barrels.

[col48]

Now i have been more than happy with the loather Walther barrels i have been using on mine and customers projects. but i would like to have a look at some others.

At the moment i have been looking at archers so what do you lot think of the archers barrels by border barrels.?

what do they shoot like?

i know all the stuff like they are button pulled and easier to cut than L/W barrels,and mt reamers will last longer, this does not bother me,what I'm interested in is do they shoot, and are they as well hand lapped as a L/W. Are they hand lapped ? or machine lapped?

 

Any one know who brings in hart barrels,? as i don't think they will deal direct.

 

ATB

Colin

[Ronin]

Col

 

 

I have a couple of Archers sat on my bench they are, I belive hand lapped, ive borescoped them, they look no different to the cut rifled barrel sat next to them (also a Border).

 

Dont know who (if anyone) import Hart (they are button rifled by the way) I think Callum used to offer them on his web site?

 

You may want to try Pac Nor, ive used a few of these on sporters, they are pretty good.

 

However, the current darling "in" producer is Bartlein, they must be bloody popular as their lead time has gone from 6 - 8 weeks to 3 months - pity one cannot keep good things quiet

 

 

Anyway, ive just had 3 of these (Bartleins) through my sticky fingers for "blu tacking onto actions", they machine very well and make a very good end product.

 

All were 6.5mm's and all measured exactly the same bore diameter.

[baldie]

As you know Col, we use far more border archer,s than owt else. We try and keep a stock in, as they are so popular.

I,ve three myself, and a fourth coming for a .338.I sold my .308 which had a cut "border" on last month, as i bloody hate .308,s. The cut barrel shot no better than the button rifled ones. I always spend the money difference on fluting now.

I,m pretty sure they are also hand lapped, and come with a pretty good surface finish too.I couldn,t say that about the last couple of bartleins however. The external finish was poor, and they required a lot of work to make presentable. However, the barrels themselves were superb, as Ronin says.

As a general day to day, quality barrel, i think the archer takes some beating, plus its british, and its readily available. The 2 main selling points that Walther always had, was being EU, they dont require an import ticket, and they used to be cheap. With the euro in the current state, they aint cheap no more.

If your looking for a change, pacnor are also excellent, and they export without license.Lilja are also excellent. A customer rang me last night to enthuse about a 30" 3 groove i fitted to his .308 aics remmy, not long ago.He,s using it in 1000yards tr, and with a slung together load, he,d finished in the top of the field with it. Reasonable money too.

Cant help with Hart however. Maybe give the guy who advertises on vince,s site a bell.Its a chap called James, who imports kriegers, but i,ve a feeling he may also do harts too.

[22/250 foxer]

http://www.border-barrels.com/ it says on there site that they are hand lapped

[Spiderman]

Hi Col

I have an archer barrel on my 6x47 and a border barrel on my22-250 and the archer is every bit as good as the other it will shoot sub1/4 moa all day . I would have no hesitation in getting another archer , it's the dogs bollys.

Spider

[bradders]

FWIW everyone, cut barrels were never claimed to shoot better than buttoned, just last longer

[JR__]

FWIW everyone, cut barrels were never claimed to shoot better than buttoned, just last longer

 

If the buttoned barrels are fully stress relieved and handlapped, they are very good barrels indeed. The only archers that had a real problem accuracy wise were the 22rf's, good enough for plinking, but not olympic grade, i didn't get too involved to figure out where the problem lied, probably more an issue of finished dimensions not quite right and Geoff may have worked that one out by now. I'm a believer of button barrels when they are made correctly, they have their place and I fully intend to implement buttoning into the overall scheme of things here. Cut rifled can last longer, alot due to the fact I can cut a deeper groove than a button can form as in 5r rifling.

 

Col, a few button barrel types I can recommend in the states is Broughton, Schneider, Benchmark and I have a longer list available. I have no idea their policy to selling barrels overseas. Archers may work well for your needs also, depends on the lead time you're looking for and what they can work to. Mike norris from Brock&Norris is staying at mine during SHOT, one of his goals is to catch a few of the barrelmakers here, perhaps you might rattle his cage when he gets back to ol' blighty.

 

later

[maltbuck]

Broughton Barrels are produced via button process, and they would appear to be the "holy grail" when talking to the target boys in the US. I am trying to find someone that is bringing them into the UK, on a regular basis, as I have two "projects" in mind.

 

Tru-flite barrels are another interesting possibility, and Fox Firearms are importing them, currently looking at their new 1 in 9 twist for a 7mm-08 stalking rifle.

 

regards

 

maltbuck

[baldie]

We,ve had another "right result " with a border archer barrel today Col.

I built a surgeon tactical rifle in 6.5x47 for Tim Finley [the writer ] not long back, and its the subject of a two part article in target sports etc etc.

Anyway, its had around 50 rounds down it, till this morning. He put 3 through the same hole for zero, then went on to shoot 50 ex 50 at 300 yards, in the morning, and then did the same in the afternoon, at mcqueens. All done in a 15 -20 mph wind. This has only been done once before in the club,s history.

Also shot the bergara barrelled .223 i put together for James at the same time. We only had a 14 power scope on it, and without being run in, that also put 3 in a clover leaf, then two almost touching, for probarbly half inch. It wanted a high powered scope on to test it properly, but it was one of those you instantly know "is right" Thats a 1 in 10" twist, and it shot that group with 60 grain v-max loads i chucked together. They are definatly going to be looked at when they come. Very nice barrels too.

One of them days when everything just goes right......hell, i might even get a shag later......

[Elwood]

Off topic briefly, what was the load for the 6.5x47, same as yours Dave?

 

Sorry for the hijack.

[baldie]

He,s using 39 grains of reloder 15 Ian, with a 123 scenar, cci br4 primer, and sat 5 thou off the lands. Basically same as mine, only mine is 39 grains of vv540.

[snap_shot]

We,ve had another "right result " with a border archer barrel today Col.

I built a surgeon tactical rifle in 6.5x47 for Tim Finley [the writer ] not long back, and its the subject of a two part article in target sports etc etc.

Anyway, its had around 50 rounds down it, till this morning. He put 3 through the same hole for zero, then went on to shoot 50 ex 50 at 300 yards, in the morning, and then did the same in the afternoon, at mcqueens. All done in a 15 -20 mph wind. This has only been done once before in the club,s history.

Also shot the bergara barrelled .223 i put together for James at the same time. We only had a 14 power scope on it, and without being run in, that also put 3 in a clover leaf, then two almost touching, for probarbly half inch. It wanted a high powered scope on to test it properly, but it was one of those you instantly know "is right" Thats a 1 in 10" twist, and it shot that group with 60 grain v-max loads i chucked together. They are definatly going to be looked at when they come. Very nice barrels too.

One of them days when everything just goes right......hell, i might even get a shag later......

 

 

Thats some going, hope the rest of your day goes as planned...........

[Ronin]

Re the Broughtons, contact John on this e-mail address, he brings them in: jcjohcam@aol.com

 

He usually has a few in Target profiles, they are indeed sweet to shoot I have one on my F Class gun.

 

Well done to Tim with the Archer and glad to see the Bergara is also shooting well despite it being a "rather heavy" profile, the rifle looks pretty good. Look forwards to trying one of the Bergara's myself soon.

[col48]

Re the Broughtons, contact John on this e-mail address, he brings them in: jcjohcam@aol.com

 

He usually has a few in Target profiles, they are indeed sweet to shoot I have one on my F Class gun.

 

Well done to Tim with the Archer and glad to see the Bergara is also shooting well despite it being a "rather heavy" profile, the rifle looks pretty good. Look forwards to trying one of the Bergara's myself soon.

 

 

Hi ronin

 

i believe that broughton will deal direct and they export as well. but they do seem to be quit expensive.

with everything going up that we use for building rifles,I'm looking for the holy grail iv just done some quotes and the cost of putting a rifle together is getting quit expensive. i have just sold a full custom rifle that i could not build for that price now.

ATB

Colin

[Ronin]

A pity that costs are rising, but there is no such thing as a free lunch, you get what you pay for, you cannot make a silk prse out of a sows ear, etc etc etc etc etc etc

 

 

The broughton tubes are expensive, but so are other quality brands that are winning comps.

 

There are plenty of other barrel makers if the customer wants to save a few pennies, I imagine the exch rate will swing the other way reasonably soon in the meantime I have been using Border unless specifically requested otherwise.

 

As Baldie says, there's nowt wrong with them

[col48]

A pity that costs are rising, but there is no such thing as a free lunch, you get what you pay for, you cannot make a silk prse out of a sows ear, etc etc etc etc etc etc

 

 

The broughton tubes are expensive, but so are other quality brands that are winning comps.

 

There are plenty of other barrel makers if the customer wants to save a few pennies, I imagine the exch rate will swing the other way reasonably soon in the meantime I have been using Border unless specifically requested otherwise.

 

As Baldie says, there's nowt wrong with them

 

like i say we are after the holy grail

 

arnt we all

 

ATB

Colin

[Ronin]

Why not try one of the new Bergara barrels that Kal is importing?

 

By all accounts they are more cost effective than some other brands and shoot as well?

[col48]

Why not try one of the new Bergara barrels that Kal is importing?

 

By all accounts they are more cost effective than some other brands and shoot as well?

 

 

I might just do that,i have not spoke to kal for a while.

i have contacted broughton and i will see if i can get a bit of discount from them

 

ATB

Colin

[Vermincinerator]

Col,

I had a Shilen Select Match on my 6mmPPC BR rifle which helped me shoot a British record breaking .068" 5 shot group @100yds.

Although witnessed it was not adopted because i did not shot it in a match.

If i have another BR rifle it will carry a Shilen Select Match barrel.

 

Ian.

[skany]

Col,

I had a Shilen Select Match on my 6mmPPC BR rifle which helped me shoot a British record breaking .068" 5 shot group @100yds.

Although witnessed it was not adopted because i did not shot it in a match.

If i have another BR rifle it will carry a Shilen Select Match barrel.

 

Ian.

 

 

I have to say i like my shillen(select) on my 243Ai

 

half inch groups(ish) at 300yds i think id go the same again next time:-)

 

Andy