jasent
Well-Known Member
I've had great results with all 5 of my McGowan barrels.
McGowen vs. Others
- Thread starter rootacres
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Wisconsinvette
Well-Known Member
Just took my second McGowen to the range for the first time today. Its a 6CM Savage prefit and the first 3 shot group was .5" with factory ammo. Last year I got a 7 SAUM Tikka prefit and it shots .5" or better.
Deleted member 126017
New Member
I will say I didn't shoot the barrels that didn't pass my bore scope inspection. I belive if Mcgowen had inpected them they would have rejected them also. They claim to be a Precision Barrel maker but they are far from it. Any company can make a great shooting barrel some of the time, but good compines do it all the time. McGowan has alot work to do before they become a premier barrel maker. Right now thier tubes are no better than a factory barrel. That's not what I pay for when rebarreling an action. That's my 2 cents - Take it for what it's worth.
Hespco
Well-Known Member
I have two McGowan barresl, plus some other brands. Some of which I paid more for, & a couple I paid less for. All stainless. These are hunting rifles, not march rifles. They all perform well , with no problem of keeping groups under an inch, with bullets they like.
You are entitled to your opinion.
Deleted member 126017
New Member
Thanks - That's all it is my opinion that's based on my own experience. Some people seem to ask for an opinion and then get angry when you give it to them.
I did not see who got angry, but I am pleased with mine thus far. I have a borescope, but I only use it if I have any issues.
All of my builds up until the last 2 have been AR's, but never custom ordered. Here's my last 2..........264wm McGowen 7.5T 32"............Working on the finishing touches of C6 (McGowen barrel) 30" 300wm 9T. I also didn't have much in the "what I wanted in length, twist and chamber", but I'll find out how it works out! I want nothing to do with a rem700 not actions of! Not everything can be as perfect as a pre'64! Am I bias......maybe judgmental..........could be just getting a good barrel. How many have gone away from factory 700's blueprinted or not and just use a clone in the action screw spacing or accepting 700 aftermarket triggers! I've got a 4k hp engine but the driveline goes out when I step on the gas...........well it's a bad engine. It's more than just 1 part it can be more than just only a barrel. I'll just say that I inspected both barrels and the threads, bores and straightness is in check of both barrels. Now all that's left is to put some rounds down the tube and get results. I've talked to a smith that's about 40 miles from me and that's the closest within 5 hours or more that can chamber and do other work. That's going to be a game changer on what barrel I will buy in the future, if I need to change place of purchase.
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
McGowen barrels make me happy - I shoot them out after 2-4 years with 1700 - 2700 rounds (depending)then pay MCGowen to put another barrel on. I ask for a receiver face square & bolt lugs lapped one time per action. Dependable & timely work at reasonable prices. I have had Pac Nor, Lilja, Hart, and other barrels & McGowen equals them. I do picky rodent shooting (tiny targets) & casual steel shooting & my .20 - 6.5 barrels get lots of rounds fired thru them & get high % hits. When I clean them up the smooth surfaces are like mirrors. I usually select 5R type rifling. I wish I had a McGowen barrel on my match rifle when I was shooting NRA Hi Power at 600.
Last edited:
I have 3 McGowen barrels and am very happy with them. I do borescope them but pay no attention to the tooling marks and such, all barrels shoot 1/2 MOA with hand loads. I order prefit Mauser 98 barrels. I have the hand tooling (no lathe needed) to square up the action, lap the lugs, square the bolt face and more. I recommend McGowen to all my friends that want/need work done as my experiences with them has been very positive - they will correct any mistake/issue without fuss. Chamber work is excellent. All my rifles are for hunting so I spec a #2 contour to save a bit of weight and get a solid 3 rounds before a POI shift. They offer a slew of GS services and I have found no one better for my Mauser projects - they are tough to beat. I would say use them with confidence and ensure to comunicate very clearly so the can execute to your plan. I also use Brux, Criterion, X-Caliber, Adams & Bennett and Green Mountain - they all shot excedingly well, but McGowen does the prefit for my which saves me lots of time and $. Best of luck with your project - keep us posted.
BillLarson
Well-Known Member
I shot a McGowan in the 2007 National "F" class at Lodi wis.
It was a very good barrel....
I did,nt win and it was,nt the barrels fault...
It was a very good barrel....
I did,nt win and it was,nt the barrels fault...
Dang, what did I miss?
I see someone resurrected this thread. I'm not sure how their barrels are now but 7-8 years ago a local smith built one for me and two for a buddy with their barrels. All three are shooters. Mine is a 7mm rem mag built on a sako action and it shoots everything I put through it sub moa.
CarbonSix uses their blanks and I can vouch for them. I have 2 of theirs. One in a 22 creedmoor and one in a 30 nosler. They shoot great. 22 creedmoor .1 to .2 and the 30 Nosler I'm fixing to start loading for next week and I can report on it.
And to add the 22cm first pressure test all 9 shots went into .5" at 100 yds.
And to add the 22cm first pressure test all 9 shots went into .5" at 100 yds.
