KEITH MYERS
New member
I have not seen them listed in any match results. What do you guys think of them? I found a 30 cal 17 twist for a 30BR project I was debating on using.
Douglas Barrels
- Thread starter KEITH MYERS
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eww1350
Guest
You might ask Mickey Coleman...he sells and installs Douglas barrels among other brands..
Eddie in Texas
KEITH MYERS
New member
Actually this barrel has been chambered already by Mickey for a 30BR with a Robinett spec reamer.
For some reason...
While fairly popular some years ago, Kreiger, Bartlien, Shilen, Rock Creek, Hart, and a few others have come to the fore in Benchrest. We really enjoy a multitude of fine barrel makers in Benchrest.
Douglas barrels are still going strong in High Power, Service Rifle, and F-Class competitions. They make an outstanding barrel. Why their popularity has wained in Benchrest is a question I have no answer for. Perhaps some of the Benchrest rifle makers can better answer.
virg
While fairly popular some years ago, Kreiger, Bartlien, Shilen, Rock Creek, Hart, and a few others have come to the fore in Benchrest. We really enjoy a multitude of fine barrel makers in Benchrest.
Douglas barrels are still going strong in High Power, Service Rifle, and F-Class competitions. They make an outstanding barrel. Why their popularity has wained in Benchrest is a question I have no answer for. Perhaps some of the Benchrest rifle makers can better answer.
virg
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eww1350
Guest
Keith...what kind of "project" do you have in mind...if you are going to make HV benchrest rifle for 100/200 yd score..then put the barrel on and try it...if it doesn't meet your expectations then you can sell and get another brand...if the Douglas has a low round count it should shoot quite well...
Eddie in Texas
We've used them...
a lot. The last two new barrels I got were Douglas. Over the years that we competed a lot both Glorya and I used them and won a few things with them. (Mostly Glorya) Now that Glorya is retired and I don't shoot much the barrels on my bench guns, both the .22 Short and the rimfire, are still Douglas.
I do know that Tony and Faye have shot Douglas and won and that Smiley set a world record with one.
This is one recommendation.
Dick Wright
a lot. The last two new barrels I got were Douglas. Over the years that we competed a lot both Glorya and I used them and won a few things with them. (Mostly Glorya) Now that Glorya is retired and I don't shoot much the barrels on my bench guns, both the .22 Short and the rimfire, are still Douglas.
I do know that Tony and Faye have shot Douglas and won and that Smiley set a world record with one.
This is one recommendation.
Dick Wright
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amamnn
Guest
Before I let a gunsmith talk me into having one on the 6BR norma he built for me, instead of a Shilen, I had heard nothing but good things about them. The one I got was a horrible mistake and after I got a borescope I found out why. Talking to people after this experience, I heard nothing but bad things about them. Like any kind of complicated or precision product the odd mistake can happen and no one or no company is perfect. This being said, I have had "hummers" from Shilen and fair shooters but never a horrible mistake in all the years I have used them.
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wvredneck
Guest
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I think if you are going to slam companys product you should have tried to correct the so called (Horrible mistake ) through proper way such as contact them or your gunsmith because as you said mistakes happen.By the way to the original post you see douglas barrel in the 1000yd equipment list and they fair very well there.
Thanks Stan
I think if you are going to slam companys product you should have tried to correct the so called (Horrible mistake ) through proper way such as contact them or your gunsmith because as you said mistakes happen.By the way to the original post you see douglas barrel in the 1000yd equipment list and they fair very well there.
Thanks Stan
martin zuck
Member
In order to support Stan Taylor's opinion on this issue I've a short story to tell. In the last approx. 6 years I have sent back 3 select match grade barrels made by one of our premier barrel makers. They eventually made things right. The last one I sent back that would not shoot took them over two months to make right. I have never, in over 50 years, had this kind of trouble with Douglas in regards to quality control or service.
martin zuck
Member
Got to thinking about my reply and if I seemed a little harsh I apologize to anyone I may have offended. In all honesty some of the best barrels I've used were made by this company. We all make mistakes I guess,me included! It's been a long winter here in Pennsylvania.
Martin
Martin
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B.Johnson
Guest
My son has two of these for a Savage action. I have a medical cystoscope that I use as a bore scope. If look's count's, they look as good as any. We have one in .308 with a 1-16 twist for cast bullet shooting that was built on a F.N. Mauser single shot made back in the early 60's that is still a fine looking barrel.
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amamnn
Guest
As a matter of fact, I was trying to be neutral as possible about my Douglas experience. After having mined more copper out of their barrel than a United Mine Worker card holder and being shown why--through use of a local gunsmith's borescope--which prompted me to buy one--I contacted them and they were less than helpful ---again I am trying to be nice---as I said before--anyone can make a mistake--to deny it pisses me off-- I would never have even mentioned it had their response been even halfway reasonable.................as far as I am concerned it is a lesson learned and a 6BR fire forming barrel...BTW the gunsmith who talked me into a Douglas barrel has since stopped using them--not just because I whined about mine...............
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Douglas does not lap their barrels. That is one of the main reasons that they are not commonly used in short range BR. That being said, I have installed more Douglas barrels on premium rifles than any other brand, and I have never been dissappointed. I have never seen a company gun drill a straighter hole than Douglas. I have seen two major benchrest barrel manufacturers that can't drill very straight on 22 and 6mm barrels, but do just fine on 30 caliber. Since Douglas does not lap their barrels, I tend to see groove dimensions around .0003" over. I think they run the buttons a little larger on purpose.
I have never used a Douglas barrel in registered short range BR competition. I do own Douglas barrels for my LV and HV that I shoot regularly in club matches, and they seem to shoot as well as my premium BR barrels. The list of Douglas barrels fit to my benchrest rifles are: 3 - 30-30's, 1 - 6BR, 1 - 6PPC, and 1 - 22BRT. All have won club shoots.
Michael
I have never used a Douglas barrel in registered short range BR competition. I do own Douglas barrels for my LV and HV that I shoot regularly in club matches, and they seem to shoot as well as my premium BR barrels. The list of Douglas barrels fit to my benchrest rifles are: 3 - 30-30's, 1 - 6BR, 1 - 6PPC, and 1 - 22BRT. All have won club shoots.
Michael
MColeman
Club Coordinator
I don 't know how many people you've talked to but it can't be very many. I've used Douglas barrels for years and they do not copper foul any worse than any other premium barrel. They stand behind their product better than any other barrel maker I've ever used. Out of the hundreds of Douglas barrels I've chambered I've asked them to replace exactly TWO and one of those was a good barrel. It turned out to be something else wrong with the action....not the barrel.
There are other good barrel makers out there but there are none better than Douglas. Most people whose eyes roll back in their head when they hear that Douglas does not lap barrels wouldn't recognize a barrel lap if they had to eat one.
M
moore
Guest
I have watched this thread since its inception and in my own opinion I must say i have had more then one unhappy experience...
MColeman
Club Coordinator
I remember when Tony Boyer was in every ad that Shilen ran in magazines. Tony would buy (or win) 20-25 Shilen barrels each year and Dwight Scott would chamber them for him. Tony would only keep 2-3 barrels for competition. Does that mean that Shilen barrels were lousy? Not necessarily--Tony would see things in a barrel's performance that most mortal shooters would overlook or not recognize.
Tony told me about 5-6 years ago that he bought 4 Douglas barrels the year before and two of them were superior barrels. Quote: "In fact, Faye is still winning with one of them. That's the best percentage of good barrels that I've ever had." Unquote. I then asked him if he was still shooting Douglas barrels. He hesitated a brief moment and said, "No." I didn't ask him why not but it tells me that even Tony Boyer is subject to prejudices in some areas.
Seely Masker said in an interview that if he won the Super Shoot with paddle wheels on the side of his stock that the next year half the guns on the line would have paddle wheels on their stocks.
Benchrest shooters are double first cousins to lemmings. They read the equipment lists to see what the winners shoot then rush out to buy the same thing thinking that is the secret to winning matches.
You have to have good equipment set up properly, of course. There are dozens upon dozens of good gunsmiths who can put together a rifle capable of winning matches but luck plays a big part in your equipment--your scope has to be reliable, the barrel has to be good, all actions are not created equal (ask Mike Ratigan).
The gunsmith is not the secret: if it were then when Dwight Scott chambered up 22 barrels for Tony why didn't Tony keep 20 instead of 2?
I placed in the top 20 in HV for 2 years running when I was a new shooter shooting a Douglas barrel. I didn't know they wouldn't shoot or I would have been using something else.
My point is this; there are trends in benchrest and in the 20+ years I competed the preferred barrels change several times. Don Geraci told me when I first started that if I wanted to win I had to shoot Hart barrels and Euber bullets. Case closed. Don hasn't shot either in several years to my knowledge.
Stan, I guess I agree with you but a COMPETITION barrel at $300 or so should never leave the factory without the maker borescoping it and if it looks like trash, it should end up in the trash recycle bucket not in a shooters hands! I have had 2 barrels that looked like trash inside and both shot like trash. Both were not Douglas. One make gave me 2 new barrels, one to compensate me for the bad one and one for the cost of the chambering job. The other maker just gave me a new barrel. I was out the chambering cost. --Greg
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wvredneck
Guest
Dear sir if horrible mistake happened in the last 3 years and you would have talked to me i would have told you to send it back and it would have been made right.Next thing we are production barrel company and if idont see anything strange with the necked eye when i grade for staightness it would not be bore scoped but if i did i would get to the bottom of the problem because that is my duties i grade as many as 50 barrels at a time s--t happens so i apoligize that you had a problem we been do this for 63 years and business is good.
Thanks Stan