gotigers Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) I am looking for a 16.5", match barrel for 3 gun. A budget of $350. I shoot 55gr Wolf Gold for inside 100 yard and home rolled Hornady 75gr bthp for beyond 100 yards. What do you have? What do you suggest? edit: I want mid-length. Edited March 16, 2015 by gotigers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sschultz Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 If your looking for a light build take a look at the FAXON. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotigers Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 I should add that I want mid-length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therealkoop Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Im really enjoying my stretch 16 barrel as far as 16 setups go. Intermediate gas system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullittmcqueen Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 For what you are wanting from your barrel, the Stretch 16 meets all the requirements to a T. We have several being tested now by some pretty big names in the 3-gun world. Both I and another poster here on the Strong-side Shooting team have posted some results from our barrels. I tested the newest batch of fluted barrels a couple weekends ago and shot between 0.6 and 1 MOA with all types of ammunition tested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2aC00TxjkU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotigers Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Are Rainier Match and Black hole barrels still considered good to go? What about WOA mid, wylde,1:7 from Brownells? Thanks for the tips on faxon and stretch. I am reading about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Are Rainier Match and Black hole barrels still considered good to go? What about WOA mid, wylde,1:7 from Brownells? Thanks for the tips on faxon and stretch. I am reading about them. I have a Black Hole on one rifle, it's a good barrel. I would get a Black Hole over the White Oak. I have one of those too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannybot Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Sub MOA with Rainier 18" & 10.5" but they're a little heavy @ 18 = 32 oz, 10.5= 24 oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotigers Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Last year i went with the Rainier medcon for weight. The medcon's groups go from around 1MOA cold to 2 MOA after a few shots. SO, i am leary of lighter barrels. I would prefer a lighter barrel, if i could get better results after heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggerman300 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I run Noveske barrels and I haven't experienced one yet that isn't accurate. I zero'd two 14.5" builds yesterday (one stainless, one CHF) and both barrels were shooting around 1" 5 shot groups with my generic reloads. I'm confident both guns will be sub-moa with a little bit of load development. My 18" medium contour 3-gun build consistently shoots 3/4" groups or better with handloaded Nosler 77gr CC's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishsticks Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Nordic gets consistently good reviews. I have a Wilson combat 16" mid gas which has proven more than adequate for 3 gun. Any trouble hitting commonly sized targets out to 400 yds was not the result of the barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrocDowns Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 +1 for strong side tactical stretch 16 love mine smooth shooter with the intermediate gas and really accurate, it shrunk my groups by 2 from my old barrel, and I'm not a great group shooter so that's saying something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.E. Kelley Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Another Black Hole Barrel thumbs up here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael1778 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 For what little it may be worth, My next rifles or uppers will have Black Hole barrels or the Stretch 16, as appropriate. If I do a new .223 upper or rifle, I'm almost certain to use the Stretch 16 (probably the fluted melonite option, FYI). But I don't have any problems with my current 18" Criterion barrel so that isn't likely in the next few months. What is more likely this year would be if I do a 6.5 Grendel (264 LBC), 6.5 Creedmoor, or 308. I expect to use a Black Hole barrel for any of those designs. I'm rather keen on trying the polygonal rifling for the first time. And I love all the choices BHW offers for calibers, lengths, profiles, and finishes. Amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 with one exception, every rifle i have built had a JP barrel. to me, always worth the extra coin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbates Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I am just starting to test out the stretch 16. I have these groups with the same ammo out of the stretch and a 16inch rainier select medcon barrel. Both are shooting good. I also had some old Tac load with 75g Hornadys. The Stretch outshot the Rainier with those but they are both pretty close with 8208. Stretch 16 - 23g 8208 with 75g Hornady vortex 1-6 at 50yds Top Target Rainer Arms Medcon 16 same load 3.5-10 Leupold at 50yards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotigers Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Well, i tried 75gr hornady bthp and 77smk with rl15, cfe223, norma203b and a few others. My rainier medcon never shot better than 1MOA. Usually 1.5 or worse. Cold bore was close to MOA. Not so much after it heated up. I'm not against another rainier, just not a medcon. I am not wanting to bash rainier barrels, i just got a bad one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotigers Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 What do you think about the Spike's Lothar Walther barrels; 16", 1:8, wylde? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSpartans Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 What do you think about the Spike's Lothar Walther barrels; 16", 1:8, wylde? I have a LW fluted 16" that is a hammer. Showed up at my first ever DMR match with it and a Razor 1x6. Quickly told I would want a longer barrel and more optic. By the last stage everyone wanted to know what it was..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 If you want a 16, the Stretch16 has a lot going for it. Good stable profile, not too tight of a chamber, comes with a GB and tube, accurate and softer recoil than the competition. I'd have a hard time choosing between the 18" Nordic and the Stretch16 for an across the course 3Gun set-up. Those two are sitting at the top of the chart right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullittmcqueen Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Here are a couple of groups from my initial testing with the Elite Red Fluted Stretch-16. Shot from 100 yards, prone on a front and rear bag. The first group is Hornady V-max 55g handloads, second is 69g Nosler OTM's handloads, and third is Hornady 75g Steel Match. The Stretch shoots so soft with my handloads that I honestly had to look down to make sure the bolt had cycled after the first shot. All these loads were worked up for my old 18" 3-gun barrel, so I'm looking forward to working some with the Stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotigers Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 I know the stretch 16 comes with a gas block. I run a low mass carrier, low mass rifle buffer, tubbs spring and a syrac adjustable gas block. Will the stretch run reliably with its gas block or will I need to keep my syrac for a low mass gas system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I am running with a standard GB, I think is it more reliable than and adjustable would be, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therealkoop Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I tried putting the standard gas block on mine, but I quickly switched back to my SLR adjustable. Titane carrier, taran spring, carbine buffer. 55g @ 2600fps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterlingSomeone Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I will give black hole barrels a +1 as far as accuracy goes. I do prefer JP and think the extra $ they cost is worth it in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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