I’ve settled on Criterion for a precision build and curious on folks’ thoughts on particular barrel profiles.  I’m leaning towards the HBAR but there’s also the CORE and Hybrid.  I’m assuming these are cosmetic differences unless someone knows something more specific.

This will be a 20” bench gun chambered in .224 Wylde.  

Thanks all.

Save your money, Criterion does not stand behind their products. Just asking for a RMA to send a barrel back that appears defective is met with crickets. Save your money, buy anything else.

I have a Criterion in my 6.5CM build, accurate.  Waiting for .308 barrels to come in stock...if ever

Criterion makes nice barrels. There's no such thing as a .224 Wylde, though, only a .223 Wylde.

Cool. Think I’ll go with the HBAR, maybe the service barrel.  Something to day dream about since they’re not in stock!

What distances do you intend to shoot?  A 20" HBAR profile may or may not be the best choice.

Heavy profiles may be no more accurate at .223/5.56 distances than a profile that is heavy up to the gas block journal, but a bit less so from the journal to muzzle.  And, 20" will be no more accurate than an 18" or even a 16", but will have higher velocity and stay supersonic a bit longer if you are shooting out at the limit of transonic destabilization of the bullet.  You can stay supersonic to 600, maybe 700 yards with even a 16" barrel.  If you really need to have the longer barrel for greater distance, go to a 24" and be done.

A Wylde chamber is designed to better stabilize a match grade bullet during its jump from the case mouth to the rifling.  It retains NATO chamber dimensions, allowing use of higher pressure NATO ammo, but tightens up the throat to reduce any side-to-side yaw during the jump.

Consider a custom barrel maker, a step up from Criterion.  Maybe Kreiger, Lilja, Bartlein.  You'll pay more, but they have much tighter tolerances and quality control.  Also Compass Lake Engineering (CLE) may have the profile that you seek made from a custom blank from one of those barrel makers.

CLE offers a Service Rifle profile 20" based on a Kreiger blank.  Probably around $500.

FWIW, I have been shooting sub 1/2 MOA 5 shot groups from a 16" Recce profile Lilja match barrel with match handloads.  That is a heavier profile barrel under the handguard with no wasp waist , but not an HBAR profile.   I don't shoot that rifle beyond 500 yards, however.

I sent one back about a year ago with only a phone call.  They requested 3 pieces of fired brass with it.  I got it back in about 10 days.  PO said it was re-chambered.  Works perfectly now.

I asked on the phone for a RMA too check the barrel, was a 6.5 Grendel, shot pretty good groups cold, but opened up to 5 MOA as it warmed up (not mag dumped). All I asked was for Criterion to check it out. If they wanted brass I would have been glad to include it. Criterion just refused to answer, so replace the barrel with a Faxon that always shoots decent groups. Still toying with a Lilja barrel.

All I asked for them to look at it and let me know what they found. At that point I was open to what Criterion wanted to do.

Great response!  I’d like really good precision out to about 600 yards.  This said, I suspect my skills are the limiting factor.  I have thought about an 18 incher vice the 20.  The other higher end brands costs outweigh the benefits - at least until I can develop further.  Thanks!

If you go with a 20 inch I think you're going to wish you went shorter once you've shot it a little bit. Especially if you're only shooting out to 600. I had an 18in Larue stealth barrel that was an absolute tac driver but a little heavy and clumsy. I switched to a 16in criterion core barrel and have every bit of confidence in that as I had with the 18in.

Amen,  I am not finding the precision with an 18" hand lapped barrel which is the heart of my most recent build.  When I reached out to Criterion, and while I guess justified on their part, all they could do was question the assembly and methods thereof.  Mine is not a horrible barrel, just not worth what it cost IMHO.