Barrel Makers.

[Buckskin]

So is there an appreciable difference in quality and characteristics of custom barrel makers? I am going to re-barrel my 300 RUM and have to pick which pipe to put on and who to make it.  I have heard good things about makers such as Hart, Pac-Nor, Shilen, and Krieger.  Probably any will put out a great barrel, but just wondering what the concensus is... Also, should I have them true to action and put the barrel on or find a local smith for the work?
 
Thanks.

[the jigger]

I've had good luck with Shilen and Douglas. If you have a local smith in whom you have confidence you will cut your turn-around time significantly. If you don't have a smith handy I don't think you will go wrong having Shilen do the work; just don't be in a hurry.
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!

[skyhigh_seller]

If you have a good smith available that's one thing and they'll likely stock blanks.
 
But if you send an action to one of these bbl makers they will square the action, etc.
All the makers you listed are tops.
Hart shows their backlog on their site (18-22 weeks) and rebarrel price includes action work and bbl ($650).
I have experience with them and reccomend them without reservation - they are known to get their work out in or earlier than the time they quote.  They won't string you along.
 
I have not dealt with the others but have never heard anything bad about any of them.
 
Another thing, when you get the work done at the barrel makers, they will stamp the bbl with their name (hart does this anyway).  If you ever go to sell it, it'll make a difference when it says HART RIFLE BARRELS vs you claiming it to be a XXX barrel.

[roper]

I have a good gunsmith and I like that option. I would have the action blueprinted.  Right now have the following barrelon some rifles
Lilja,Kreiger,Barlein,Lawton,Broughton,Rock Creek,Obermeyer,Chanlynn,Hart,K&P,Shilen,Gaillard.  I think Brux and Benchmark and couple others make a good barrel.

I'm not buying anymore barrels and this includes Shilen that make different grades of barrels like super match then they have a match etc.

Option on finding a gunsmith you can call Mike Rock,Dan Lilja,Kreiger etc and say your interested in having one of the barrels put on and could they give you a name of a gunsmith in your area or close by.

One problem with the barerl guys chamber is custom throating or changing to a Wyatt magazine box give you little extra Seating depth for the RUM or you may want little heavier recoil lug.  I just as soon talk face to face.

[Lead Poison]

I prefer "cut-rifled" barrels over "button-rifled" barrels for a few reasons. However, both types can be extremely accurate!

Here are my preferred "cut-rifled" barrel makers...

1. Rock Creek
2. Brux
3. Bartlein
4. Krieger
5. Obermeyer

If I wanted a "button-rifled barrel I would choose...

1. Pac Nor
2. Hart
3. Shilen

[roper]

Brux,Kreiger,Chanlynn,Rock Creek(Mike Rock) all got their start from Obermeyr making cut 5r barrels and that is the only type of barrel made by Rock Creek but like Kreiger Mike Rock has a separate OEM barrel business.  The guys at Bartlein got their start working for Kreiger and Bartlein offered both cut and 5r barrel in selected calibers and that move made Krieger to finally offer a 5r barrel.

Mike Rock set up Remington for their 5r barrels.  When Tim North purchased Broughton barrel he started to make 5r barrel and Obermeyer has ownership of the r for barrels so North changed the r to c for (cant).

I've got Obermeyer5r,Bartlein 5r,Rock Creek 5r,Broughton 5c,Kreiger 5r,Kreiger cut rifling,Chanlynn cut rifling,Lilja/Hart,buttom rifling and if I gave you a rifle to shoot you couldn't tell me who's barrel your shooting.

There is no question that there is advantages to cut rifling as to twist how's the barrel made but it doesn't mean you can't get a good button rifling barrel.  Nothing wrong with Pac-Nor we all do things little different.

[Buckskin]

Thanks for the input guys.
I too was shying away from Shilen because of the "grades", seems like a shell game to me.
I know the process difference between the cut-rifled and button-rifled barrels, but what are the differences between the two on the bench?

[roper]

Thanks for the input guys.
I too was shying away from Shilen because of the "grades", seems like a shell game to me.
I know the process difference between the cut-rifled and button-rifled barrels, but what are the differences between the two on the bench?

Guy walk into a BR gunsmith shop ask him can you build me a rifle to shot in the .0's gunsmith ask can you shot in the .0's.  If your building a rifle you should talk to your gunsmith about accuracy and what you expect and you may have to have more work that just a new barrel.  You might need the bolt sleeved beside action blueperinted may need pillars and bedding etc.

I've had good luck with the barrels I'm using so for me it get down to which one to use this time.

[Buckskin]

Thanks for the input guys.
I too was shying away from Shilen because of the "grades", seems like a shell game to me.
I know the process difference between the cut-rifled and button-rifled barrels, but what are the differences between the two on the bench?

Guy walk into a BR gunsmith shop ask him can you build me a rifle to shot in the .0's gunsmith ask can you shot in the .0's.  If your building a rifle you should talk to your gunsmith about accuracy and what you expect and you may have to have more work that just a new barrel.  You might need the bolt sleeved beside action blueperinted may need pillars and bedding etc.

I've had good luck with the barrels I'm using so for me it get down to which one to use this time.

Yes, planning to have all that looked at as well...  The stock I have now is aluminum bedded, but will get opinion from whoever works on it..My question was more in line with what is the difference between the barrel makers and preferences.

[roper]

Thanks for the input guys.
I too was shying away from Shilen because of the "grades", seems like a shell game to me.
I know the process difference between the cut-rifled and button-rifled barrels, but what are the differences between the two on the bench?

Guy walk into a BR gunsmith shop ask him can you build me a rifle to shot in the .0's gunsmith ask can you shot in the .0's.  If your building a rifle you should talk to your gunsmith about accuracy and what you expect and you may have to have more work that just a new barrel.  You might need the bolt sleeved beside action blueperinted may need pillars and bedding etc.

I've had good luck with the barrels I'm using so for me it get down to which one to use this time.

Yes, planning to have all that looked at as well...  The stock I have now is aluminum bedded, but will get opinion from whoever works on it..My question was more in line with what is the difference between the barrel makers and preferences.

I know what your asking I think I did answer "I've had good luck with the barrels I'm using so for me it get down to which one to use this time."  I have no preference list on the barrels I use.  One of the 280AI has a Kreiger the latest one has a Lilja.

If I had a preference list and say X was the #1 and Y was #2 why  won't I have all my rifles with X barrels.  I never want to be the guy who said the only good barrel the one I use or my gunsmith said this one is the best.

[drdougrx]

I have half a dozen shilens and now a Shaw.  They all shoot better than me.....