Best .308 AR10 barrel?

[silverphoenix]

I have a Fulton Armory AR10 upper with FA/DC and am looking to get a BCG, Barrel, and Rail so I can put it on the SR25 pattern AR10 lower I have.

What would be the best manufacturer/ type of barrel to get for long range precision shooting? Stainless Steel or Melonited? Length? Twist?

[dlouie87]

There is no "best" barrel out there.... However there are some manufacturers that are more reputable and use higher quality than others. (Krieger, Lilja, JP, etc.... list can go on and on and on.)

To start off, what is your budget?

[silverphoenix]

I would like to buy one around $200, but if it's a huge increase in quality, I would say $300 is the limit

[RayFromHouston]

Google is your 'friend'............

http://www.google.co...iw=1366&bih=599

[Tom Freeman]

Are you planning on sticking with the 308?

[benny hill]

CRITERION!!

[Alphamikefoxtrot]

Spend more and get the JP. Shoots great and cleans easy.

[silverphoenix]

definitely going with .308. No reason to shoot anything else in AR10 platform. I was mainly asking about barrel materials...

[Tom Freeman]

20 inch, stainless, rifle length gas, 10-11.25 twist.

But you did say long range precision rifle. Thats what made me think 260, 6.5 or 6 Creedmore. For long range there are many choices better than the 308.

[silverphoenix]

Nothing cheaper than .308 though. I want to stick with common calibers since I don't reload

[KTKlaus]

I haven't seen a decent quality 308 barrel for less than 250 (retail). Criterion/Fulton Barrels work quite well, and with a decent price tag. Another option is Rainier Arms, which is what I have been using on my LR308 builds and come with 3 different levels from Select, Match and UltraMatch. With 175SMKs getting sub MOA.

Edited November 30, 2012 by KTKlaus

[Alphamikefoxtrot]

You are just going to spend more to shoot a 308. Parts are higher, bullets are higher, and it will make a keg of powder disappear. My load uses 43.8 grains of powder. I have to refill my powder drop container every 200 rounds.

I paid 5-600 for my JP barrel and I can tell you that I am pretty anal about cleaning. I did the shoot one, clean it deal for 10 rounds then shoot 3, clean it for 15 rounds. None of those cleaning sessions lasted more than 6 patches. Now that I am shooting matches with it, the cleaning sessions are MUCH longer....like 8 patches.

There are those, John Paul included, who recommend not cleaning that much, and if you don't plan on cleaning, that may not be an issue for you. They also shoot stupid groups. My best yet was 5 shots touching at 275 with 175smk's. There are certainly barrels out there that are not that accurate that would never hold you back in a three gun match, but if you can have that kind of accuracy, why not?

I am the kind of person who can convince myself that 1moa is good enough for anything that I want to do in competition at the time of purchase, but I am also the type of person who can convince himself that if his buddy can shoot 3/8 groups, then I should be able to as well. That philosophy has led to many re-buys.

Edited November 30, 2012 by Alphamikefoxtrot

[twodownzero]

Nothing cheaper than .308 though. I want to stick with common calibers since I don't reload

You really should start handloading first.

$1 a shot will get pricey quickly; cheap factory ammo will not shoot any better than 2-3 moa out of anything.

Precision and handloading go hand in hand, unless you're willing to spend $$$ on ammo, the best ammo is that which you can make yourself.

[RANGER3BN]

send it to GAP

[CraigS.]

The DPMS 24" SS Bull Barrel is accurate as any, and the least expensive ,But sometimes hard to find in stock.

Actually your upper receiver is the same as DPMS so their parts are fully compatable.

[prreed10]

I put a Fulton Armory Lightweight Match barrel on my 308. Here is a 5 shot group shooting Federal GMM 168's with a 4x scope:

I'm very happy with it.

[dskinsler83]

I had a custom 5R Rock Creek that was sub .5 moa at 100

[Robert Snyder]

I have a LWRC REPR that is capable of 3/8 or less at 100 yards with Federal GMM 175's. The Barrel is Cold hammer forged and not chrome lined. If I was going to Build one I would opt for a JP or a Noveske Stainless. I don't think you are going to find a Barrel for your Budget that will shoot even close to 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. Sorry.

[TRUBL]

The DPMS 24" SS Bull Barrel is accurate as any, and the least expensive ,But sometimes hard to find in stock.

Actually your upper receiver is the same as DPMS so their parts are fully compatable.

These are VERY good barrels, VERY inexpensive.....VERY heavy too. I run one, but cut it down to a decent weight back in the day, and it is still my most accurate barrel for the 308 and i have a few of the ones mentioned here.

[Chris_C]

if you really want THE best in pecision AR10 barrels, then it would be hard to beat a GA Precision barrel made from a Bartlein blank (mine was 18.5" for 308). It will cost more than double your upper limit though.

[sb3]

Cheap and precision don't always go together. You can buy some pretty darn good match loads in 6.5 creedmoor.

[usmc0326]

Cheap and precision don't always go together. You can buy some pretty darn good match loads in 6.5 creedmoor.

not only can you buy 6.5 creedmoor loads, they give you the recipe on the box from hornady. That way if you decide to reload you can have the exact load from the start.

[Bullzeye]

I would say go with a Bartlein blank or a JP supermatch barrel.

[george995]

I have a LWRC REPR that is capable of 3/8 or less at 100 yards with Federal GMM 175's. The Barrel is Cold hammer forged and not chrome lined. If I was going to Build one I would opt for a JP or a Noveske Stainless. I don't think you are going to find a Barrel for your Budget that will shoot even close to 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. Sorry.

I have a LWRC REPR that is capable of 3/8 or less at 100 yards with Federal GMM 175's. The Barrel is Cold hammer forged and not chrome lined. If I was going to Build one I would opt for a JP or a Noveske Stainless. I don't think you are going to find a Barrel for your Budget that will shoot even close to 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. Sorry.

I have a mega maten build with a rainier's select 18" barrel that shoot's 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. With my loads consisting of 178 A-max projectiles and IMR 4895.

http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=2690

Not my first choice, but a friend suggested one of these due to his experience. I am happy that I followed his suggestion.

[ShooterSteve]

I have a JP on my 223 match gun, but I recently purchased a used 308 built of mixed parts. It has a DPMS barrel, so I wasn't expecting it to do fantastic. I still had hopes. I shot it, and it performed horribly, and I was really let down. I took it home at replaced all the trigger parts and did a trigger job on it, and tightened up the scope mount screws. Took it back and shot several groups well under an inch. One went .49. It was with 168 Hornady's and 3031. Looking forward to trying some Varget behind a Nos 155CC. I strongly believe in quality barrels, but if you are on a budget, don't overlook the DPMS. You may get a shooter!