Impressed With Preferred Barrles

RC20 · April 24, 2022, 09:44 PM

I put together my own target rifles from Savage receivers (mostly I pull the original barrel off and put on a bull as well as a stock.

I am interested in 7.5 Swiss. I had a barrel from Lother Walther that I could never get to shoot (only one I could find that had 7.5 Swiss chambering ). A few times it shot lights out but never consistently.

I was trying to figure out if I would tr to deal with NSS and how to get the reamer to Shilen though Jim or direct and order though NSS (they will do it but kind of murky as to how to go about it)

I came across an outfit called Preferred Barrels who offer a 7.5 Swiss chambering, 5R rifling (kind of shrug on what kind of rifling as long as its done right). I ordered up a 7.5 Swiss Bull and got the threaded end so I could put a Brake on (I don't flinch but I do tense up after a lot of shooting)

First shots out of the box were two 15/16 groups and one 1 1/8. Pretty impressed as it was just random loads left over from the LW barrel.

Today I ran a series of lower to higher in H4350 from just under 2400 fps to 2500 fps and just dropped the COAL .020 off the Lands. Largest group was 1 1/4 and I had 3 under 1/2 inch (100 yards)

With shipping and the threaded end it was $540 as I recall but I am very impressed with how it shoots.

Granted its a sample of one and I maybe got lucky vs unlucky with the LW barrel but happy to order another one from them.

Appearance wise its even nicer than the Shilens I usually get.

BornFighting88 · April 25, 2022, 08:33 AM

Barrels are finicky things, as are the rifles they are attached to. I put a new barrel on a Mauser 98 action and had it reamed and headspaced, whole nine yards. Certain readily available rounds just would NOT group in it. They are like young children at the dinner table... IE "I don't like this...." "I don't want to eat this!!!" etc.

I am very happy to hear you have a combination that works for you/your rifle. Write it down!! In case you pass this on as an heirloom or the like, you'll want the information to go with it to it's new owner.

I finally put the work in and found that I needed to fireform the cases, and hand load a specific recipe to get it to clover leaf. My factory Win70? That eats just about whatever I put through it, the heavier the pill, the better. That leads me to my next point, rifling twist. Faster twist means heavier bullets will be stabilized, but could jeopardize lighter ones by spinning them so fast they spin out of trajectory. Too slow a twist, and you won't get enough stabilization and therefore butt-turrible results.

I have taken many a deer with the 70 being fed Federal 180 Power Shock soft lead points. It just puts them wherever the crosshairs rest.

If I may.... and this is merely speculation as I am more than sure you've done your homework, chap. You using glass?? Clamped properly??

BornFighting88 · April 25, 2022, 08:36 AM

FWIW, I have been bitten by the carbon fiber wrapped barrel craze. Carbon6, LLC is my company of choice. Barrel looks great! Light as a feather, but still in bull contour. Stays chilly cold after long strings of fire. Stainless steel of the barrel, contrasted with the black and grey of the carbon fiber and then the midnight blue of the Dumoulin 98 action. Nestled inside of a walnut colored laminate stock. I think the only thing that would look better is one of those Bavarian things with the full length stock and a medium contour pipe. Filthy thoughts, for sure.

stagpanther · April 25, 2022, 09:14 AM

I had a preferred barrel made for me, mine shoots pretty good, but is WAY over-priced for you get IMO, more expensive than premium match cut-rifled hand-lapped barrel and is just conventional button-rifled. The biggest qualitative difference IMO--you can order them and get them delivered before the next ice age. I'd stick with NSS myself unless he can't get the caliber/cartridge (which was my case) or go to one of the top-tier barrel makers directly.

RC20 · April 25, 2022, 12:32 PM

Agreed the price was high but huge savings from buying a reamer and tring to work out who what where and why with Shilen and NSS. Jim is great to work with.

Preferred has the 7.5 chambering so figured it was worth a shot (pun). The LW barrel just never settled. If I could get 3.4 inhc out of it I wold have been ok but it wandered all over the map up to 1.5 inches and this is a target gun not a hunting gun.

I love the Savage for the ability to do the barrel yourself (that is why I picked it). Far less cost if the barrel does not perform.

The Shilens have been good. This 7.5 is performing like the 30-06 barrel I got form Shilen. It shot everything decent and some stuff spectacularly.

Quote:

If I may.... and this is merely speculation as I am more than sure you've done your homework, chap. You using glass?? Clamped properly??

Always a good question. Decent glass but only doing 100 yards. My eyes are a bit picky and I need the right reticle. This one is an old Cabella AK guide though its fine adjust and I think more a Varmint setup. I have it on a good clamp on base so I can move it around.

My 6.5 I have the NightForce on it with a Dot. The Dot really works well and at 24 power I can put it in a small circle at 100 yards.

My brother has some free passes to a 300 meter range and we will do that. I used to shoot there but prices doubled and you have to pay for heat in the 100 yard shed (my season pass at the State Range has heat free)

They are not getting the customers with their high prices and the Covid letdown so 4 free passes and we can do a $10 adder past that.

Agreed on the work. I am finally getting down to where I can shoot good groups consistently. Call 1/2 and a bit below at times. That is as good as it gets for what I am going to put into it. I thought if I could get sub 1 inch it was great and I have done that and better.

Interesting cleaning the 7.5, the next shots were 1 1/4 inch and then settled down again. The 6.5 shoots cold clean or 100 rounds through it the same.

I like the brake on the 7.5. Its allowing me to shoot it more like the 6.5 recoil wise. I have a clamp on headed this way for the 30-06 and it will git the 270 (I have to sort out the 270, I think the chamber is too tight)

Fun stuff and since I quit work its a main form of my fun stuff. When I was working I had 4 day work weeks.

I tell people that I don't work 4 days a week and have 3 days off!

jpx2rk · April 25, 2022, 02:34 PM

I've got a 6x45 barrel from PB, shoots very well on the RAR action. NO complaints at all.

April 24, 2022, 09:44 PM	#1
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	Impressed With Preferred Barrles I put together my own target rifles from Savage receivers (mostly I pull the original barrel off and put on a bull as well as a stock. I am interested in 7.5 Swiss. I had a barrel from Lother Walther that I could never get to shoot (only one I could find that had 7.5 Swiss chambering ). A few times it shot lights out but never consistently. I was trying to figure out if I would tr to deal with NSS and how to get the reamer to Shilen though Jim or direct and order though NSS (they will do it but kind of murky as to how to go about it) I came across an outfit called Preferred Barrels who offer a 7.5 Swiss chambering, 5R rifling (kind of shrug on what kind of rifling as long as its done right). I ordered up a 7.5 Swiss Bull and got the threaded end so I could put a Brake on (I don't flinch but I do tense up after a lot of shooting) First shots out of the box were two 15/16 groups and one 1 1/8. Pretty impressed as it was just random loads left over from the LW barrel. Today I ran a series of lower to higher in H4350 from just under 2400 fps to 2500 fps and just dropped the COAL .020 off the Lands. Largest group was 1 1/4 and I had 3 under 1/2 inch (100 yards) With shipping and the threaded end it was $540 as I recall but I am very impressed with how it shoots. Granted its a sample of one and I maybe got lucky vs unlucky with the LW barrel but happy to order another one from them. Appearance wise its even nicer than the Shilens I usually get. __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

April 25, 2022, 09:14 AM	#4
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,786	I had a preferred barrel made for me, mine shoots pretty good, but is WAY over-priced for you get IMO, more expensive than premium match cut-rifled hand-lapped barrel and is just conventional button-rifled. The biggest qualitative difference IMO--you can order them and get them delivered before the next ice age. I'd stick with NSS myself unless he can't get the caliber/cartridge (which was my case) or go to one of the top-tier barrel makers directly. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

April 25, 2022, 08:33 AM	#2
BornFighting88 Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2021 Posts: 455	Barrels are finicky things, as are the rifles they are attached to. I put a new barrel on a Mauser 98 action and had it reamed and headspaced, whole nine yards. Certain readily available rounds just would NOT group in it. They are like young children at the dinner table... IE "I don't like this...." "I don't want to eat this!!!" etc. I am very happy to hear you have a combination that works for you/your rifle. Write it down!! In case you pass this on as an heirloom or the like, you'll want the information to go with it to it's new owner. I finally put the work in and found that I needed to fireform the cases, and hand load a specific recipe to get it to clover leaf. My factory Win70? That eats just about whatever I put through it, the heavier the pill, the better. That leads me to my next point, rifling twist. Faster twist means heavier bullets will be stabilized, but could jeopardize lighter ones by spinning them so fast they spin out of trajectory. Too slow a twist, and you won't get enough stabilization and therefore butt-turrible results. I have taken many a deer with the 70 being fed Federal 180 Power Shock soft lead points. It just puts them wherever the crosshairs rest. If I may.... and this is merely speculation as I am more than sure you've done your homework, chap. You using glass?? Clamped properly??

April 25, 2022, 08:36 AM	#3
BornFighting88 Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2021 Posts: 455	FWIW, I have been bitten by the carbon fiber wrapped barrel craze. Carbon6, LLC is my company of choice. Barrel looks great! Light as a feather, but still in bull contour. Stays chilly cold after long strings of fire. Stainless steel of the barrel, contrasted with the black and grey of the carbon fiber and then the midnight blue of the Dumoulin 98 action. Nestled inside of a walnut colored laminate stock. I think the only thing that would look better is one of those Bavarian things with the full length stock and a medium contour pipe. Filthy thoughts, for sure.

April 25, 2022, 02:34 PM	#6
jpx2rk Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2015 Posts: 387	I've got a 6x45 barrel from PB, shoots very well on the RAR action. NO complaints at all.