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Posted: 5/8/2020 8:09:48 AM EDT
I currently have an 18” WOA SPR barrel. It has been great with groups around ½”. However 800 rounds a month for almost a year I know I’m nearing the end of it maximum accuracy potential barrel life.
Shooting 8000 rounds a year I would like to get as much barrel life as possible but I’m not willing to sacrifice accuracy. My question is if I order another barrel from WOA. Would I be better served with a Bartlien blank over the house brand which I believe are Wilson blanks? Am I going to get any better accuracy or barrel life to justify the increase in price? I’m open to any suggestion from any manufacturer. I know CLE is great as well but I think I would like to stick with a Wylde chamber because I want to experiment with long bullets. Not afraid to spend the money on a better product as kind as it’s truly worth it. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 8:16:22 AM EDT
[#1]
It sounds like you’ve already found a great barrel. I vote another WOA.
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Posted: 5/8/2020 8:19:20 AM EDT
[#2]
If you had fantastic results with that combo why change the recipe?
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Posted: 5/8/2020 8:32:15 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Jmo371: If you had fantastic results with that combo why change the recipe? No doubt that the WOA is fantastic but if the Bartlien or Krieger blank will get me substantially more barrel life that would be worth it to me. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 8:38:07 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ARS24-7: It sounds like you’ve already found a great barrel. I vote another WOA. Exactly. |
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CT, USA
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Posted: 5/8/2020 8:41:25 AM EDT
[#5]
If only the crown is degrading, consider trimming and recrowning your current barrel.
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Posted: 5/8/2020 9:52:03 AM EDT
[#6]
I'd go with another WOA barrel. Have one myself!
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Posted: 5/8/2020 10:07:29 AM EDT
[#7]
X Caliber. Have several. All impress.
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USA
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Posted: 5/8/2020 10:33:47 AM EDT
[#8]
Hard to quantify with shooter variables but...
With a lapped cut rifled barrel you’ll likely see some improvement in barrel life, consistency, tuneability etc. If everywhere else your game is tight. It won’t double barrel life or cut groups in half. I’ve found 1/2 moa is where it starts to get a lot harder to discriminate accuracy gains vs process improvements vs shooter skill level. WOA are on the soft side if I recall so if you got 8k of acceptable accuracy (that’s great btw) I don’t know if the difference would be significant enough to warrant the cost from a purely economics point of view but that difference is lost in the noise after you amortize it over 8k+ rounds. I say get a Bartlein tube and see what you think. Should be a fun year to figure it out. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/8/2020 10:47:06 AM EDT
[#9]
Don’t know what your accuracy requirements are, but Criterion makes “match grade” chrome lined barrels.
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Posted: 5/8/2020 12:27:31 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SubSonic1836: Don’t know what your accuracy requirements are, but Criterion makes “match grade” chrome lined barrels. I would like to stay around ½” MOA at 100yds. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 12:31:52 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GMZ: Hard to quantify with shooter variables but... With a lapped cut rifled barrel you’ll likely see some improvement in barrel life, consistency, tuneability etc. If everywhere else your game is tight. It won’t double barrel life or cut groups in half. I’ve found 1/2 moa is where it starts to get a lot harder to discriminate accuracy gains vs process improvements vs shooter skill level. WOA are on the soft side if I recall so if you got 8k of acceptable accuracy (that’s great btw) I don’t know if the difference would be significant enough to warrant the cost from a purely economics point of view but that difference is lost in the noise after you amortize it over 8k+ rounds. I say get a Bartlein tube and see what you think. Should be a fun year to figure it out. I haven’t hit 8K yet it’s I have had the barrel for about 8 months really. It’s well over 5K, and my normal ½” MOA load is generating some fliers. I have heard the Wilson blanks are softer as well, and that’s why I am considering the Bartlein. Just seeing if anyone here has experienced both. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 6:11:25 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By bigtex84: No doubt that the WOA is fantastic but if the Bartlien or Krieger blank will get me substantially more barrel life that would be worth it to me. At $280 a pop or less for world class accuracy I have no intention of upgrading from WOA's standard barrels. One of the biggest disappointments in my shooting ventures was buying a Krieger 1/7.7 barrel from CLE and having run of the mill (for match barrels) performance. It wasn't better, it wasn't even as good as most of my WOA SPR/DMR/Service Rifle barrels. Every barrel is an individual. Even rack grade rifles can shoot lights out, an occasional Krieger or Bartlein might be mediocre to average. There are no guarantees. My Krieger was 1 moa rifle, good enough for what I use it for. I have a Colt 16" H-Bar 1/9 that will stack ten rounds in 3/4" at 100 yards. Go figure. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 6:22:17 PM EDT
[Last Edit: borderpatrol]
[#13]
BTW - My experience with my CLE Krieger barrel is in no way a knock on Compass Lake Engineering or even Krieger. In fact Compass Lake Engineering manufactures the barrels for White Oak Armament. In the words of John Holliger, they have the production capacity and a world class reputation so there is no reason not to.
The standard blanks used by WOA usually come from Wilson Barrels. They have used Shilen, Pac-Nor (now defunct) and Criterion in the past depending on availability and cost. There is nothing wrong with trying a premium barrel blank, but the quality of barrels from every manufacturer nowadays is superb, don't expect miracles by simply spending up. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 8:00:07 PM EDT
[#14]
@borderpatrol
Thanks for the info, it was very insightful. I honestly don’t expect to get much better accuracy with a premium blank but I would hope to those groups would stay small for longer. If the premium blank do offer longer barrel life do you think it’s worth the cost accuracy being equal? |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 8:22:17 PM EDT
[#15]
No. You can buy two WOA SPR barrels to one Bartlein/Krieger barrel.
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Posted: 5/8/2020 9:30:44 PM EDT
[#16]
Well it looks like another WOA barrel is in my future.
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Posted: 5/9/2020 3:00:30 PM EDT
[#17]
Bartlein makes great barrels and I have them and Krieger barrels on my bolt actions. The problem with using them on AR-15's is they cost to benefit ratio. AR-15 rifles get abused. Speed shooting with a $500 premium barrel is wasted resources if you ask me. Standard rack grade rifles with chrome lined barrels are my first pick for blasting away.
Precision shooting at longer ranges are where the WOA barrels shine. Just as accurate as any other premium barrel on the market and at a cost that anyone can afford. WOA holds sales on their "Service Rifle" barrels and "SPR" profile barrels at right around $195 to $210 a piece. I try to buy several on sale whether I need them now or not. |
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MS, USA
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Posted: 5/15/2020 10:38:35 PM EDT
[Last Edit: MS556]
[#18]
Another option, one being used by many benchrest shooters, is to buy a top grade match stainless hand lapped Kreiger, Batrlein or Lilja barrel, first break it in to remove reamer marks in the throat until no green comes back on wet patches, then send it off for nitride hardening.
You must do the break in first, because after it is nitrided, it will be almost impossible to get the reamer marks out. That should substantially increase barrel life before gilt-edged accuracy falls off. |
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