Basic question

[ubet]

I just bought an upper and put it on a colt lower. If I can't get it to shoot moa at 100 yards with match grade reloads, will just changing out the barrel work? If so, what barrel would you recommend, colt socom, noveske, or who else? I want 16" barrel no FSB. This rifle will shoot to 600 yards is what i'm looking for. Doesn't need to be moa to there, but at least to 400 would be nice.

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[masan]

Yes.

There may be a bullet/powder combo that barrel will like, but at some point you have to stop dumping $ into a barrel that just doesnt want to shoot.

The barrel you have now may just be a dud, it happens. I have had a few, sometimes the barrel maker is great and offers to replace it (you will see this with top end barrel makers), sometimes you are stuck with it and can relegate it to fireforming or in your case just a backup barrel (no need to fireform 223).

For a new barrel that can do what you want, I would go with stainless. I have had two Noveske barrels that performed very well. I also had a Rainier (Shilen) that shot very well, but the contour was so off from the bore axis that I could not put anything but an A2 Birdcage on it without safety concerns.

All that said, I REALLY like my BCM Enhanced barrels. They may not be stainless but the contour BCM uses sure makes them easy to tune.

[grizzman]

If you are unable to come up with a good handload for the existing barrel, then replacing the barrel CAN allow you to achieve less than 1 MOA results. Naturally, this depends on your skill, both in
shooting and loading the ammo.

Besides being accurately machined, what other properties should the barrel posses?

Barrel profile (lightweight profiles aren't really compatible with MOA performance in long strings of fire, but they sure are nice to carry)
Gas System (shouldn't matter, but some users have strong preferences)
Material (as stated stainless will likely yield the best results, but at the expense of lifespan)
Coating/Treatment (bare steel or Nitride should give better performance over Chrome lining. Having said that, Criterion's Chrome lined barrels are supposed to ignore that rule.)
Budget

Many manufacturers offer a 1 MOA guarantee, so that's something to consider.

[Wake27]

I just bought an upper and put it on a colt lower. If I can't get it to shoot moa at 100 yards with match grade reloads, will just changing out the barrel work? If so, what barrel would you recommend, colt socom, noveske, or who else? I want 16" barrel no FSB. This rifle will shoot to 600 yards is what i'm looking for. Doesn't need to be moa to there, but at least to 400 would be nice.

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What type of upper? And you realize that a one MOA rifle at 100 yards should still be a one MOA rifle at 600 yards right?

[ubet]

What type of upper? And you realize that a one MOA rifle at 100 yards should still be a one MOA rifle at 600 yards right?

It's a sionics upper, i'm still waiting to do an ocw at 100 then ladder test inside the node at 400. Yes I do realize that it SHOULD, but if it starts to open up past there i'm ok with it. I had a 300 wsm that would barely hold moa at 100 yards but at 300, it would hold .4moa. If it holds it to 600 that's ok, but with a 2-10 off a bipod, real world shooting conditions, off the hood of a pickup stuff like that, I realize it'll open up because of the situation, maybe, and not the rifles fault.

My bolt rifle I can hold .75moa 308win rem 700 5r and sometimes .5 just depending on the situation.

If I buy a new barrel, how much does chrome lining affect accuracy?

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[ubet]

If you are unable to come up with a good handload for the existing barrel, then replacing the barrel CAN allow you to achieve less than 1 MOA results. Naturally, this depends on your skill, both in
shooting and loading the ammo.

Besides being accurately machined, what other properties should the barrel posses?

Barrel profile (lightweight profiles aren't really compatible with MOA performance in long strings of fire, but they sure are nice to carry)
Gas System (shouldn't matter, but some users have strong preferences)
Material (as stated stainless will likely yield the best results, but at the expense of lifespan)
Coating/Treatment (bare steel or Nitride should give better performance over Chrome lining. Having said that, Criterion's Chrome lined barrels are supposed to ignore that rule.)
Budget

Many manufacturers offer a 1 MOA guarantee, so that's something to consider.

I'd prefer a medium contour barrel. I can load sub moa ammo, and can shoot moa sub moa. Once i'm comfortable with the rifle. Will the nitride treatment improve life span?

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[grizzman]

I would be very surprised if you're not able to get a Sionics barrel to shoot less than 1 MOA with 77 grain SMKs, good brass, and a powder it likes.

I'm not convinced that Nitride is as durable as Chrome lining, but it will increase the barrel's life span over a non-lined/treated barrel.

[ubet]

I would be very surprised if you're not able to get a Sionics barrel to shoot less than 1 MOA with 77 grain SMKs, good brass, and a powder it likes.

I'm not convinced that Nitride is as durable as Chrome lining, but it will increase the barrel's life span over a non-lined/treated barrel.

Ok, great! I have 77 gr smk and 77gr nosler cc loaded up to test, just need the time. The 77gr loads that had worked good in the 6920 upper were 1.5 moa. But I'll try building a specific load first. I just have gotten the bug again. I do really like the look and feel of the sionics upper.

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[everready73]

1.5 moa isn't bad at all for a standard chrome lined barrel that's in the Sionics. They are not necessarily made for maximum accuracy.

If you want the most accurate barrel I would go with s stainless Douglas, Kreiger, or Bartlein from compass lake

If you want a chrome lined barrel criterion is known to make accurate chrome lined barrels. Colt barrels are accurate as well, but a quality stainless barrel has the most accurate potential

[grizzman]

The Ballistic Advantage Hanson profile barrels seem to get good reviews here. The one with the .750" gas block would be worth some additional research, and is only $230 with the pinned gas block.

A custom 16.5" medium profile 5.56 Wylde, Stainless, 1:7.7 twist, with finished chamber and crown will set you back $455 shipped, but should do very well.

I couldn't think of Compass Lake's name....definitely worth considering.