ER Shaw barrel kit...UPDATE.....Range results 9/4

5

5spd

New member
I just got this in today for a back up swap bbl. for one of my Savages...in case I shoot out another bbl.
The kit looks nice overall. I thought the go/nogo gauges were plastic as they look like it, but upon opening it all they are solid steel.
The 24" 1/14" twist ER Shaw SS varmint bbl is .860", .30 over my stock 24" Savage varmint bbl at .830". It will still fit in my plastic stock though.
I cleaned it up good which just took 3 swabs.
Now to get inside & check it out with my Hawkeye borescope.........I am NOT impressed!
I see a few very small chips right at the shoulder where it forms to the neck, Im thinking a rookie was learning on these bbls.
The grooves start very nice, BUT a few chips at the freebore end. Freebore looks to be about 1/8" or less.
Bore/rifling/groove marks unlike a standard Savage stock bbl which is full of marks, but it still has machine marks. I'd say about 2/3 less than my stock Savage bbl though.
Looking fair until I get about 2/3s way up the bbl and see 2 grooves start to thin out, I rotated the scope and the others are well, seems like its a tad off bore, then it picks up with good grooves to the end.
There are several nicks throughout the bbl.
Overall it looks to me like they run these by the barrel full with no real thought to quality inside as the outside looks very nice.
It will be tested on the range in a few weeks or so & I will update when I do.
I do hope it shoots tons better that it looks inside when I do get it on my action.
Midwayusa had these on clearance, thats why I got the kit & with the wrench & gauges it was under $150 so I have to see how it shoots against my other custom bbl. I had made.
I ran the go gauge in my 2 .223s and it would not close on one of them. The no go would not let me close my bolt like it should.
I tested them in my 6x45, go closed, nogo did not, thats good.
Im wondering why the go wont let me close on my factory FP10, but will on the factory 12FV and my own build the 6x45.
Foot is optional at the bottom...hahaha
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I bought one of these in .223 a few years ago when they were $150. I hung on to it for a while and before I put it on my Savage 112 I had a local gunsmith open it up to .223 AI. Let me tell you, it has been a phenomenal shooter. Ground squirrels out past 400 yards and prairie dogs out past 700 yards (that it in my avatar). I have several varmint rifles in several different calibers but this one is my number one gun to grab when I am heading out.

Maybe I just got lucky I don't know. But this has been one fine shooting rifle from day one and will have a home in my safe for a long long time.
 
I just jumped on a SS ER shaw barrel in 22-250AI, got a decent deal on it I think.

I really cant find a load my stevens likes right now so I figure anything will be better. But I have read mixed reviews on the ER shaws...

Let us know how it shoots.
 
i think its kinda hit or miss with the shaw barrel. i have one (as pictured below), on a 30 plate gun with a savage 110 tactical action. this one is 1 1/4 in thickness from end to end and weighs in at around 17lbs with the scope. it will shoot moa but no better. im thinking about reaming out the barrel and stuffing hand grenades in it...
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I'm trying to figure out why anyone would build a precision rifle and use the cheapest custom barrel out there. That said I have a ER Shaw barrel that I picked up cheap from them to experiment with the wildcat 6mm/204, it turned out great BUT I'd never build anything more than a hunting rifle with a Shaw barrel. I like Shaw barrels for hunting rigs.

AWS
 
They say that once you buy a borescope, you'll never be satisfied with your barrels!
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FWIW, I have a Shaw barrel in 6.5-'06 on a 1903 Springfield sporter that shoots as well as I can hold. For a hunting rifle, that's good enough. I bought it threaded and short-chambered with their proprietary helical fluting, and it still cost less than a contoured blank from some of the big name barrel makers. It probably will never shoot as well as my Mike Rock .308 barrel or my Krieger AR-15 barrel, and it probably won't hold its accuracy quite as long, either. I don't care; if I'm fortunate enough to shoot it out, I'll buy another one and start over!
 
I've bought a few barrels from shaw and loved them all. I built my 7mag with one and I'm waiting on my barrel and action to come back from them now for my Mauser. Also just did a 270 and have a 30" 1 1/8" 30 cal barrel for an older sendero that's just waiting to start opening up on groups. Put some rounds through it and see how it does. I wont buy a kit of there's because I'd rather wait the 4 weeks for a custom for my rifles
 
I believe the statement about owning borescopes. That said, for all the trouble of replacing a barrel why not go with quality?
 

I had a 6mm Rem, SS, magnum contour barrel made for my Savage
Model 16. While I can't say it is a match grade barrel,
and it didn't have the cost of a match grade barrel, mine
shoots most bullets, sub-MOA with a little load development.
It cleans up easy, too. I would definitely re-barrel a hunting
rifle with another Shaw barrel. But rather than a kit barrel,
I would order directly from Shaw.

Squeeze
 
How many people here that are "happy" with there Shaw barrels have had rifles built with barrels such as Hart, Brux, Rock, Krieger or a whole slew of other top end custom barrel manufacturers. I had 2 Shaw barrels and once I seen what a good barrel is and can do I will never go back to Shaw.
 
Originally Posted By: LWILLIAMSHow many people here that are "happy" with there Shaw barrels have had rifles built with barrels such as Hart, Brux, Rock, Krieger or a whole slew of other top end custom barrel manufacturers. I had 2 Shaw barrels and once I seen what a good barrel is and can do I will never go back to Shaw.

I have a fine .220 Swift that has a Krieger barrel on it. I can almost always get 1/2" groups with it "when I do my part". I also have a varminter AR-15 in .223, a Savage actioned .221 FB as well as my .223 AI and they all wear ER Shaw barrels and they too will all do half inch at 100 yards.

So my question is: Why pay $400 for one brand of barrel when you can get the same accuracy for one that is one third the price? I love my Swift and it will never be for sale (except perhaps by my widow) but before I spend almost half a grand for another high end barrel I feel pretty sure that I will be doing some more shopping for another barrel from Shaw.
 
Originally Posted By: LWILLIAMSHow many people here that are "happy" with there Shaw barrels have had rifles built with barrels such as Hart, Brux, Rock, Krieger or a whole slew of other top end custom barrel manufacturers. I had 2 Shaw barrels and once I seen what a good barrel is and can do I will never go back to Shaw.

Krieger, Rock Creek (Mike Rock), Shilen, Pac-Nor, and Douglas; I'm not saying that my Shaw barrel is comparable to a more expensive barrel - merely that it's adequate and affordable.
 
I somehow missed the part about trying to compare a shaw to a custom barrel. What i read was that it's a backup kit.

Like a lot of people here i have rifles with custom barrels that will make one hole groups, however as stated above they cost a lot more than the price of a shaw kit and they aren't on my go to hunting rifles.

I have had shaw barrels in the past that would make cloverleaf groups at 100yds with no problem. I also learned long ago not to worry about what a barrel looks like, it's how it shoots.

There are a ton of br barrels out there that "are shot out" that still make amazing groups by hunting standards. blue
 
Originally Posted By: LWILLIAMSHow many people here that are "happy" with there Shaw barrels have had rifles built with barrels such as Hart, Brux, Rock, Krieger or a whole slew of other top end custom barrel manufacturers. I had 2 Shaw barrels and once I seen what a good barrel is and can do I will never go back to Shaw.

LW,

You know you are coming off as a barrel snob. And I
have been meaning to talk to you about that signature.
I think I am going to have to talk to my attorney about
royalties, or at least a copyright infringement cease
and desist letter.
smirk.gif


Seriously, as already stated, I don't recall any comparisons
being made. I have barrels with fancy pedigrees, and
the difference between a .4-.7 MOA Shaw barrel and a
.2-.5 MOA fill in the blank with your favorite mfg barrel,
as $200-$400 more for a barrel can be hard to justify,
unless one is shooting competitively, and even then it
takes a better shooter to realize the difference in
consistency. So if I were building a match rifle, or
one to shoot mice at 1000 yards, maybe I could see paying
the price. But to point to a hunting rifle, and say,
"That has a Select Match Grade Shilen", actually sounds kind
of stupid to me.

Squeeze
 
Originally Posted By: joedI believe the statement about owning borescopes. That said, for all the trouble of replacing a barrel why not go with quality?

I own one Shaw barrel in 22-250 AI. It was cheap, accurate and made a fine upgrade for an old Savage 22-250 that had long since been shot out. No its not a "custom rig" but it shoots and it shoots very well.

"All the trouble" in changing a barrel on a Savage rifle consists of a few very basic tools and ten minutes.
 
seems if shaw isnt any good they wouldnt be in business.ya know not everyone has the capital to build their dream rifle and shaw is a good comprimise.
 
ya know, i have quite a few rifles, custom,bench, yote and just plain old hunting rigs. i cant count the number of times that i have been on the trap range next to a guy with a 4000.00 set-up..and the guy next to him shooting a plain old winchester outshooting him every time. if you plan on spending 4000.00 on a rig you better be able to shoot the thing or be prepaired to be laughed at. most people get what they can afford and become proficient with it.
 
I just swapped out the barrel for this weekend to see how it ends up really shooting at the range.
This is not a bench bug hole gun, just a standard p-dogging/coyote spare bbl. & nothing more for my use.
It was a decent enough price that I wanted to give it a go since the reviews have been mixed on an ER Shaw bbl.
Just my 1st impression looking inside the barrel with the borescope and the nicks and thinning of rifling had me unimpressed. I hope it will be much different when I put rounds through it, either way I will post up my findings on the kit.
I have McGowans/Douglass/Benchmark bbls. also and its no comparison with those to this one.
Im not always about buying the best...but buying what works for me overall.
Savage swaps are no hassel for me, its pretty fast and I like the ease of caliber changes also.
 
I would like to know how it works out, i have looked at those kits many times, just never seem to find the twist i want at that moment.

One thing i learned long ago is to never, never, never look down the barrel of a savage, it will flat scare you to death. But they sure make great groups. blue
 
Those kits usually sell for $200. You got a good deal. I would hand lap it and see if it cleans up any. Then shoot it.

Appraise its value and go from there.
 


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