Douglas Barrels

[TR220swift]

I have deceided to go for a 22-243 win build and was wondering about Douglas barrels, what can you tell me about them?

 

[BountyHunter]

Quite a few of the East coast LR br guys are shooting them in their light guns and doing very well. Their largest diameter is 1.25 inches.

What more do you want?

BH

 

[shortgrass]

The last Douglas barrel blank I saw was "rough" turned, not "finish turned & polished" like a Hart or Shilen is. It was rough enough on the outside that the 'finish' polishing was best done by 'smith with the proper equipment. No money saved there. As for the shootabilty, it did well. I'm a firm believer that the barrel fitting (threading, chambering, & crowning), when it comes to the 'old name' custom barrel makers (Douglas, Hart, Krieger, Shilen, ect.), is more important then the brand name. That .22-.243 is an interesting round, especially with a fast twist (1 in 7 or 1 in 8) to shoot those 'heavy for caliber' bullets (70g/90g). I don't see it as any advantage if one just wants to shoot 55g.'ers, the .22/250Ackley will do the same, and, more efficiently. just my 2 cents

 

[TR220swift]

I was just looking for some info good or bad they appealed to me for the cost, but Im a firm believer of you get what you pay for, this will be my first custom/wildcat so Im just testing the water so I dont want to spend alot of money on a barrel on a rifle that Im not going to use. It will be a 1-8 twist hopin to shoot 75gr pills. Thanks any more info would be great.

 

[shortgrass]

Once you start shooting custom chambered custom barrels you'll wonder what's wrong with your other rifles. 20 years ago, when I got hold of my first custom barrel/chambered rifle, I couldn't believe the difference it made. I thought I had some pretty good rifles until then, could always stay 'on par' with the others in the group I shot with. That .22-.243 can be finicky to load for, it took me awhile to find a suitable load for mine. It's a 'blue printed' Rem. SA and wears a Shilen Select Match barrel w/ 1 in 8 twist. Finally settled on the the Sierra 80g. MK as that was where the accuracy is in my rifle, I like RL-22 for propellant. And, I'll whole heartedly agree, you get what you pay for these days. again, just my 2 cents Keep us posted on your build.

 

[Kevin Thomas]

Douglas turns out some fine barrels at pretty reasonable prices. My personal best 600 yard score (200x17, the second string was a perfect 100x10) was shot with a Douglas in 6.5-06.

Just bear in mind what else has been said here, though; barrel quality is important, and you can't chamber up a truly bad barrel well enough to make it shoot great. If it's bad, it's bad. On the flip side, though, you can sure as hell take the best and most accurate barrel ever made, and turn it into a tomato stake by letting the wrong gun plumber. Good quality barrels need to be fitted up by competent gunsmiths, simple as that.

Kevin Thomas
Lapua USA

 

[TR220swift]

Thankanas for the replies, still trying to figure out which barrel to go with, not set on a Douglas. The work will be done by a good friend of mine at Onlylongrange.com known him for many years, dont know why I waited till now to do a project, Hope to have it shooting for Montana Antelope season in Oct.

 

[fj40mojo]

I am still breaking in my 6.5x55 Match Mauser '98. It has a 1:8 Douglas premium airgauged barrel. Best group so far has been .381" at 100yds with 140grn Bergers and I've only got 50 rounds down the tube. I think you may get a better internal finish with a Krieger or Shilen but this is something you can do yourself too with a little sweat equity invested.

 

[Gene]

Thumbs up on Kevin's comments regarding the gunsmith you use.


Currently, I have a 20" Douglas featherweight barrel on a 98 Mauser in 7mm-08 deer rifle. . It shoots great, considering the barrel is thin as a pencil. Several years ago, I bought a Douglas 26" fluted target barrel from Sharpshooter Supply and had them chamber it in 6.5-284 fitted to my Savage 110 action. It shot very well until the throat went out around 1,200 rounds.

Lately for long range groundhog matches, I have been buying cut rifled barrels, but nothing wrong with a Douglas. They have been around forever.

 

[shortgrass]

If you already have a 'smith, get his opinion, after all he does work with this stuff every day. Hope I'm not getting too far off thread here, fj40mojo, I'm wondering what your method is for improving the internal finish of the barrel yourself?

 

[TR220swift]

I was wondering about the inside of the barrel myself?