Bighorn TL3 / XLR Shouldered and Prefit Switch barrel testing/review
- Thread starter padom
- Start date
Thanks, Padom, this is a great thread. I pre-ordered a Bighorn Origin and I'm following this thread closely. I have a Savage that i've swapped the barrel on before (Shilen and Criterion -- the Criterion has been great), and if there isn't a material difference in accuracy, compared to the wait times of a chambered barrel, I may do the pre-fit route on the Origin too.
For Kreiger, is Keystone Accuracy putting together a pre-fit barrel too, or providing a shouldered to compare against?
Shouldered. but there is no difference. you can see his button barrel in the other review thread I started last week for 6.5x47L. the nut vs shoulder makes zero difference in accuracy I can assure you of that. I'm far enough along into this review to say that with 100% certainty.
Excellent. I have an email out to Bighorn as well about action wrenches. I have a Wheeler action wrench that works fine with the Savage, but I'm hoping the Bighorn Origin can use it as well (has pinned scope rail -- not sure if that means I can still unscrew and remove the rail to clamp on the action wrench or not, and something about a mechanical ejector?). If the Wheeler doesn't work, looks like I'll have to buy their rear-entry action wrench and give that a try.
You don't need to remove scope base. I've never had to remove them on my TL3. You need bighorn wrench due to mechanical ejector.
Ok, thanks for the info that I definitely need their rear-entry wrench. Looks like I'll add that to my order with them. Thanks again, this is a great thread. I'll have to talk to Southern Precision then on either a Bartlein or Mullerworks pre-fit. The Mullerworks you shot a few pages ago -- WOW!
This statement will cause so much butthurt across the Internet!
Thank you for doing this test. I built 6.5 Creedmoor with the Remage barrel and am getting ready to build a 6BR with the Origin action using Criterion Savage barrel. It is nice to see you confirm my thoughts that the barrel nuts work well and interesting the difference you have found so far with the cut vs button rifling.
Great stuff! Question: The Mullerworks prefit, is it a shouldered, bugnut, or savage 20tpi prefit?
Padom ,
Thank you for all the work put into this, I have been wanting someone to do this very thing for a long time.
I have had great success with Savage pre fits but allways wanted to see it done with a custom action. I love my savage rifles but they are clunky in comparison to a custom.
I have gotten some funny looks by people at the range occasionally while shooting a $400 savage rifle that I had put a McGowen pre fit on it and bedded it into a Manners T4. But it is a hammer regardless of the action.
Thank you for all the work put into this, I have been wanting someone to do this very thing for a long time.
I have had great success with Savage pre fits but allways wanted to see it done with a custom action. I love my savage rifles but they are clunky in comparison to a custom.
I have gotten some funny looks by people at the range occasionally while shooting a $400 savage rifle that I had put a McGowen pre fit on it and bedded it into a Manners T4. But it is a hammer regardless of the action.
938 yards with a Pva chambered 6 creed with approx 1000 ends on a button rifled prefix I screwed on
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While I'd like to take all the credit for that performance, no small amount of skill was involved by the shooter there! Very nice shooting!
The Bartlein shot as expected. Tiny little groups with this shouldered barrel. Low SD's and very easy load development with wide nodes. I think we can draw the conclusion and put to rest the prefit/nut vs shouldered debate. A quality barrel is the key, using a nut or a shoulder does not matter.
Kreiger Keystone Accuracy
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Kreiger Keystone Accuracy
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What Ive found after testing these various barrels is that it doesnt matter if you use a shouldered or savage prefit (barrel nut). If you have a good cut rifled barrel we have seen that nut or shoulder the accuracy is there. MW and Kreiger shot the best but they were all very close.
In this day and age with all the actions available and how consistent these actions are being made a lot of guys are going with nuts or barlocs to make switch barrel rigs or just want the capability to change barrels at home. I have consolidated my personal barrel inventory to be shouldered barrels so no gauges are needed. Just torque on and go.
In this day and age with all the actions available and how consistent these actions are being made a lot of guys are going with nuts or barlocs to make switch barrel rigs or just want the capability to change barrels at home. I have consolidated my personal barrel inventory to be shouldered barrels so no gauges are needed. Just torque on and go.
I know this is late and old but what a great thread. Also lots of the pics are now missing. If lovecot have this as an article. I've been reading some of Big Jim's magnificent and detailed articles this morning and this seems to belong, to me. Thanks
I have all.the content. Its from a forum upgrade that broke everything. I'll see if I can re add pics..
Alright guys I tried going back and filling in missing targets from pertinent posts... I think I got the meat of what you're looking for...
Used to. This day and age everything is a prefit. Shit some guy was calling an AR15 barrel a prefit in the semi-auto section today. Lolol
With custom actions being so consistent today, there really are 2 prefit categories now. A shouldered prefit, where the smith never sees the action like for a TL3 for example and a nut barrel...