Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Future of Rifle Barrels

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Maybe.

Not the first time someone tried gain twist rifling.

Proof does make a very good barrel.

Sure but this isn’t like traditional gain twist that goes from say 1:10 to 1:7 from breech to muzzle. This new flavor goes from something more like 1:500 down to whatever the end twist rate is (for their 6.5/.264 blank that 1:7.5).

I have a couple of these in 6.5, one on a rifle now. It’s coming around. Like traditional barrels it was loose until around the 100 round mark, and the groups are tightening up now. It isn’t as picky about bullet weight or profile, I can get the 6.5mm eld-vt to shoot better at 3400fps than I could with traditional rifling, and the Berger 144 shoots about the same. This barrel is a little slower than traditional rifling which I attribute to slower pressure buildup. I believe that’s due to two things, one the very slow twist rate doesn’t slow the bullet initially as much as traditional twists, and two the rifling profile has much less resistance than a typical land and groove profile.

I have noticed slower throat erosion, so the marketing hype about longer barrel life will probably check out to some extent.

Eventually this type of barrel geometry coupled with higher pressure cases is going to cause a fundamental change of traditional knowledge about powder choices in a given caliber. We may see slower powders or faster powders become more viable options because pressure limitations aren’t the same (case changes) and pressure buildup isn’t the same (barrel geometry). H4350 may not be king of the hill in creedmoor, for example.

Proof Research is all over it along with a few others and Hornady is as well.
The bullet design is different from what they’re saying cause some bullets won’t stay together. The rapid increase in spin causing issues but it lowers pressure and somehow increases accuracy.

The newer cases are designed for higher pressures and excel. Geisele is coming out with a HICAR version for military and I’d assume already in some specialized units.

Kinda hitting an all new chapter as the game seems to be chasing faster and higher pressures to wring out some more from smaller rounds.

I wish I was more knowledgeable about reloading and the pressures they are talking about; however, to someone as ignorant as I am about that subject - I found the video really informative.

Those Hornady series are very informative about numerous nuanced things about guns and ammo.

Better accuracy has yet to be proven. For now its just sales hype.

Don't think any competition shooters are running these barrels.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea... if the results are proven on the range and the field.

I'm a fan of Proof barrels, but I'm gonna wait for more reports from actual users before I pay the extra $$$$ for a PXT barrel.

Oh I’m not advocating for rushing out but I’ve listened to the enough guys are saying better accuracy with less throat erosion

I look at it like F1. Ain’t no one here gonna drive one yet most of our vehicles have benefitted from those race cars.

And you'll lose weight too. Old enough to remember when the FBI said that a 9 mil +p+ @1400 fps scored zero on stopping power cause it only went 8 inches into gel I must of hurt his feelings when I asked if I could shoot him in the crotch and he could show us how zero looked like in real life. Marketing is good technology is good but these ammo and gun companies tend to lie a little bit about velocity and pressure,I laid hands on original Norma 170 grain 10 mm and those blue flame specials were every bit a full on .41 magnum now they've been weakened but the original was sure enough stout.

Well… I’m all about less throat erosion. Count me in.

There aren’t many being used in matches simply because the first offerings were carbon fiber wrapped barrels—which no one serious about competing uses for matches except in weight-restricted formats (and for those, the season was winding up when the Pxt line was released publicly). There are a a few steel barrels being used by people you would recognize if you shoot competitively, mostly in gas guns right now, but they are pre-production barrels.

I personally can show you better accuracy in one specific loading versus a Bartlein cf wrapped 8 twist barrel. I have never been a fan of proof barrels, especially prefits from proof. They’re average. Not top of the line. I feel like Pxt may change that some. Mine came to me as blanks and were chambered by a gunsmith I trust and have used for a few years, who also has a national competitive background.