Best and the Rest of barrels ..

[Nessmuck56]

If you were to have a 42-44 inch smoothy built ....who's barrel would you want on your investment ???? And why ?? thanks

 

[Keb]

I've used North Star, North Star West, Track, Colerain, Detroit Barrels, Larry Zorn's, the ones in Chamber's kits, home bored from Green Mountain rifle bbls. and tubing, usually, any barrel I could get my hands on. I'm not that fussy about smoothbored barrels and don't have to have what other people claim is the best. Most of the barrels on the market today will shoot as good as the person holding on to the gun it's mounted in.
This is just my opinion. I'm sure other people's opinion will vary as much as the number of barrel makers there are today.

 

[matt denison]

First you have to define "smoothy". What kind of "smoothy"?

The bore is only one aspect of a barrel. Outside contour is a whole 'nother critter and has to be consistent with the type of gun (I don't like the term "smoothy") you want to build or have built. Different manufacturers make different outside contours ie; long flats/short flats, tapered flats/straight flats. Or full round barrels. Or various tapers from breech to muzzle. Way too many variables to list them all. You need to narrow down what you want then search for a good manufacturer who makes it.

 

[hawk]

I like the English syle stock ,Ifind it to be the most natural,comfortable fit to my shooting posture...I have a New England type stocked gun that is a very close second.rice barrels have been good to me.36 to 46 inches all good.

 

[Nessmuck56]

If I asked you which truck you would by...Ford , Chevy, GMC, Dodge ,Totota... Could ya pick one !!!!! LOL

 

[Deadeye]

Most of the barrels on the market today will shoot as good as the person holding on to the gun it's mounted in.

And I might add, regardless of the outside shape of the barrel.
Deadeye

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I go along with all the above. I currently have smoothbore barrels by Rice, Jack Gardner, and Track of the Wolf's house brand and really don't' find much difference. The Jack Gardner barrel is tubing with a visible seam down the bore but shoots as well as the others.

 

[user 922]

I bought a .50 octagon/round 44" smoothbore barrel from Rice several years ago and now have a nice Bucks Co. gun. As posted below, during our club's annual Turkey shoot I tied for second place in the 75 yard match shooting against rifles.

From my experiences this year I would highly recommend the Rice barrel.

 

[jerem0621]

God I have too much to learn still. I have been on this forum since what, 07.. and I thought that a Rice Barrel was a style of barrel not a manufacturer.

Geeze, now I feel dumb.

 

[Matt85]

i dont have much experience with many different companies but i have nothing but good things to say about Rice barrels. even their customer service is good.

-Matt

 

[jethro224]

Also consider what you want to use the gun for. Mainly shot or mainly ball?

 

[Nessmuck56]

Is there a barrel that can handle both chores well ??

 

[rich pierce]

Less fun shooting a 12 ga with a ball. I know, the projectile is lighter than a shot column but you're aiming it and trying to get enough velocity to have a decent trajectory. A .58 (24 ga) or .54 (28 ga) is a good option for a combo gun unless you're waterfowl hunting.

 

[jdkerstetter]

Is there a barrel that can handle both chores well ??

That's the principle behind "jug choking" barrels. Where a standard choked barrel has a restriction at the muzzle and precludes you from shooting balls, in a jug choked barrel the bore is left full diameter and the choke is honed into the barrel walls back from the muzzle a little way.

Do a search of the site here and you are likely to find many post. Enjoy, J.D.

 

[asbrown]

I can't say how it shoots(havent finished the gun yet) but I got a beautiful tapered oct/rd 48" .54 smoothbore from Charlie Burton at F.C.I. The bore is bright, the outside nicely finished, the barrel band well turned and attractive, the breechplug nicely fitted. His turn around was about 6mos. but thats what he predicted when I ordered. Nice guy too. I believe all of his are gun drilled barrels not tubing. The price was really reasonable too. I'll be dealing with him again in the future for sure. :hatsoff: