I have been going back and forth with trying to decide if I should take the plunge and order an 18" SS barrel from LMT for my MWS. I live in an area where I only have access to a 200y range. I could join another gun club and drive a good ways to a 600+ yard range, but I have not even looked yet. I will be using primarily red box TAP 155gr ammo, will the twist rate be good to go with the SS barrel? I thought the MoD was using 155gr ammo with their SS 16" barrels, but was not sure. The extra 2 inches I would get in the SS barrel would perfectly match my velocity reticle as well. I have a NF velocity scope with BDC out to 600yards, so Im not really interested in shooting out any further than that. Would it be worth it to spend $700 on the SS barrel?
On a side note, I was going to send my stock 16" CL barrel to ADCO to get it cut down/pin my BABC to right at 16" for my “battle rifle” setup. I really dont want to use the same barrel for blasting drills and precision use, which is why I was toying with this idea. Any advice?
bump…Ryan at LMT said if I will not be shooting past 600 yards, and if I intend to use it for hunting sometimes, the 20" CL barrel should be fine. Is this the general consensus? That it is just not worth it to get the SS barrel?
I went with the 18SS barrel. I mainly wanted the longer gas system than the carbine length gas on the 16inch. We’ll have to see how big the accuracy difference is between the CL and SS barrels.
Looking to shoot it out to 400 yards for competitions and farther for fun when the range allows.
Did you get the barrel yet? How long did it take? I wonder if it would be worth it because my CL barrel shoots pretty damn good as it is. If the SS barrel is a marked improvement that would make it pretty sick for precision use.
I look at it this way, at about $1 or more per round for good .308 ammo, I look at the SS barrel and saw, “Why not?” That’s not to poo-poo the price difference, but I spent more on ammo than the barrel last week, and that’s just to find a good load for it.
The more expensive ammo gets, the less I mind spending on guns, and barrels and triggers are great places to start.
I purchased the 20’’ CL barrel. Why? I’m limited by how far I can shoot, I’d have to travel about an hour away to get to a 500y range. I don’t shoot for minute of gnat accuracy, I use mostly American Eagle and American Tactical ammo and just enjoy shooting steel, helps keep costs down. I put a 3-9x on it and it’s perfect in my opinion for my demands. I’m sure with a SS barrel the accuracy would be amazing, but in all honesty, I’m not that good of a shot. So it’s really what you need, more than what others need.
Barrel material (within reason) does not limit range or accuracy potential. The difference between stainless steel and chromoly barrels is that chromoly steel erodes gradually and groups will open up slowly as the throat wears. Stainless barrels will lose accuracy suddenly when larger pieces of the throat break away.
The decision isn’t whether or not the SS barrel is better at 600 yards, the decision whether you want to spend the money for the SS barrel now, or if you want to wait till you shoot out the original barrel.
Until the rifle is actually shot at range, you won’t know if the original barrel needs replacing or not
FYI… LMT is taking orders for and shipping some 260, 243, and 6.5 Creedmoor. 20" black coated stainless rifle gas for $566 list price. I think it suggests the indication I heard from someone else that these are Wilson barrels and not the Rock Creek that the 308 Stainless are assumed to be is true.
I am also interested in hearing about the additional barrel options. More to the point, how do the SS offerings stack up against the CL units? For those of you who have the 18"SS or 20"SS, what kind of accuracy are you finding with your selected ammo? Have you compared it to the factory barrel using the same ammo?
I have seen the posts by M1ajunkie, and his 20" SS bbl, and need to look at those again for results.
I am happy with my factory 16" CL barrel. I can manage to keep groups at MOA doing 5-shot groups to 100, which is the farthest I have shot for groups, using FGMM 168. Additionally, I had no issues keeping some surplus DAG on an 18"x 30" plate at 500 yards. I have contemplated getting the 18" SS barrel but wonder just how much it will help groups at 500-600 yards? Again, I have not tested my factory barrel at those distances for group size…yet.
I do have the space to shoot to 1100 yards and have debated the 260 barrel to really reach out there since, from my understanding, a .308 is generally an 800 yard cartridge. Has anyone used the .260 barrel? What is your impression? My intended use is strictly target use on private land.
I am really happy with my 20" .308 barrel, but I just thought I throw out that I am pretty new when it comes to shooting the .308 ar as a precision rifle. As I have read on various forums, the .308 is much tougher than a similar .223 ar.
Anyway, when I am shooting up to par I can get 10 round groups right at 1" at 100yds. Five round groups under an inch are almost easy, but I fatigue as a shooter after five so I am sure the rifle could do better for 10+ rounds, but I need work. I am only shooting my 175 smk and 178 amax handloads so I don’t know about factory ammo.
I never really shot my 16" CL barrel for accuracy so I can’t say what mine did as a comparison, but I feel the SS will shoot better during longer periods of fire. I am really tempted myself by the .260 barrels due to the much flatter shooting and wind bucking abilities of the round, but for now I want to learn to shoot the .308 the best I can before I go experimenting with other barrels and what not. I am shooting a competition this weekend out to 800yds so hopefully I can comment on how it does at longer ranges next week.
Sorry for the rambling reply, but I am sure you will be happy with the SS barrels should you go that route, whatever version. I just want to make sure people don’t see my reviews and think thats all the rifles capable of because like mentioned before, I need work and certainly feel like I am improving.
Thanks for your response. I was not trying to call you out for your posts, quite the opposite. I am happy to see the results when people are shooting their guns showing what is going on. I keep searching for info but there is little out there, outside of the gun rag articles.
I am new to the .308 platform as well. Sad part is that I only get to shoot every few months due to my schedule. I think I am going to practice more and think about hardware less for now. That way I can appreciate the improved hardware when I can take advantage of it.
Now that I have my mws set up like I want, I plan to just shoot it for a while and make sure it’s good to go.
I don’t know what it is about the .308 but when your position is off, you know it. I can shoot 7 of 10 rounds into or under an inch at 100yds, but I always end up with a couple fliers that I know the instant they happen. I’ve been working on my position more, and have seen some improvement but I certainly need more work.
However, The moral of the story is that my mws easily out shoots me.
I was in the same spot, I opted to go with a 20", its not much longer, but IMO if you ever have a chance or spot to shoot even further, you have the barrel to do it. I know it doesnt increse accuracy, but it does increase velocity, albeit not much, but were not talking much more weight, and 2 inches overall longer, and since I’m not busting down doors why not?
ETA, I kept my 16" with my ACOG for the same reason, not sure how zero will be when its reinstalled though, went with a Nightforce I got off the EE for the 20"
Folks doing the 20 inch barrel, does it make it a rifle gas length system? If so, do you feel recoil impulse change. It’s good now, but I read once the SR 25 shot much softer partly due to gas system.
For those who bought one, are all these coming from LMT?
If other give specs, website. Looking to take the plunge for another barrel.
I am going to bump this topic back up and piggyback on Pappabear’s question.
I am wondering, from those running 18" and 20" barrels, did you stick with the collapsable stock or go rifle-length? Wondering if aything needs to be changed with the buffer tube or buffer to reliably run the longer barrels/gas systems?
I have an 18SS barrel and it is rifle length. I have a PRS stock with a Slash’s Rifle Buffer and spring. I’m a horrible judge of recoil, but I wanted the rifle length as becasue I was popping primers with my 16Cl barrel with PRVI 175gr ammo and Hornady Superperformance 178Gr (not as much of a surprise).
I think the 20in barrel could take a heavy rifle version of the rifle buffer, the operating system is still ‘robust’ in action. I think I’ll shoot some more before I go that way.
I don’t think anyone has complained about an LMT MWS being undergassed.
You really shouldn’t have much trouble shooting 600 yards with a 16" barrel.
I would see how well the existing barrel shoots at 600 yards and even if it’s not so hot, I’d put more causality on the shooter than the barrel. It doesn’t seem like you’ve identified an actual need for a longer barrel, simply a want. It’s ok to want but if you can’t hit at 600 with a 16" barrel, I’m not sure you’re going to notice much of a difference with an 18 or 20.
If you were going to be regularly shooting beyond 800 yards a longer barrel might be appropriate.
Gutshot, I agree with you about my lack of need on the longer barrel. I have shot to 500 with good success using the 16" CL barrel. I did not go for groups but just plinked with some DAG on an 18 x 30 plate and hits were consistent. From the land I use to shoot, I have the room to stretch my shots out to 1100 yards. I think I will focus on half that distance first :D.
I am heading out in 3 weeks to try some accuracy testing at 500yds, maybe more, using FGMM 168 so I have a better idea of what the gun+myself can do. The current setup is MWS with 16" CL bbl, ACS stock, SD-E trigger, Atlas bipod, FSC30 and IOR 2.5-10 FFP scope. I hope to have positive results. Will post back when I am done.
