# Best aftermarket barrels for centerfires.



## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

Looking for opinions on aftermarket barrels. Have had good luck with Shaw barrels in the past, and they seem to give you pretty good bang for your buck. Any other resonable ones out there?


----------



## DuaneinND (Jan 22, 2005)

My experience has been that most of the barrels purchased from a custom barrel maker will serve you quite well in a hunting application. If you are looking for target work, or long range varmint shooting you might find tha there are better choices than Shaw. My experience is tha Shaw barrels are not lapped to as smooth of a "finish" as some of the other barrel makers- of course time is money and these other barrel cost more money. I have used barrels from over 15 different barrel makers and have been satisfied with the barrel and customer service form all but one masker, and they are no longer in business.


----------



## sdeprie (May 1, 2004)

The only aftermarket barrel I have experience with is from Shaw. It is in 358 Win and only 18 1/8 inches long. I wasn't going for target accuracy, but I took a deer 2 years ago from about 80 yards with a neck shot. (It wasn't my choice, but all that was offered from behind the %#@$^_$#@ tree.) I was nervous as the scope was a red dot (not the most precise) and from an awkward angle from a tree stand, but I nailed it and if the bullet was any off my aimed point, I couldn't tell it. That's all I ask of it. I've got a couple of Adams & Bennet barrels waiting to go on some Mauser actions, but still waiting on $$$


----------



## Chestnut (Aug 9, 2006)

The only aftermarket barrel I have used was a Shilen that a gunsmith had laying around. It's on one of those Turkish Mauser actions that were selling real cheap a few years back, and it shoots really good. I got about 3" groups at 200 yards with it with handloads, but that was my fault- the gun put the bullet exactly where I was aiming every time, but I was having trouble holding steady.  Guess I need a real bench to find out just how acurate it is.

I bet it'll shoot into an inch and a half at 200 8) (with once-fired, neck sized handloads)


----------



## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

I have used barrels from Wilson, Douglas, Shilen and Lilja. I think it has a lot to do with the Gunsmith fitting and chambering the barrels as I have had some good and some not as good from each.

Larry


----------



## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

Kreiger, Shielan, Lilja, Green Mountian, that about covers it.


----------

