M&P Sport barrel: To change or not to change?

[storeyteller]

I have been considering changing the barrel on my sport to a 20 or 24" heavy or bull contour. The factory 16" barrel is amazingly accurate as it is. I am currently shooting around 1" groups @ 300yds and can hit a 6" steel plate @ that distance @ will. My ? is, would a new barrel do better than this? I will only spend $250 on a new barrel max. I reload and shoot 3 or 4 days a week. I have replaced the trigger and have a good optic. I use the gun for hunting, punching paper and ringing steel. The heavier barrel would definately take longer to heat up which I see as the big advantage. I would like to hear from someone who has done something like this with an AR and some honest feedback (pros and cons). Shot these yesterday with the sport @300

 

[philevans]

consistant 1" at 300 yards is incredible.
i would love that precision of platform.
with handloads, my sport mostly ~1moa(1.04719"), sometimes 0.651".
FYI; 5 shots indicate, 10 shots document.
a new barrel would be a c**p shoot compared to what you now have.

 

[batmann]

My question-----WHY do you want to change a barrel the shoots that well at that distance? I think that is pretty good shooting and I'm not sure how much better a 'heavy' barrel will shoot. If it were me (it's not) I would keep it just as it is and spend that money on match grade ammo.

 

[Kodiakco]

I would not change it. If you do, check out http://ar15barrels.com/

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[storeyteller]

I believe that the heavy barrel will reduce muzzle jump so I can see the "pink mist" of exploding critters in my scope. I have just gotten in a new muzzle brake but won't get it on until Sun. or Mon. (darn job). This may help...have to wait and see. If it doesn't then I can use the brake on the new barrel, should I decide to get one.

 

[oneyeopn]

Storeyteller, Before you decide on a new barrel, free float the barrel on your sport, I have found through free floating mine that there is way less shift in the barrel heat than when I had drop in guards, it actually dropped the size of my groups and did so consistently even after firing a few times when the groups would open up. Free Floating my groups do not seem to open up like they did before. If you do decide to replace the barrel I would like to talk to you about buying it. A new brake helps but not as much as you would expect.
Grover

 

[hardluk1]

If your limiting shots to 300 yards the barrel you is better than fine fine. For 250 dollar limit for a barrel I double that you will improve groups ,just pick up a bit of velocity. Not even sure if you can get a Wilson Arms barrel from RRA for that. Those wilson arms barrel will shoot tahe are better with some serious handloads development. But more than likely at will take a premium barrel to do better.

 

[storeyteller]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I knew what the right thing to do was, just needed some help to get there. I got this vision of a bull barreled AR that I will have to fine tune...maybe building a complete upper that I just swap out with the carbine when $ allows is the solution. It all has to go on the backburner for now cause I JUST came home with another savage action and I'm gonna make it either a .260rem or 6.5 creeedmoor for loooong range...but that's another thread. So many projects--- so little $$.

 

[oneyeopn]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I knew what the right thing to do was, just needed some help to get there. I got this vision of a bull barreled AR that I will have to fine tune...maybe building a complete upper that I just swap out with the carbine when $ allows is the solution. It all has to go on the backburner for now cause I JUST came home with another savage action and I'm gonna make it either a .260rem or 6.5 creeedmoor for loooong range...but that's another thread. So many projects--- so little $$.

That is so funny, I am building another upper for CQB for my Sport using my sport upper and another barrel because My Sport barrel is so phenomenal, I will put it on my Sport lower to go play soldier with my friends, They are all amazed at the accuracy of my Sport barrel and so I feel that I can leave that upper for longer distance hunting. If you get a shot at a predator or Prairie Dog at over 300 yards you have amazing eyesight. My longest coyote has been under 200, my longest Prairie Dog has been 262, both are 1 shot clean kills. I orginally was looking at replacing my Sport barrel but then I learned what it will do. l In order to make better shots than your rifle is doing for you the changes you will have to make are the changes you would have to make whether you your replace the barrel or not the downside is that in the end you can spend more than you spent on the rifle and still not accomplish what you want. In a previous life I shot on a couple of rifle teams. I can kinda shoot, I feel I can build a rifle way more capable than I am. That sport barrel if it hasnt already should impress you. So please think about it or hey I will buy that rifle barrel if it aint too espensive

 

[storeyteller]

Nice try oneye...I am impressed with the barrel, I just want to reduce the muzzle jump so I can see bullet impact. The barrel heating up is really a non-issue in a hunting situation which is what really matters. I realize that I got a good thing going here, yet I always seem to want what I can never have....perfection. However the quest will continue. Changing the gas block and adding a muzzle brake tomorrow afternoon. Thanks again for all the feedback.

 

[hardluk1]

Storeyteller Depending on your load you can add a heavier buffer to slow the cyling action of the bolt to soften recoil and helps to see whats going on. I put a H buffer in my sport. It still cycle some fairly slow 72gr hpbt loads at 2400fps and federal walmart 55gr. ar 223 ammo . I can see my bullet hit in the dirt shooting pieces of clays at 100 hards thru a 10 power setting on my scope. I did take off the stock A2 flash hider and added a 5" dpms comp. Keeps blast more down range.

 

[arizona98tj]

A quick lesson in MOA.....a 1" group at 300 yds is not 1 MOA....it is less than 1/3 MOA. A 1 MOA group at 300 yds would be 3" (actually, just a bit over that).

That being said....seriously....if you have a 1/3 MOA rifle, I wouldn't touch it. If you want to experiment, buy another rifle and do it with that one. Very few ARs (hardly any?) stock from the factory will shoot 1/3 MOA.

 

[storeyteller]

Thanks hardluk...was wondering if a different buffer might help. I have tried some hevier/slower bullets (up to 80gr) but have just about settled on 53gr vmax as my bullet of choice. I load 'em pretty hot so I'm guessing that cycling shouldn't be a problem. I will definately check out that H buffer. Thanks again.

 

[hardluk1]

If you can justify the cost difference from a H to a H2 buffer you can atleast try it with the h2 buffer first to see how it runs. If you have cycling issues break your stock carbine bufferdown and swap one tugstin weight for a steel and see how it runs with that. That would an H then.

 

[M_E_]

$250 won't even put you into the ball park for a better barrel. The absolute best barrels are made by Gary Schneider in Payson, Az. They don't have lands & grooves. They use a polygonal rifled barrel such as you would find on a Glock or HK product. In a 20" , 308 barrel, they are 250 FPS faster than a conventional rifled barrel also made by them. The reason is they have no lands for the bullet to plow thru and no grooves to leak gas pressure. They are very accurate match grade barrels. You do NOT need long barrels for accuracy. I shot a suppressed 308 using std. Hornady match ammo out or an 12.5" long barrel. I hit an IPSC steel targets 3 of 4 shots in a 30 MPH wind at 1,000 yards with it. The gun with sub-sonic ammo can shoot a 0.170" 5 round group at 150 yards. It was a bolt gun but it shows you don't need a long barrel to shoot small groups. I do not know the optimal barrel length on a 556 / 223 round , but I do know that for a 308, all you need is 18.5 inches to get all of the rounds powder to burn.

Save your money. In a year or so, get a Schneider. You WON'T believe the quality.

 

[storeyteller]

Thanks, I really appreciate that. I pulled up the Schneider website and it is still under construction. I did get to read on some other forums about these barrels and I am curious. I like to build bolt action rifles myself using the Savage action as a base. I have been using the AR for messing around with and really concentrating resources on the Savage builds, then, just for kicks I made up some reloads for it and, to my suprise, found out it is a shooter. I am building 2 rifles now (waiting on custom barrels) and don't have much 'mad money' to put into another one at this time (hence the $250 limit). I had already decided to stick with what I have for now but I am really interested in this barrel. Thanks again for taking the time to send me this info.