First Build... Stuck on barrel options

NEfurtaker

NEfurtaker

New member
Putting together my first build.

Been around fire arms for some time hunting and going to range.
Deer/turkey hunted for last 10 years and have gotten into calling coyotes within the last 2.

Building a coyote rig for calling. I do a fair bit of walking into stands and what not, so am trying to cut weight on the barrel and want to run a 18" i think.

My question to those of you who are more experienced in building these is what barrel contour would be best or that you recommend. I have looked at some heavy barrels, some light/medium, and some pencil and just cant decide.
I would appreciate any and all words of wisdom.

Thanks
 
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personally i'm a fan of medium to heavier profile barrels. but thats because i tend to shoot better (offhand) with a gun thats a little more front heavy. a lighter front of the gun tends to make the 'figure 8' a lot more noticeable for me.


i guess it comes down to what kind of total weight you're comfortable lugging around. grab your favorite walking gun and throw it on a scale. at least then you have a baseline to work from.

just for reference i weighed my 26" rem 870 and it tipped the scales at 8lbs 9oz loaded with 5 rounds of 00 Buck.

i'm pretty comfortable with around 9 lbs (without mag) and can hike 2 miles or so with a gun of that weight. i have several ars that are +/- a few oz of 9 lbs. they all have 12-15" handguards, heavy profile barrels & scopes. getting into the >10lb range is for me where they start to get uncomfortable to lug around. My LR308 comes in at about 10½ lbs and its bulky for longer-ish hikes.

if you want to shave weight - there are other ways you can cut ounces besides the barrel profile.

there's a LOT of ultralight handguards on the market these days, including multiple carbon fiber offerings. if you shop the weight on your handguard you can probably save yourself as much a half pound there alone. keep it just long enough to protect your gas system and give you a comfortable grip point if weight is a concern.

speaking of the gas system - go for a low profile gas block. those big bulky railed type jobs are going to add a couple oz onto your system.

the same thing would apply to optics. dont stack a super heavy monster on top. i'm not suggesting that you cheap yourself out, but be conscious of the weight of your scope and ring choices.

the other word of advice if you're trying to manage carry weight - dont hang a bunch of extra crap on it. K.I.S.S. you probably wont need BUIS , a laser, a vertical foregrip, etc etc etc. think anti-tacticool look
grin.gif


all you REALLY need is sling mounting point(s) and maybe a short rail at the 6 o clock position (or sling stud) for bipod mounting.

HTH
 
Originally Posted By: Plant.Onepersonally i'm a fan of medium to heavier profile barrels. but thats because i tend to shoot better (offhand) with a gun thats a little more front heavy. a lighter front of the gun tends to make the 'figure 8' a lot more noticeable for me.


i guess it comes down to what kind of total weight you're comfortable lugging around. grab your favorite walking gun and throw it on a scale. at least then you have a baseline to work from.

just for reference i weighed my 26" rem 870 and it tipped the scales at 8lbs 9oz loaded with 5 rounds of 00 Buck.

i'm pretty comfortable with around 9 lbs (without mag) and can hike 2 miles or so with a gun of that weight. i have several ars that are +/- a few oz of 9 lbs. they all have 12-15" handguards, heavy profile barrels & scopes. getting into the >10lb range is for me where they start to get uncomfortable to lug around. My LR308 comes in at about 10½ lbs and its bulky for longer-ish hikes.

if you want to shave weight - there are other ways you can cut ounces besides the barrel profile.

there's a LOT of ultralight handguards on the market these days, including multiple carbon fiber offerings. if you shop the weight on your handguard you can probably save yourself as much a half pound there alone. keep it just long enough to protect your gas system and give you a comfortable grip point if weight is a concern.

speaking of the gas system - go for a low profile gas block. those big bulky railed type jobs are going to add a couple oz onto your system.

the same thing would apply to optics. dont stack a super heavy monster on top. i'm not suggesting that you cheap yourself out, but be conscious of the weight of your scope and ring choices.

the other word of advice if you're trying to manage carry weight - dont hang a bunch of extra crap on it. K.I.S.S. you probably wont need BUIS , a laser, a vertical foregrip, etc etc etc. think anti-tacticool look
grin.gif


all you REALLY need is sling mounting point(s) and maybe a short rail at the 6 o clock position (or sling stud) for bipod mounting.

HTH

Wow... Appreciate the help. I will be going for a smooth free float rail and no extra crap on this one. It is strictly going to be used for calling/varmint gun. If i want a tactical/ shtf gun, i will build another.

I have been looking at Bear creek arms because of their pretty decent prices on their heavy barrels.

I most often have been carrying my bolt savage synthetic. It is about 7.5 lbs with 4 rds in it, but i know an AR is going to be a bit heavier.


Maybe i have been over thinking this barrel contour thing....

Fluted Heavy Barrel from Bear creek arms doesn't seem so bad now.

I have to piece this thing a little at a time as i cant afford to do it all at once so been doing alot of research.
 
Plant.One pretty much summed up my opinion.

Steve Garrett is correct on the company and contour, as well.

I went with a standard from BlackHole and couldn't be happier. Just enough weight to feel good, not enough to carry poorly.
 
Very useful info, thanks to all who chimed in.
I am thinking about trying one of Bear Creek Arsenals fluted heavy profile barrels in .223 Wylde 1:8.
I've heard they had some issues in the past but have thing straight now and make a very nice barrel. By no means am I trying to get a MOA guarantee. I just want something that will be a decent shooter for hunting.
 
I have a heavy fluted on my 16" gun and wish I had gone with a standard profile 18". I try to have some sort of rest most of the time and the extra weight isn't really useful to me since I'm not going to get it hot other than plinking. And gas system should be mid or rifle length. Carbine length just beats it up for no good reason.
 
So many options it's hard to know where to spend your money. Especially not having much experience. I've only ever shot a handful of ARs. Some cheaper oracles and some high end thermal setups of a buddy who is a big night time caller.


I guess a little trial and error will be in order. When I start getting a good group of parts put together I will make sure to take pictures and post a build thread!

Thanks fellas!
 
I heard that bearcreek uses the same drilled barrels as ARP uses. Not sure if it's true but if it is they should shoot good for what your wanting. Just stick to the heavy profile barrel.
 
I'll suggest spending some money on the trigger. The heavy, crunchy trigger that comes in most lower parts kits are usually pretty bad.
 
Yeah I purchased a standard Mil spec LPK, and the trigger is pretty worthless.

Would like to get a single stage in the 3-4lb pull.

Recommend any brands or any to stay away from?
 
Originally Posted By: NEfurtakerYeah I purchased a standard Mil spec LPK, and the trigger is pretty worthless.

Would like to get a single stage in the 3-4lb pull.

Recommend any brands or any to stay away from?

A drop in BTE, Battle Tested Equipment, would be a good choice. I have four of them along with two Timneys that would be my second choice.

Greg
 
I have been looking at BTE's hand guards. Might have to purchase a lot more from him. Looks like good quality stuff made right here in the states.
 
Originally Posted By: NEfurtakerI have been looking at BTE's hand guards. Might have to purchase a lot more from him. Looks like good quality stuff made right here in the states.

The BTE gear is top notch and reasonable in price. I run about two dozen blocks and tubes of his.

Greg
 
Faxon 18 inch Gunner barrel. They are very highly regarded, inexpensive, accurate and one of the lightest barrels available. My 16 inch Faxon pencil barrel is nearly as accurate as my White Oak Armament SOCOM barrel.
 
I have looked at these also and they seem to have great reviews, but I am now leaning toward a Heavy barrel profile for good balance. I almost never take off hand shots, usually have my shooting sticks with me on most of my stands.
 
I have quite the cart full of pieces I'm planning on getting from you guys, glad to see you are on the forum. Will definitely be buying as much as possible to support a guy who supports the forum!

Appreciate the info on the barrel- it is one I have looked at.
 
Originally Posted By: NEfurtakerI have quite the cart full of pieces I'm planning on getting from you guys, glad to see you are on the forum. Will definitely be buying as much as possible to support a guy who supports the forum!

Appreciate the info on the barrel- it is one I have looked at.

For the money, you'll be hard pressed to find a better barrel. They machine everything in-house so they have a lot of control on their quality and costs to help keep the retail prices lower.
 
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