Custom barrel or Factory

[Dino]

So do I buy a custom barrel for my encore or do i buy a factory barrel ? I read the factory barrels are of poor quality but this might just be others opinions. This has probably been hashed out before but i couldn't find it.
Thanks for any help.

[Grumulkin]

This has indeed been hashed out before.

Thus far, of all the Encore/Contender barrels I've owned, all have been T/C barrels except one from SSK industries.  All of the rifle barrels will do less than 1 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards with handloads except a 375 H&H Mag. barrel I used to have that went about 1.5 to 2 inches.

All of my scoped handgun barrels will do less than or equal to 2.5 inches at 100 yards.

Three of the many barrels (I don't remember exactly how many but at least 25 or 30) I've owned needed repair to shoot right but this was done at no charge by T/C.  In short, I've had good luck with the T/C barrels.  On the other hand, if I wanted a cartridge T/C didn't chamber or was looking for 0.25 inch groups (depending on the cartridge I'm satisfied with 0.5 to 1.5 inch groups from rifles) I would go with a custom barrel.

[Dino]

Thanks very much for your input!
 I need experience not hype.
I can't shot better then 1.5" so I don't think I need a barrel that does.

[Keith L]

It is a personal choice.  I have mostly factory barrels.  They work well for me.  I also have several custom made fly rods that together cost as much as a small car.  Factory made ones work fine, but I enjoy the ones I had made for me.  We all have our thing.

The important item is that we enjoy our sport at whatever level we decide to do it.  Have some fun.

[skb2706]

Depends on several things for me

Caliber

intended purpose

how much disposable income I have on hand

among others

For a varmint rifle config I want custom job with bells and whistles. For a big game rifle, factory is more the satisfactory.

Where ever you read the factory TC barrels are of poor quality...the author was grossly incorrect. You are comparing apples to oranges but regardless the difference in the ones I have is very very small.

Factory/Fox Ridge barrel for my TCs cost me around $240, a top of the line custom job can be twice that.

But my sons factory .204 will shoot with my custom .204 any day. It takes a very good shooter to tell any difference at all and if I had to do it over I am betting i would opt for the cheaper barrel. Spend the money on a better scope.

[Preacherman]

Most of us can't shoot to the factory barrels capabilities anyway.
I had a factory 44 mag that I couldn't to shoot,but all the others do real well.
Any way a deer can't tell the difference between 1/2 inch group or a 1.5 group.
Both will do the job

Preacherman

[Redhawk1]

I have had nothing but great results with the factory barrels. No need in my opinion to spend the extra money.

[Dino]

Thanks to all.
I'm buying a Thompson Encore 24" 25-06 barrel from Ed's contender, should be here next week.
It seems that I've become a bit recoil sensitive in my old age.
Is it ok to mention Ed's contender here?  If not Sorry!

[BobT]

Dino,
The only factory Encore barrel that I have not been satisfied with was a .25-06, try as I might I could not get consistent groups much smaller than 2 1/4" - 2 1/2" 5 shot groups at 100 yards from the bench. A .25-06 should do better IMO. I have a .405 factory barrel that will average around 1 1/4" with good hand loads on the same frame so I know it ain't the gun. The only other issue I ever had was many years ago with a Contender barrel in .35 Remington that would misfire about 30% of the time with factory ammo. It became a .358 JDJ with no further problems. I'm pretty sure you'll be satisfied.

Bob   

[30-06man]

Bobt did you try other ammo with your gun? because that's good enough for 100 yards for deer. especially in brush areas the 25.06 wasn't meant as a long range gun anyway (from my experience) i still would have tried different ammo and made sure my scope was dialed in and made sure it didn't shoot better dirty. do you still have the barrel? (mine wasn't good past 150 yards but where i hunt 100yards is the max shot)

[skb2706]

" the 25.06 wasn't meant as a long range gun anyway. "

Nothing could be farther from the truth. I've watch many a antelope meet his match at very long range to a 25-06.

[30-06man]

all of the 26.06 guns i have owned couldn't shoot accuratly over 150 yards. the groups were inch at 50 yards, then it spred out to 2 at 100 and 4 at 200. nope i don't think the one i had would have made a long range gun. 4in ain't cutting it at 200. i was using a remington too. that was on sand bags with a 3lbs trigger

[skb2706]

The 2007 pronghorn antelope season is in full swing about right now in WY. Roll up on any group of local hunters you find and ask what they're shootin and what works the best...half will tell you its a 25-06. You won't find any big game hunting in the US that offers longer range options than pronghorn antelope. That speaks for itself. Doubtful that thousands of locals across the plains of CO and WY would use a cartridge that is "inherently inaccurate" for this purpose. I live here, have all my life, grown up with lots of hunters, not speculation on my part.

[30-06man]

my expericence with a remigington with it wasn't well then. but it will work fine for me

[BobT]

30.06man,
I tried three factory loads and if memory serves about 5 or 6 different handloaded bullets in the 100-120 grain range. Probably shot 200 rounds total, I've been shooting and reloading the .25/06 for years and in my experience this round is capable of great accuracy and should be good for 3/4" groups at least, IMHO one of the best long range Antelope rounds on the market. This was a 26" heavy barrel, I did manage to kill a deer at 205 yards with it but if the shot had been much further I would have passed.

Bob

[30-06man]

the one i have is accurate out to 150 and thats it.. since this is the only 25.06 i have i do not know about how others our, i wouldn't be able to test it past 200 since we have no ranges long enough. i may buy another one day and see what it will do. i might send this gun back to Remington since i know its not the ammo