Best places to purchase prefits? I shop at Altus quite a bit. Want to make sure I’m not missing anywhere else that sells them. Thanks!
Proof Barrel PreFit
- Thread starter WtxMSCL8188
- Start date
Stockystocks.com has Savage prefits in stock and I was able to get free shipping. Just placed the order yesterday.
Opticsplanet.com also has a few in stock, but I would double check exactly how ‘in stock’ it is before you purchase. Most of them were in stock when I looked, but a few were a 2-4 month wait but still listed as ‘available.’
Hope this helps,
F23
Opticsplanet.com also has a few in stock, but I would double check exactly how ‘in stock’ it is before you purchase. Most of them were in stock when I looked, but a few were a 2-4 month wait but still listed as ‘available.’
Hope this helps,
F23
If you go expertvoice the wait depending on the caliber can be pretty long. I got a TL3 6.5cm with just off the shelf specs and it was about 12 weeks. If stockys has it in stock it may be worth the cost savings for the instant gratification.
Hammer of a barrel though.
Hammer of a barrel though.
I have zero patience. I do have access to expert voice. Definitely can save a few dollars. I like to buy and watch it show up 3-4 days later.
Are they really every bit as accurate as say a Bartlein?
Depending on contour the Proof is not an enormous weight savings over fluted steel.
Depending on contour the Proof is not an enormous weight savings over fluted steel.
It depends on what you’re looking for as different dealers will stock different stuff. Some of the more popular stuff is stocked by major distributors too so all the fly by night dropship “dealers” will have a lot of those options.
Across the board I’d say Stockys is the biggest stocking distributor, but they don’t carry the full line. You won’t find AI prefits or any of the “special” stuff their but for AR, RPR, Savage, etc they keep a nice selection on hand and on order.
Across the board I’d say Stockys is the biggest stocking distributor, but they don’t carry the full line. You won’t find AI prefits or any of the “special” stuff their but for AR, RPR, Savage, etc they keep a nice selection on hand and on order.
Comparing a SS Proof to a SS Bartlien, absolutely. The Proofs also seem to run a bit faster which I attribute to the 4 groove.
Carbon isn’t a fair comparison, carbon is not completely perfect and I don’t think they will ever be by design, but IMO Proof does it the best. Even the barrel that’s not the best of the bunch will hold 5 rounds before it strings, but most will go 10. If you want a fat and rigid but light barrel they’re awesome and should not be a concern, but it wouldn’t be a wise choice for a PRS gun or something like that. Just something to keep in mind, and doesn’t mean they’re “bad” or anything, just that they’re not the perfect choice for every application, just like a 1.250” straight taper barrel isn’t right for every application. They fill their role incredibly well though.
I think you might be working off old info. Although the first few barrels seemed to have their issues with wandering (and several other CF brands such as CA still have those issues), Proof apparently fixed those issues quickly, and in the last few years have proven themselves through testing and competition. Lowlight apparently has (or had) several on personal rifles, and although I am not an avid listener of his podcast, none of the YouTube videos he posted about them talk of any issues with wandering after long strings of fire.
<- Dealer who sells them, just FYI.
www.snipershide.com
www.snipershide.com
<- Dealer who sells them, just FYI.
Proof Research Barrels Norm Crawford Wins Prestigious Wimbledon Cup
Norm Crawford Wins Prestigious Wimbledon Cup for Second Year in a Row Columbia Falls, MT. (August 2017) With a winning shoot-off score of 100-5X, Norman Crawford won his second consecutive Wimbledon Cup Championship. Crawford used the same PROOF...
www.snipershide.com
Gunsmithing - Proof Research Barrel, MY AX 308 has a new Tube.
Proof Research sent over a 308 barrel, actually they sent it GA Precision and George had the guys spin it up for my AI Rifle. Stop by Mile High Today and Adam spun it on my AX. We had to be a bit careful and actually went under the recommended torque settings so, right now it's a bit of an...
www.snipershide.com
I had a good experience with expertvoice and they shipped my TL3 barrels in about 6 weeks. Just be aware that there is a little lead time.
I have found them to be just as good if its steel to steel comparison. I am currently shooting a Bartlein because that is what I could find when I needed it, but I have some more proofs on their way. For a match gun, I like steel just because its cheaper. I have a hunting gun in carbon, but I would probably go with a lighter and fluted stainless barrel in the future as I just prefer the look. It sounds like Barlein is making carbon barrels now, so it will be interesting to see if that steals some of proof's business.
One thing to point out about carbon barrels is that they are not actually incredibly light. If you watch some YouTube reviews or read certain magazine articles, it almost sounds as if the authors are trying to tell us that the barrels are filled with helium and lift the rest of the rifle up! While they are absolutely lighter than a match profile barrel of similar length, many thin hunting profiles are going to be of a similar weight, if not a little lighter. I just held mine for the first time (22in Proof CF Sendero) and I can confirm that it is not incredibly lightweight, just lighter than a similarly contoured steel barrel.
For Reference, here are the weights of two 6.5CM Savage Prefits of the same profile (from Proof's website: https://proofresearch.com/barrels/savage-pre-fit/) and two Bartlein lightweight blanks (best info I could find in a short search of the major barrel manufactures: http://bartleinbarrels.com/contours/):
-22in Proof Carbon: 2lbs 9oz (2.56lbs)
-22in Proof Steel: 4lbs 9oz (4.56lbs)
-23in Bartlein Steel 'Featherweight #2' Blank: 2lbs 10oz (2.6lbs)
-23in Bartlein Steel 'Win Featherweight' Blank: 2lbs 0oz (2.0lbs)
A lot if this comes down to the fact that there is still a significant barrel beneath all the carbon: Proof states in their promotional material that the steel portion of the barrel is absolutely strong enough to be fired without the carbon fiber wrap, so there is certainly more than just a steel liner underneath the weave.
All that being said, it certainly improved the balance of my rifle (COG is right at the front of the action now, instead of ~5 inches in front), but throwing one on to your normally 15-20lb precision rig isn't going to magically transform it into a featherweight hunting rifle.
TL;DR
I think that they really shine when your thinking is, "how can I make my lightweight rifle continue to shoot accurately under high volumes of fire," instead of "how can I make my great precision setup lightweight." As long as you keep in mind that you are spending an extra ~$400 to shed 1-3lbs from a traditional precision barrel, and you are okay with that, go for it! I can't judge you, because it's exactly what I just did!
For Reference, here are the weights of two 6.5CM Savage Prefits of the same profile (from Proof's website: https://proofresearch.com/barrels/savage-pre-fit/) and two Bartlein lightweight blanks (best info I could find in a short search of the major barrel manufactures: http://bartleinbarrels.com/contours/):
-22in Proof Carbon: 2lbs 9oz (2.56lbs)
-22in Proof Steel: 4lbs 9oz (4.56lbs)
-23in Bartlein Steel 'Featherweight #2' Blank: 2lbs 10oz (2.6lbs)
-23in Bartlein Steel 'Win Featherweight' Blank: 2lbs 0oz (2.0lbs)
A lot if this comes down to the fact that there is still a significant barrel beneath all the carbon: Proof states in their promotional material that the steel portion of the barrel is absolutely strong enough to be fired without the carbon fiber wrap, so there is certainly more than just a steel liner underneath the weave.
All that being said, it certainly improved the balance of my rifle (COG is right at the front of the action now, instead of ~5 inches in front), but throwing one on to your normally 15-20lb precision rig isn't going to magically transform it into a featherweight hunting rifle.
TL;DR
I think that they really shine when your thinking is, "how can I make my lightweight rifle continue to shoot accurately under high volumes of fire," instead of "how can I make my great precision setup lightweight." As long as you keep in mind that you are spending an extra ~$400 to shed 1-3lbs from a traditional precision barrel, and you are okay with that, go for it! I can't judge you, because it's exactly what I just did!
Check out Straight Jacket Armory for prefits https://straightjacketarmory.com/product-category/pre-fit-barrels/
Shoot Straight!
StraightShooter77
Straight Jacket Armory -Evanston, Wyoming
www.straightjacketarmory.com
(307) 707-3181 Ext 1
