Which barrel.

[Mojo0254]

I know this is going to probably be based on opinions so I’m going to get a ton of different answers all based on opinion but still going to seek the advice. I am torn between 3 barrel options right now.

Option 1: Preferred barrel blanks all done in house and the cheapest of all. Mostly great reviews and the couple of people that say they had issues got them fixed.

Option 2: Patriot Valley Arms button rifled barrel would be the most expensive but has a great reputation for quality.

Option 3: Bartlein barrel from Deep South Tactical. This price is in the middle of the two and I don’t know a lot about DST. However bartlein in my opinion is probably one of the best top notch barrel manufacturers there is.

Im trying to stay under $750 or so including cerakote. I know cerakote does nothing but looks and I could really spray paint the barrel but I just hate the stainless steel look so I’m willing to pay a little more for painting the barrel and it be a lasting quality job.

 

[Supersubes]

What is the price breakdown for each of those options? What action are you fitting it up to?Hard to believe DST can get a Bartlein finished for less and PVA can finish a button barrel, which starts out roughly $100 cheaper for the blank alone.

 

[308Gunner]

Have you looked at Straight Jacket

 

[ZiaHunter]

What action and caliber?

 

[Mojo0254]

Have you looked at Straight Jacket

I have and they are priced higher than PVA.

 

[Mojo0254]

What action and caliber?

Terminus Zeus. 6GT

 

[ZiaHunter]

Nice action and 6mm choice. If it were me, I would go with Bartlein and buy a reamer and gauges. If you know a good gunsmith have him chamber the barrel. For all of my precision and F Class rifles I have my own reamers and makes life a lot easier when you need to rebarrel and all your chambers are cut the same.

 

[Deep South Tactical]

We guarantee 3/8” with our work. Your going to be hard pressed to beat the special pricing we have for SH members and turn around time. $300 for chamber and muzzle threads. Thanks David.

 

[Steel head]

We guarantee 3/8” with our work. Your going to be hard pressed to beat the special pricing we have for SH members and turn around time. $300 for chamber and muzzle threads. Thanks David.

That’s a pretty good price for the work.

 

[skl1]

Bartlein from Deep South Tactical. Great barrel. And DST has a great reputation.

 

[charnicus]

I’d go with option 1 or 3. 3 is a damn good deal.

 

[wadebrown]

I would always have a hard time turning down a bartlein, it would be close to a toss up for some of the other Wisconsin-made cut rifled barrels but not a hard decision for a button rifled barrel even at the same money, but cheaper and a guarantee of 3/8", Get it in a box and on ts way to Mississippi and shoot it a lot and repeat, not a hard decision to make.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

We guarantee 3/8” with our work. Your going to be hard pressed to beat the special pricing we have for SH members and turn around time. $300 for chamber and muzzle threads. Thanks David.

This is what I am doing, but with my local Smith who owes me for some trade work we did at his shop. Otherwise, I'd have already sent the blank to DST, and I will definitely send the next one to them. Not even a question imo. Get one fitted and chambered to your specific action by a known reputable Smith for $300??? Easy decision. Send em a blank and have a custom kitten barrel for $650 or get one from them and have it chambered. That's the only decision to be made here imo

 

[swampbuck]

What is the price breakdown for each of those options? What action are you fitting it up to?Hard to believe DST can get a Bartlein finished for less and PVA can finish a button barrel, which starts out roughly $100 cheaper for the blank alone.

Not really my experience. I know that Criterion barrels are cheaper but the really Premium button barrels seem to be priced about the same as Bartlein. Hart, Schneider, Benchmark. Seem to shoot just as good too. DST is a Hart distributer. Ask them about those while you are at it.

 

[Supersubes]

Not really my experience. I know that Criterion barrels are cheaper but the really Premium button barrels seem to be priced about the same as Bartlein. Hart, Schneider, Benchmark. Seem to shoot just as good too. DST is a Hart distributer. Ask them about those while you are at it.

When the OP refers to “PVA’s button rifled barrels” he’s referring to a specific button barrel made for PVA by Rock Creek as a low cost option. They’re $100 cheaper give or take than “premium” barrels (regardless of make). I wasn't making a statement that buttons are cheaper than cut.

 

[Average guy]

@bohem you could probably shed some light on this discussion.

 

[KnowNothing256]

Haven’t been able to send them the gun for the work yet, but +1 for DST, David’s been fantastic to work with on my little Berage dream, great chats about what I’m after and I learn something every time we talk. Can’t wait to get the barrels spun up!

 

[DaveOz]

Bartlein
Brux
Krieger
Shilen
Hart
Hawk Hill
Proof
Rock Creek
Broughton

You really can't go wrong with any of the top names out there if they are put in the hands of a knowledgeable smith.

9 times out of 10 the barrel is going to out perform the shooter behind it.

 

[Shoots 700's]

Option 3 sounds like a great deal

 

[lte82]

+1 for DST. $300 is a steal, and the machine work is as good as it gets.

 

[bohem]

Bartlein
Brux
Krieger
Shilen
Hart
Hawk Hill
Proof
Rock Creek
Broughton

You really can't go wrong with any of the top names out there if they are put in the hands of a knowledgeable smith.

9 times out of 10 the barrel is going to out perform the shooter behind it.

This

For those commenting about cost of blanks and the performance of them between button and cut.

Our button blanks are specific to us, made by rock creek. The performance is well known amd highly recommended. Cut rifled doesn't mean better, it means more hand labor to make it a useful product. Button makes a better finish inside to start so it takes a lot less hand work (remember, hand work is only as repeatable as the hands doing it) to make the requirements.

Every company on the list I quoted makes great barrels. Every one has made a dud or two as well.

Chances are high you will get an excellent barrel.

Our "bad blank" total in 2019 was 11 blanks out of almost 2300 jobs

In 2020 it was 12 in 2 231 jobs

Less than half a percent. All of those customers got brand new replacements.

I have only been using buttons on my rifles for 4 years now and I won a lot of stuff in 2017 and 2018 shooting them.

They last just as long when the steel parameters are right, my 6 creed was a 2100rd Barrel and my 6 dashers routinely go 2500+



Worry less about buying a cut vs. Button and worry more about who is doing the work to install it.

I have seen horrendous work shoot well (not amazing but well) because the blank was excellent. Its a shame to think how good the barrel truly could have been.

I dont know anything about DST, this isn't a finger at them at all one way or another. Just a reply to the questions posed about my products.

Pick someone who really knows what they are doing and has the ability to warranty things if they go wrong.

Another word of advice, the finished barrel dictates how the gun shoots. The ammo fired through it is far more costly than the barrel. Spend money on the barrel or you will quite literally be throwing good money after bad chasing loads, groups and performance.

Here's a barrel I cut for a test on a new bullet design.

The barrel had 13 rounds down it when I shot this group with a prototype bullet. No load development, no break in, no nothing. 265 yards

I am sure with even the slightest effort it will shoot even better. This is one of my button barrels

 

[Deep South Tactical]

This

For those commenting about cost of blanks and the performance of them between button and cut.

Our button blanks are specific to us, made by rock creek. The performance is well known amd highly recommended. Cut rifled doesn't mean better, it means more hand labor to make it a useful product. Button makes a better finish inside to start so it takes a lot less hand work (remember, hand work is only as repeatable as the hands doing it) to make the requirements.

Every company on the list I quoted makes great barrels. Every one has made a dud or two as well.

Chances are high you will get an excellent barrel.

Our "bad blank" total in 2019 was 11 blanks out of almost 2300 jobs

In 2020 it was 12 in 2 231 jobs

Less than half a percent. All of those customers got brand new replacements.

I have only been using buttons on my rifles for 4 years now and I won a lot of stuff in 2017 and 2018 shooting them.

They last just as long when the steel parameters are right, my 6 creed was a 2100rd Barrel and my 6 dashers routinely go 2500+



Worry less about buying a cut vs. Button and worry more about who is doing the work to install it.

I have seen horrendous work shoot well (not amazing but well) because the blank was excellent. Its a shame to think how good the barrel truly could have been.

I dont know anything about DST, this isn't a finger at them at all one way or another. Just a reply to the questions posed about my products.

Pick someone who really knows what they are doing and has the ability to warranty things if they go wrong.

Another word of advice, the finished barrel dictates how the gun shoots. The ammo fired through it is far more costly than the barrel. Spend money on the barrel or you will quite literally be throwing good money after bad chasing loads, groups and performance.

Here's a barrel I cut for a test on a new bullet design.

The barrel had 13 rounds down it when I shot this group with a prototype bullet. No load development, no break in, no nothing. 265 yards

I am sure with even the slightest effort it will shoot even better. This is one of my button barrels

I agree 100%. You need to worry more about who is doing the work. Every builder that does this full time has seen it. I can’t tell you the customers that have walked in with a rifle they had built that “won’t shoot”. Chambers out of headspace,no clearance on the bolt to breech,barrels not indicated properly,muzzle threads not concentric to the bore,actions they paid to true that were not. I could go on and on. Stick with a company that will guarantee accuracy and your good to go.

 

[pineoak]

I thought it was hard to get a Bartlein right now...