3 - gun barrel on a budget

[Guest gunmutt]

I'm currently torn between a White Oak 18" spr 1-7", Rainier arm 18" spr 1-8", and black hole weaponry 18" fluted 1-8". any thoughts on this. All are rifle length

[gotigers]

I would go WOA out of those. Great price, great customer service and a lot of National match shooters build using WOA. I haven't heard of any issues. Another choice at that level is Fulton Armory. FA uses Criterion Blanks. Criterion is owned by Kreiger. Regarless, I would get a 1:8, Wylde chamber. WOA will make you a 1:8 by request. At least they said they would a couple of months back.

If you are on a real tight budget look at the DPMS MK12 barrel. Nato chamber, 1:8 twist, 18" med contour. One of my ARs has one and a friend has one. They are both 1-1/2MOA or better. I use a 1-3x weaver so 1.5MOA is all i can do with it. It is more accurate than i am.

[RWF]

i have the W.O.A. barrel 18" 1 x 7 rifle length gas system and the 20' DESIGNATED marksman 1 x 7. very happy with both i have shot the 20" to 800 and is not a 3 gun set-up. but i do have the 18" for 3 gun, which i am still getting use to. i have always used a 16" or less. that extra 2" makes it so very long to me. just can not understand why women are so worried about that!

it not really a picture of the gun but in gear section under a weaver scope ad you can get a idea of it. thanks to magiccarpetride ( sorry if not spelled right)

also i guess you know that rainer arms is the sole distributor of white oak.

[R1100R]

I have heard good things about the Black Hole barrels. I am looking at one my self due to the type polygonal rifling they use which I believe is proprietary to them. I also am looking at a 18".

[Backon4]

A friend of mine has the black hole 16" and it groups as good as most 20".

[Guest gunmutt]

gotigers- I am leaning more toward a 1:8 wylde chamber and you just made my decision even harder now due to I only thought WOA only made 1:7. I have seen the fulton but did not know how good they were for accuracy.

[gotigers]

I have a fulton armory 20" HBAR, 1:8, wylde chamber on my national match. I only have a few hundred rounds thur it. I've only shot it with the Irons, so no impressive groups to talk about. My eyes aren't what they used to be. With that said, i am very happy with the results.

[RWF]

i started out with a fulton upper. the only reason i do have one now is at the time anyway they did carry what i was looking for.

just curouis but why a 1 x 8 for 3 gun? i know that 99% of the time you (well i do) use the cheapest ammo (55 grain, no steel case for me) you can get, but when you need to shoot 300-400 i want to use a nice heavy (long) bullet. 75-77 grain.

[gotigers]

IMO, 1:8 stablizes 55gr a little better than 1:7, while stablizing the heavy, 77gr, bullets just as good as 1:7.

Within 50 yards, I shoot 55gr wolf, pmc, fed bulk, etc. For beyond fifty i shoot XM193, 55gr Hornady steel match, 55gr fiocchi canned heat or rarely the 68gr black hills. If i were shooting beyond 200 on a regular basis, i would shoot more of the 68gr and heavier stuff.

edit: my 1:8 rifles groups all of the above at 1.25-1.5 MAO using a 1-3x weaver. Except the wolf and XM193. The 68gr Black Hills was the best at 1-1.25MOA as well as 55gr Federal TRU soft points. The wolf is 2-3MOA. The XM193 2MOA, but i like it because it is consistant.

I like any 55gr that has a FPS of 3200 FPS +/-100. It keeps me on one ballistics charts.

Edited November 23, 2011 by gotigers

[Dolomite_supafly]

A friend of mine has the black hole 16" and it groups as good as most 20".

Barrel length has nothing to do with how well a gun will shoot unless you are using irons sights. And that is because of the longer sight radius. A longer barrel only adds velocity, it does not add accuracy.

As a matter of fact a longer barrel can be harder to shoot well because of the added harmonics associated with it. That is the reason why most "target" barrels have a very thick profile. This is to reduce the amount of harmonics and barrel whip they exhibit upon firing. All barrels have problems from harmonics but the thicker the barrel the less problems they have.

A shorter barrel with the same OD as a long barrel with theoretically shoot better because of the reduced harmonics and barrel whip. There is no need to have a long barrel for accuracy, only velocity. A long thin barrel while have more vibrations, that reduce accuracy, than a thicker barrel.

Look at some of the pistols out there. They are capable of the same accuracy as rifles. The only thing they give up is velocity.

Dolomite

[RWF]

IMO, 1:8 stablizes 55gr a little better than 1:7, while stablizing the heavy, 77gr, bullets just as good as 1:7.

Within 50 yards, I shoot 55gr wolf, pmc, fed bulk, etc. For beyond fifty i shoot XM193, 55gr Hornady steel match, 55gr fiocchi canned heat or rarely the 68gr black hills. If i were shooting beyond 200 on a regular basis, i would shoot more of the 68gr and heavier stuff.

edit: my 1:8 rifles groups all of the above at 1.25-1.5 MAO using a 1-3x weaver. Except the wolf and XM193. The 68gr Black Hills was the best at 1-1.25MOA as well as 55gr Federal TRU soft points. The wolf is 2-3MOA. The XM193 2MOA, but i like it because it is consistant.

I like any 55gr that has a FPS of 3200 FPS +/-100. It keeps me on one ballistics charts.

thanks, like i said just wondering, a friend of had a 1 x 8 20" which shot the 68 great, but was unhappy with the groups with anything heavier. and he has not had another since.

i myself zero at 50 with my heavy-long range ammo then make anycorrections at 200. then shoot the 55 grain 223 ammo for almost everything to 100. for me the 5.56 (XM 193) has to much recoil and blast unless i got a super deal on it.

about the only time i check "zero" used loosely for the 55 is before we go to David's match at brocks gap, is to make sure we can hit a 3 x 5 card at 5 yards and at 30. and he will have you from almost feet to 280 yards.

for anyone it what works for them and what they are happy with.

[gotigers]

I don't worry about recoil I have a SJC Titan muzzle brake, a Spike heavy buffer and the heavier full auto BCG. My 3 gun AR does not move, regardless of load. It still cycles plenty fast.

My 1:8 shoots good groups with the Black Hills 68gr out to 200 yards.

for anyone it what works for them and what they are happy with.

so true. All of my ARs hate the hornady Vmax and super match. They get 3-4MOA. Friends shoot the same stuff and get great groups. My ARs get good groups with the xm193. for some they dont. Each gun likes different loads.

good luck and happy Thanksgiving

[RWF]

WOW! i guess this really does prove, it is whatever works for you and are happy with!!!!

all of our AR's but 1 is set up just the opposite of yours! the buffers has all but 1 weight removed ( used a ink pen cap to take up the extra space) low mas carriers or had the carriers machined for weight loss, but we use the arrodondo brake! if we shoot a woods walk style stage the wife loads up 5.56 for the flames flying out the break in the shade of the trees. a friend of mines son wanted to try my AR on a house stage and i told him not to use the 5.56 that him and his dad brought. but being 15 he knew best! on a tight corner he burnt his hand from the blast.

My 20" is my precision gun, the buffer is packed full of the heaviest weights i had. a heavy young carrier, 20% extra power tubbs sring, with the gas block tighten so it has to be used suppressed and then it will still not cycle 223, 5.56 only to keep it locked up as long as possible.

but back to subject of a barrel on a budget.

the wife has a TAC-2 brief case AR that breaks down to fit inside a standard breifcase or lap top case. it has a YHM barrel it came with a 1 x 9 twist with the standard YHM fancy cuts at a low price, and with the 60 V-Max it is a tack driver. that's even with a barrel that is removed from the reciever each time it is put away. and goes together and fires in less than 30 seconds!.

but the barrel finish is awful, i guess that is where they cut cost. but a trip to wilson combat and it is gorgeous! but YHM has limited options like no 18".