#Remington rifle barrels series#
That’s why I think this post about what barrels the top ranked shooters are running in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and the National Rifle League (NRL) is so valuable. While that study had several interesting findings, when choosing a barrel it largely comes down to an educated bet on the reputation of the company making it. I literally fired thousands of rounds hoping to gain some insight into the “mystical” area of rifle barrels, because I hate the idea of not having more data to guide the decision! I invested hundreds of hours of work into to getting some objective, data-driven answers. Because I hate that approach soooo much, I gathered a pile of barrels and did a massive research project that was published in Bryan Litz’s most recent book. Wow, that is hard for me to say! I’m definitely not a bandwagon kind of guy – the opposite in fact. So what’s a guy to do? Well, this is hard for me to say, but the best thing may be to look at what the top shooters are using to achieve the highest level of performance and copy them. It doesn’t help that a number of other things NOT related to the quality of the barrel blank could keep the barrel from reaching the potential it had when it originally left the barrel manufacturer (e.g., chamber wasn’t cut concentric to the bore, a poor crown job, neglect in cleaning, overheating, etc.), which just adds more complexity to the problem!
So many things play into whether a barrel has the potential to shoot tiny groups, including the quality of the steel, bore/groove consistency, machining/lapping process, and other things that can’t be directly observed. For example, if I laid 10 different barrel blanks in front of a veteran shooter and asked him to tell me which were the best ones, he’d be stumped.
Yet for a data-driven guy who wants to make objective, informed decisions … choosing a barrel can be tough! Unlike other parts like scopes, actions, and chassis where we can compare features or see/feel the difference, most of the differences between a great barrel and a poor one can’t be easily compared. Conversely, a poor-quality rifle with a good barrel can shoot accurately.” A good rifle with a bad barrel will not shoot accurately. Retired Army Ranger Sniper, Ryan Cleckner, explains “just as the receiver is the main part of the rifle for legal purposes, the barrel is the main part of the rifle for accuracy purposes.
So I asked him the million dollar question: “What is the most important thing when it comes to precision rifles?” Cecil didn’t hesitate. He seemed to have been preparing his whole life to answer that elusive question, and it was on the tip of his tongue: “The barrel and the bullet.” Deceptively simple. Barrels are deceptively simple, yet crucial to the precision required for long-range shooting. I once visited the shop of Benchrest Hall of Famer Cecil Tucker and I recognized a unique opportunity to learn from a legend.
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