knows how to shoot; meaning he can evaluate the performance of barrels promised to be "match grade". Since novice shooters here seeking "match grade" do not have the wherewithal to appraise match grade they would be well advised to buy from Saturn.

All,

There is no shortage of match grade barrels out there, as well as barrels described as match grade that are not. There are even barrels out there which are not described as match grade but appear to produce match grade results. Thing is, unless you really do know how to shoot at the highest level it's doubtful you would know a really great barrel from a rack grade model, or for that matter when a barrel has eroded enough to cause interest in replacement. It's a dilemma without an answer but to take advise from those like ksthomas who do know how to shoot. And remember, unless the ammunition is defective or the barrel is damaged: the bullet ALWAYS goes in the direction the barrel is pointed. When shots do not go where aimed they still go where the barrel was pointed meaning it was the shooter moving the rifle, inconsistent sight alignment, or incorrect counter for wind and weather effects producing the poor result, not the barrel. One more thing, most knuckleheads with a scoped rifle and bipod, doing everything wrong regarding sight alignment, trigger control, and position building can still use the bipod and scope as a substitute for marksmanship at 100 yards and get sub MOA groupings, even with the raunchiest of factory barrels. Stretch the distance to about 300 yards for more meaningful evaluation of equipment, as well as shooter performance.

 

[Cobracutter]

Satern's barrels have become the only choice for me in my Service Rifles, and I've had outstanding results with them. I prefer the single point cut barrels anyway, which eliminates most of the other barrels that have been mentioned here. I'll use buttoned barrels, but the list of folks I'll use them from is pretty small. Satern also makes buttoned barrels under the Liberty brand name, and they're some of the best going. Lot of differences in how a buttoned barrel can be made, and Steve does them right; drilled undersized, finish honed to final I.D. dimensions, lubed and buttoned at a reasonable speed, and that's not the case with many others I've seen mentioned here so far. Finally, his gas ports are correctly located in the groove when the barrel extensions are installed. These are done right, and I've got no hesitation in taking them to Perry.

That's good to hear, I might have to give them a go on my next build.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

For an extended distance Varmint/Predator rifle, I suggest the Lothar-Walther Varmint/Tactical 20" Match Grade barrel with matched Bolt and Barrel extension, $369 in stock. Good price, good value; ideal for a new build.

The barrel is the crucial element in building an accurate AR-15 rifle, and L-W enjoys my complete confidence and trust. They are simply the largest producer of barrels of all grades worldwide, and this gives them the capacity to meticulously measure and gage their products to an exceptional degree, all production specifications are precise and repeatable. My custom pair of 28" 1:8" LW-50 Stainless .260 Rem F Open barrels' specs are on file, and repeatable whenever I want another.

Also, although pricier, their Match Varmint 24" barrel would be my own preference; the 1:8" twist with the 5.56 chamber should handle about any bullet that's worthy of the applications you mention.

The accuracy of a an AR with a 24" 1:8", 5.56 barrel at 250yd is something to marvel at; my 16 y/o Granddaughter shoots mine in 250yd F T/R match comp.

Greg

 

[stu2]

I just received a 18.5" Rainier UltraMatch upper in .223 Wylde. It's a shooter. I get nothing more than one MOA even with junk XM193 and M855 ammo. It does like the M855 62gr green tip better, but only slightly. I get MOA with these. My other ARs can't do this with this ammo.

Now, when I put good ammo it's sub MOA. I'm talking Hornady 75gr Match and Nosler Custom Comp 77gr. I will try Federal GMM 77gr next just for fun. But my reloads are crazy accurate. My 69gr SMK load is 4 shots in one hole with a flyer. I'm not kidding. This barrel is the best I have shot yet. It beets my LWRC, that's for sure. Since nobody can get a Noveske I decided to give the Rainier/Shilen barrel a try and I'm completely happy with it. Oh, I did all this accuracy testing at 100 yds.

 

[Kilmore]

HCS, Compass Lake, White Oak. Any or all.

 

[Smokerroller]

After a lot of reading I went with a noveske recon 16"er. I haven't got the build finished yet but you won't be able to beat them.

 

[-=boone=-]

Noveske or Noveske!

I have a long barrel Krieger and await arrival of a custom Bartlien. I'm trying to see if they can outshoot the Noveske's I have.

Can't go wrong with the Stainless Noveske Recon with pinned LP GB. It's a 16-in barrel with meaty profile.

Nerd

Funny my Noveske Recon shot like shit with black hills match ammo and reloads. I love Noveske but that thing was a huge disappointment.

WOA barrels are hard to beat, I should have never sold my "spr" with a 18" woa barrel. Consistant 3/4 moa shooter.

I'm getting ready to try a BCM 16" recon barrel, we'll see how it goes.

 

[AnschutzNerd]

Funny my Noveske Recon shot like shit with black hills match ammo and reloads. I love Noveske but that thing was a huge disappointment.

WOA barrels are hard to beat, I should have never sold my "spr" with a 18" woa barrel. Consistant 3/4 moa shooter.

I'm getting ready to try a BCM 16" recon barrel, we'll see how it goes.

My difficulty shooting short-er barreled AR's is recoil and optic related, not a limitation of the barrel. The short guns are relatively light and just a lot less stable than a 20 to 24-in truck axel. Add to that, the moving mass of a bcg and the shorter AR's are tougher to drive, In my experience. Then there is optics. My long guns have at least a 20x upper end where my 16-in has less than 10x. Just because the barrel may be 1/2-MOA capable does not mean the optic is also as capable. I need magnification.

Last night I was shooting one of my newer Krieger heavy barreled AR's with 22x optic and 3-shots of 5 would touch at 100-yds. The 2x fliers were due to operator error. Shooting 5-shot groups that can be covered with a quarter was boring. Trying to shoot 1/4-MOA groups with an AR, I think I have a rifle up to the challenge and that's with FGMM! I look forward to trying!

The Noveske's I have will do MOA if I do my part. Will they do 1/4-MOA? I don't plan to try. I am very happy with MOA given that I find them tough to drive given their short length and light weight, plus lower magnification optics.

Nerd

 

[FMJBT]

On a budget, the Bergara barrels sold by Precision Reflex are worth looking into. They are made in Spain from locally sourced stainless and button rifled using a process they brought in Ed Shilen to develop. I run one of their 18" SPR barrels and have been extremely impressed by it's ability to remain sub MOA even after running enough rounds through it to make the carbon fiber free float tube on my rifle mildly uncomfortable to hold due to the heat. The one I have will consistently shoot 77 grain Noslers into 1/2 to 3/4 moa. Lake City 62 grain ammo typically shoots at about 1 to 1.5 moa out of this barrel.