Got my new Criterion 308 Barrel yesterday.

[greg vess]

Packaging looks very nice and barrel is wrapped well in protective plastic foam material. It's also in a plastic bag with I would presume to be a cosmoline substance.
Now for appearance it is very nice. Much better than BA. The bore is amazing looking from what I can see if it. Looks as good if not better than most barrels I have used which includes; Wilson Combat, Daniel Defense, ARP, Rainer Arms and Ballistic Advantage. I am talking about clean sharp edges, roll mark and bore appearance. It also has no trash in the barrel which is a new one for me. If it shoots as good as it looks I will one happy camper. In the pic it still has the cosmoline substance on it so it looks rough in here. I will clean that off right before installation.

 

[N.Ga.Trader]

What's the practical advantage over any of the other brands? I've only had a Garand that had a criterion barrel and it shot well, I'm not sure if it was any better than the rifles I've shot that had GI barrels though.

 

[greg vess]

All my builds will shoot well under 1 MOA with reloads. I have a BA. Hanson barrel that will shoot this ammo right at .700 give or take .100 with this shelf ammo. I got a good one that time. I know this will be a good one shooting Federal gold medal match Sierra 168 otm ammo.

 

[greg vess]

What's the practical advantage over any of the other brands? I've only had a Garand that had a criterion barrel and it shot well, I'm not sure if it was any better than the rifles I've shot that had GI barrels though.

As far as practical Advantage I don't know if there's going to be much of a difference it's supposed to be a match grade Barrel. I like to try different barrels to see what I get with both shelf ammo and reloads. I know I can find a reload that will help it shoot good. I had a Shilen bring your arms Barrel the shot .025 moa with the federal gold medal match 168 open tit match. And it would shoot it every single time like clockwork. It was an 18-in bull barrel so we could take a little more heat. But I've got rid of that because of the weight so I decided to give this one a try since it's a lighter much lighter profile.

 

[greg vess]

What's the practical advantage over any of the other brands? I've only had a Garand that had a criterion barrel and it shot well, I'm not sure if it was any better than the rifles I've shot that had GI barrels though.

I can tell you that to get a good shooting barrel you have to pay for it though. I have found that somewhere between 300 and 400 will net you good sub MOA @100 yards obviously. I don't mean like .890 or .905. I am talking somewhere in the 1/2 MOA range out of a AR-10 with premium ammo. However, if you're using PMC or other cheap ammo and are satisfied with 3 to 3 1/2 MOA then a barrel that expensive is pointless. The ammo is just not capable of putting down that kind of grouping consistently. Unless the hand of God has touched a cheap barrel. You know what I mean!

 

[N.Ga.Trader]

I've considered an AR 10 build myself off and on but I keep asking myself if I really want to reload for another caliber. Lately I've been enamored with an AR in .277 Wolverine. The barrel is by Mad Dog Weapons Systems, I think they start around $300 but I ended up getting a good deal on it here. So far I've only shot handloads, there's very few company's offering loaded ammo.

Actually here are there specs, mine is a 16 inch barrel.

 

[boomdad]

A few years ago I was doing a Noveske 300BO build and wanted a Criterion barrel for it because the one I had for 5.56 is amazing. When I went to order mine from them it was backordered and didn't have a restock timeline, so I decided to call them just to get a rough estimate of how long it would be because if it was going to be forever I was going to get a Noveske barrel (mind you I never brought that part up). To my amazement they actually answered the phone & I told them about the 300BO build I had in progress and how much I liked my 5.56 from them. He told me that they had such a backlog on other calibers that it would probably be a couple of months before they changed back to 300BO. I was disappointed, but completely understood and told them thank you for taking my call. When I was about to hang up, he told me to hold on for a second & when he got back on the phone with me he said that he had a barrel for me & I was stoked to say the least. Come to find out it was a barrel that the CEO had put up for himself and let me buy it since I was so understanding and a previous customer who took a shot on them when they were just getting started. Sorry this is so long winded, but they made me a customer for life that day & I recommend them anytime someone asks about a barrel. Ps it's the most accurate 300BO myself and my friends have ever shot. Superior products and customer service 2nd to none is a rarity these days & they have both. Enjoy your new tack driver my friend

 

[BigMike]

What's the practical advantage over any of the other brands? I've only had a Garand that had a criterion barrel and it shot well, I'm not sure if it was any better than the rifles I've shot that had GI barrels though.

You get what you pay for. Criterion hand reams and laps their barrels to make sure they are right. You also have the option of ordering a matched headspace bolt when you buy directly from them. It's all about consistency.

 

[N.Ga.Trader]

You get what you pay for. Criterion hand reams and laps their barrels to make sure they are right. You also have the option of ordering a matched headspace bolt when you buy directly from them. It's all about consistency.

The only hand lapped barrel I've had is the .277 Wolverine barrel I mentioned earlier. Definitely seems accurate and very easy to clean. I also have a Ballistic Advantage barrel that has been a bit disappointing in accuracy. Would something like the Tubbs Final Finish system be worth looking into or would that do more harm than good?

 

[greg vess]

The only hand lapped barrel I've had is the .277 Wolverine barrel I mentioned earlier. Definitely seems accurate and very easy to clean.

Isn't that round very close to the 6.8spcll. I have three 6.8's and it's my favorite round by far. I have built three with ARP barrels but I don't currently have one with ARP. My 18 inch Wilson Combat Super Sniper shoots between .025 and .050 with 110 gr. Pills and IMR 8208 XBR. If I am on that day closer to .025. I also have a 14.7 inch WC S2W ratio barrel and then a Daniel Defense CHF chrome lined 16 inch for extended engagements ( hypothetically speaking of course).