Any one rebarreled with a shilen lately?

[J E Custom]

I remember a 3rd grade as well. Hunting rifle grade or something like that. I have one from maybe 25 year ago. I think it's a match grade, but not sure anymore.

Seems like I remember a friend who is a BR shooter saying around that time that Ed said that the match vs select match difference wasn't all that great and he was just a savvy marketer/businessman who saw that select match vs match was more psychological than real.

Yes that was one of them and the other was a target. Back then the Select match had a tolerance of .0003 the match was .0005 And I was told several times that sometimes if you ordered a Match grade and they were out of them, they would substitute a select match in its place. My only reason for ordering the select match was to assure that I received the tightest tolerance. If you ordered a match grade you stood a chance of getting the match and the less stringent tolerances.

I had Shilen make me a 416 barrel to the select match grade and originally they said that only made select match grade barrels up to 338 caliber. I had a long discussion
as to why I wanted the highest grade in a dangerous game cartridge, I explained that It was a wildcat and I wanted to evaluate the cartridge with the best barrel I could use. They also agreed to try and after 2 tries the third time was the charm. When they called to let me know it was ready, I drove to his shop and picked it up.

He said the other two barrels were fine but they did not meet the tolerances of the select match so the reason for trying to meet the Specs was to see if it could be done. They were also the only ones at the time that offered an 8 grove rifling in many different calibers. I am forever grateful that they took on this project and I was not disappointed in their barrel or the cartridge. To date it has shot the best group of my life (.034 three shots @ 100 yards.

So In my opinion the top Shilen barrels are very good barrels.

Here is a link to the build. https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/416-buff.21003/

J E CUSTOM

 

[Orange Dust]

I have a select match on my .224tth. Awesome accuracy, the throat is toast and i mean toast, but it still shoots on the .3's with heavy match bullets. Big controversy between cut vs button rifled barrels, but they both shoot if built right. I've been thinking of trying one of their ratchet rifled barrels. I need to change the barrel on that rifle and just cant make up my mind on same or different cartridge or caliber. I would take the deal if i wanted the barrel for sure.

 

[antelopedundee]

Yes that was one of them and the other was a target. Back then the Select match had a tolerance of .0003 the match was .0005 And I was told several times that sometimes if you ordered a Match grade and they were out of them, they would substitute a select match in its place. My only reason for ordering the select match was to assure that I received the tightest tolerance. If you ordered a match grade you stood a chance of getting the match and the less stringent tolerances.

I had Shilen make me a 416 barrel to the select match grade and originally they said that only made select match grade barrels up to 338 caliber. I had a long discussion
as to why I wanted the highest grade in a dangerous game cartridge, I explained that It was a wildcat and I wanted to evaluate the cartridge with the best barrel I could use. They also agreed to try and after 2 tries the third time was the charm. When they called to let me know it was ready, I drove to his shop and picked it up.

He said the other two barrels were fine but they did not meet the tolerances of the select match so the reason for trying to meet the Specs was to see if it could be done. They were also the only ones at the time that offered an 8 grove rifling in many different calibers. I am forever grateful that they took on this project and I was not disappointed in their barrel or the cartridge. To date it has shot the best group of my life (.034 three shots @ 100 yards.

So In my opinion the top Shilen barrels are very good barrels.

Here is a link to the build. https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/416-buff.21003/

J E CUSTOM

It's been a long while but IIRC their advertising said something to the effect that all barrels are air gauged and in doing so we find that some measure better than others. The better ones were called select match and I believe were fitty bucks more. My friend and his friend tried both match and select match and couldn't really tell any difference. In addition to building great stuff ol Ed was a savvy marketer.

 

[Gater]

I have never used one but the guys I know that have where happy with them

 

[Sam Summey]

Have any of you fellows purchased & ran a shilen barrel in the past few years? How did it work out. I may be able to get a good price on one. I'm running a brux, bartlein, proof and x-caliber. I'm nothing but pleased with them but I know the Chambers were done right on those which I feel is the biggest lender to accuracy. I think even a mediocre barrel has good chances of shooting great with the chamber work done right.

Yes, I have rebarreled several rifles in the last two years .224 Wylde (700) .264 WM (M70), and two 300 WM (700). All are working great. They are a little slow responding with product 8 wks as apposed to their stated 6 weeks.

 

[antelopedundee]

Yes, I have rebarreled several rifles in the last two years .224 Wylde (700) .264 WM (M70), and two 300 WM (700). All are working great. They are a little slow responding with product 8 wks as apposed to their stated 6 weeks.

If they add new twists and contours or whatever to their line of products it's bound to increase the cycle time.

I don't know if it's changed any over the years but IIRC they made only what they had orders for. If they had 87 orders for a certain barrel they made 87 and never any extras in case someone wanted one before they came up for production again.

 

[Eagle eyes 17]

Have any of you fellows purchased & ran a shilen barrel in the past few years? How did it work out. I may be able to get a good price on one. I'm running a brux, bartlein, proof and x-caliber. I'm nothing but pleased with them but I know the Chambers were done right on those which I feel is the biggest lender to accuracy. I think even a mediocre barrel has good chances of shooting great with the chamber work done right.

Got a buddy that wants to rebarrel his .308 into a 6mm Creed

 

[David Lindler]

Have any of you fellows purchased & ran a shilen barrel in the past few years? How did it work out. I may be able to get a good price on one. I'm running a brux, bartlein, proof and x-caliber. I'm nothing but pleased with them but I know the Chambers were done right on those which I feel is the biggest lender to accuracy. I think even a mediocre barrel has good chances of shooting great with the chamber work done right.

I have had bartlien and shilen with both proving to be accurate. I have had tighter groups out of the 5-r rifled bartliens.
Bartlien is in the top 2 barrel makers used by pro competition shooters .shilen not in the running.
Lilja also makes a accurate barrel.