Barrel ?

[Steve Anderson]

I'm usually in the back of the class acting up so I might have missed this. So forgive me. It seems that good shooting cast bullet barrels and good shooting jacketed bullet barrels are not one in the same. The benchrest jacketed bullet boys appear to favor different barrel makers over the cast bullet boys. Assuming I'm correct, why is that? Do cast bullets work better with more friction in a barrel. Is it about the barrel dimensions?

[Don McDowell]

I think it has more to do with the flavor of the month club.. I have Douglas barrels that shoot cast really well, I have McGowen barrels that shoot cast really well. Heck I've even got the nasty ol Marlin Micro groove barrel to shoot cast well.. Mostly has to do with the quality of the cast bullet, coupled with proper bullet size and alloy, case neck tension and the like.

[Steve Anderson]

You might be right Don, but Lilja for one makes a barrel that has some records in the other world. Yet I never hear that name in the cast bullet world. There are other names that share the same experience.

[Don McDowell]

I don't know Steve, sometimes those name dropper brands from the other world don't make a barrel suitable in our tiny little universe. Altho I seem to recall Dan T mentioning Lilja barrels on a build or two of his.
I think also that most barrel jobs in our world take on some pretty dedicated gunsmith's that are fairly meticulous about getting brand new crescent wrenches and vise grips from Harbor freight, and chamber reamers that aren't crafted from drill bits in the bargain bin... So barrels that cost considerably less than what some of the white powder guys use work very well.
And many times "we" get a little dutchy about how much we're going to spend on a barrel, to put on a rifle that already had a couple grand dropped on it. Those other guys can go to Walmart and pick up a rifle for project for 500$.