How are Douglas barrels compared to others?

N

NCVARMINT

New member
Hello all,
I am thinking of going with sharp shooter supply to build me a 20 vartarg barrel for my stevens 200 build, or i may go with a mcgowen in a 20 tactical, i want a 20 caliber varmint rifle to shoot groundhogs out to 500 yard max. Let me know what you think of douglas barrels.

thanks

trevor
 
I'm borrowing a friends rifle with a douglas on it and it shoot plenty good enough. Here's 10 shots at 200 yards (bottom three are not the same group)

243Ai001.jpg
 
They are hit and miss in my experience. Go with a lilja, hart, or kreiger...you will hit a home run, pay the extra bucks and be very happy!
 
Quote:
They are hit and miss in my experience. Go with a lilja, hart, or kreiger...you will hit a home run, pay the extra bucks and be very happy!



What Ackleyman said...

I put a pig-fat Douglas Air gauge match on a Rem 700, and it is just "So-so".

For a few bucks more, I could of had something really nice.

If you want to take groundhogs at 500 yds, you are gonna have to get something a whole lot bigger than a 20 Vartag or even a 20 Tac...

... or just shoot the little ones in the spring. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

.
 
I've been totally pleased with my SSS Douglas barrels. Terrific bang for the buck.

I've never chosen a Douglas for buying a blank, preferring some of the other makes already mentioned. But the prechambered Douglas barrels I've gotten from SSS have all been great. I wouldn't hesitate on buying another if the need arises.

- DAA
 
I have most of the major barrel makers blanks. I'll tell you what makes most of the differance is the guy who chambers it. The barrels are close in quality.
 
Last edited:
Douglas barrels are great if you purchase their top of the line barrels. Like bee said it is the man than cuts the chamber on where you have a super accurate rifle or a average shooter.
 
Quote:
They are hit and miss in my experience. Go with a lilja, hart, or kreiger...you will hit a home run, pay the extra bucks and be very happy!



I agree with this and would like to add that I have had good luck with Pac nor and Shilen barrels too .
 
I agree that the chamber cutting is usually where good barrels are ruined. However, I tried to purchase a set of 6.5 cal barrel blanks from Douglas a few years back and after sending them back twice, I gave up and eventually got my money back. The first set was way off center and the second set looked like a cork screw down the barrel. These were their "Air Gaged" barrels.
John
 
The guy who owns and builds the NULA Custom Riles uses nothing but Douglas barrels and his rifles have a good reputation for accuracy. My 280 Ack # 2 contour barrel is a Douglas SS Match and it has never grouped any load over a inch and most between 1/2 to 1 inch.
 
The only issue I have with a Douglas barrel is you don't see them very often in the "winner" circles in shooting competitions. I'd rather pay the extra money for a barrel maker whose barrels take home the ribbons. I do realize top 'smiths use them but for an extra $50 make mine a Lilja or a Krieger.

Edited: Meant $150 more
 
Last edited:
I have 7 SSS barrels and all are shooters.
Great barrels,smooth and foul VERY little after they are broken in.
I have 3 Rems with Lilja,Pac Nor and Krieger and the SSS
barrels are just as accurate and alot less money and wait.
It all depeds on who chambers them,Cant go wrong with SSS.
 
I only have one Douglas barrlel, but it is a fantastic shooter. It's a #4 contour 26" chambered in 7mmRM. I can cover five shots with a quarter at 100 yards; that being said, I am still waiting to strech it out to 200 and 300 to see what it will really do.

-BANDIT
 
I had trouble sith a .308 Shilen barrel. Wouldn't shoot. At first I just thought it was me, the trigger squeezer. When I complained the gunsmith who had installed the barrel and pillar bedded the action on my pr-64 Model 70. He put a bench rest scope on the rifle and he also had trouble getting it to group. He actually found tool marks in the barrel near the muzzle. Cut of about an inch and recrowned it. Still wouldn't shoot well. Called Shilen and they hand picked a new barrel and sent it to us. the new one shoots great. Great customer support. But any company can turn out a bad barrel.

Jim
 
I have a SS 25" Douglas, it shoots very good. I told the chief of police in town how good it shoots, he said that about 1 out of 3 shoot like that. I thought they were better than that? They had Saturn put new barrels on their .223 ar rifles, to make them more accurate.T.20
 
I only use Douglas barrels for custom rifles I want blued. I had my first rifle built in 1960 with a Douglas barrel, and it shot very well. That was a 22-250. I now have half dozen sporters with Douglas barrels, and all shoot EXTREMELY well. My current 22-250, with a Douglas barrel, is my most accurate sporter, with three shots at 100 yards dropping into a 1/4" group. The others all shoot three shots into 3/8" groups at 100 yards. I've never had a Douglas barrel that would not shoot.
Equally important to the barrel itself is the gunsmith who does the chambering and barrel fitting. I've only used the best gunsmith available for all my rifle builds.
For rifles I want built with a Stainless steel barrel, I only use Hart barrels. I've had 8 rifles with their barrels, and they all shoot.
Douglas has a pretty fast delivery time too.

Martyn
 
Thanks guys,

Well i decided not to take my chances on a douglas barrel, so i ordered a MCGowen 26" SS in 204 ruger with a 1-11 twist, in a 1.055 no taper barrel for my stevens 200, going to get SSS to true and time the action and let them build me a stock for this gun. How do you think i did on the barrel purchase

trevor
 
Quote:
Thanks guys,

Well i decided not to take my chances on a douglas barrel, so i ordered a MCGowen 26" SS in 204 ruger with a 1-11 twist, in a 1.055 no taper barrel for my stevens 200, going to get SSS to true and time the action and let them build me a stock for this gun. How do you think i did on the barrel purchase

trevor



Personally I prefer not to gamble on a custom barrel from a mfr. with a limited reputation but that does not mean that the McGowen barrel will be any less of a shooter. If they get a good reputation, their leadtime may be as long as the majors.

Let us know how it shoots.
 
Back
Top