Best Remington 700 Barrels (2022) – Evaluated

The Remington 700 is without a doubt one of the most impeccable rifles for you to take along your hunting trips. This rifle is widely used across the world by hunters and snipers alike.

However, this is not to say that the OEM Remington 700 cannot be improved. The rifle can be made even more effective by adding several upgrades and minor adjustments. One such important upgrade is the barrel.

In today’s article, we will touch on why upgrading the barrel is an important and game-changing step for your Remington 700. After that, we will also review an amazing and highly effective barrel replacement you should consider getting for your Remington 700 rifle.

Barrel Name Editor’s Comment Rating Get The Best Deal
Shilen – Remington 700 Factory Contour Pre-Threaded Barrel

Most Recommended Option

1. Long length for accurate long-range shooting
2. Made from strong and durable chrome-moly steel
3. 1:9 twist rate for shooting heavy rounds accurately

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Advantages of a Great Barrel

Achieving a much better accuracy with your rifle is the very most basic and important benefit you can get from investing in a good Remington 700 barrels. The rifle’s barrel is also the most basic factor that can impact the accuracy of your firearm. Having a long barrel with a good twist will ensure your rifle can take on more precise shots over long distances.

On top of that, quality Remington 700 barrels even offer you the flexibility to pair it with a wide range of ammunition pertaining to its range and quality. Another added benefit that you can see from your rifle by getting a barrel upgrade is improved longevity and maneuverability.

A properly fluted Remington 700 barrel that is made from composite materials is much lighter and reduces the weight of your rifle plus it also works to promote enhanced cooling so you can take much quicker follow-up shots.

Plus, the reduction of overall rifle weight due to barrel luting will help you so much in terms of maneuverability and reduction of fatigue, especially after a long day of hunting. Barrels with chrome-lining are also better known to offer a longer service life than normal ones.

Upgrading your barrel will be fully dependent on your intended use of your Remington 700. If you need a firearm to support you through long range hunting or a precision shooting competition, you might want to go for a long barrel with a tight twist rate. In any case, investing in a reliable upgrade will definitely boost your shooting accuracy compared to sticking to the OEM barrel.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Remington 700 Barrel

There are a few qualities that make a quality barrel for your rifle and here are some of the factors that you should take a look at before getting one for your Remington 700:

Material and Lining

A barrel should be constructed from durable materials such as chrome-moly steel or reinforced composites. Such durable material will help ensure your barrel can offer a longer service life. Some Remington 700 barrels even feature an inner chrome-lining that boosts their service life by preventing erosion from occurring. Generally, a good barrel should be able to serve you accurately up to 6,000 rounds or more.

Twist Rate

The twist rate refers to the number of rotations a bullet takes as it travels a certain number of inches in your barrel. As an example, a bullet with a 1:9 twist rate will travel nine inches to complete one full rotation in the barrel. Twist rates between 1:8 and 1:10 are great for heavy subsonic rounds whereas twist rates of less than 1:7 will help to stabilize supersonic bullets to reach a longer range.

Rifling

These days, you can easily find different types of rifling techniques available on the market. Such techniques include 5R and button rifling. In general, the more advanced the rifling is, the better a barrel will perform.

Profile

The profile of a barrel really just means the amount of mass it has. Remington 700 barrels with heavier profiles have a lower tendency to heat up, which in turn, means they do not expand as much. These heavier profiled barrels are commonly used for firing rounds in quick succession with accuracy. On the other hand, slimmer profiled barrels are lightweight and easier to carry around on top of working great for single shots.

The Best Remington 700 Barrel

Based on the above features discussed, here is the more amazing replacement barrel you can get for your Remington 700 that will help you improve the overall accuracy of your rifle without costing you a bomb.

Shilen – Factory Contour Pre-Threaded Barrel

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This barrel has been designed by Shilen especially for Brownells and it is constructed from chrome-moly steel, so you can expect it to be super durable on top of its pleasing aesthetics. The Shilen Remington 700 Factory Contour Pre-Threaded Barrel measures a good 26 inches in length to help you take long-range shots with ultimate precision.

Shilen barrels are well-known around the world and are often praised for their impeccable quality and design. This match-grade, short-chambered barrel by Shilen has been cut to precise measurements to ensure it drops seamlessly into the received without needing any modifications by a professional gunsmith.

Another feature of the Shilen Remington 700 Factory Contour Pre-Threaded Barrel is the 90 degrees cut at the muzzle of the barrel that prepares the bore for crowning. The barrel features a 1:9 twist rate to let you fire off a heavy subsonic ammunition accurately over a long range.

The Shilen Remington 700 Factory Contour Pre-Threaded Barrel weighs at 4.56lbs thanks to its heavy profile. This barrel is a good option for rugged use and for when you bring your Remington 700 out for stringent firing sessions that will burn through many rounds of shots. The barrel is also threaded at the muzzle end to let you mount almost any muzzle device you please.

Overall

The Shilen Remington 700 Factory Contour Pre-Threaded Barrel is a heavy profile accessory that works well for long-range precision shooting and varminting with your rifle. The twist rate of the barrel means that you can trust it to handle heavier ammunition with precision. This barrel is the perfect choice for hunting and competition purposes.

Specifications

  • Cartridge: 223 Remington
  • Length: 26”
  • Barrel Weight: 4.56 lbs
  • Finish: Stainless Steel
  • Twist: 1:9
  • Contour: Varmint
  • Made in the USA

Pros

  1. Affordable pricing
  2. Aesthetically pleasing
  3. Long length for accurate long-range shooting
  4. Made from strong and durable chrome-moly steel
  5. 1:9 twist rate for shooting heavy rounds accurately

Cons

  1. The bulky design might add weight to the rifle

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Conclusion

The Remington 700 is without a doubt an exceptionally precise rifle and when combined with a quality barrel will offer shooting accuracy like no other. The barrel is essentially responsible for the overall accuracy of a rifle considering its dimensions will directly affect the ballistics and speed of a projectile.

A good barrel not only needs to be durable, but it must also come with an optimal twist rate with good rifling and a good profile. In any case, all these dimensions are completely subjective to the needs and requirements of each individual user and their own preferences.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How accurate is a Remington 700?

The Remington 700 is very accurate, and it has even been called as the most accurate factory rifle made in the United States. The rifle has been given a very fast long time of 3.2 milliseconds that has contributed to its reputation for accuracy, along with the tighter bore and chamber tolerances.

Can I change the barrel on my Remington 700?

Yes, the Remington 700 rifle allows barrel changes with just specialized wrench and go/no go gauge. However, you will need to be sure of your action length, either you want a short or long action.

Will barrel affect recoil?

Yes, the barrel will affect recoil. The barrel’s weight will affect the overall weight of the rifle which also affects the recoil action. The recoil you feel as you fire off a round is the combined energy of the bullet mass and expanding gasses exiting the muzzle away from you. Hence, increasing the mass of the rifle will also increase the required energy to exert force against you. Hence, a heavier rifle will also mean less felt recoil.

Do stainless steel barrels last longer?

Yes, stainless steel barrels can last longer. The biggest problem a barrel can face is overheating. A barrel will lose most of its accuracy due to the erosion of the throat area of the barrel and that is why stainless-steel barrels that are able to resist heat erosion will last much longer than chrome-moly steel.

How many shots before a barrel is worn?

How many shots a barrel can sustain depends on the rounds and material the barrel is made of. However, many conventional military barrels are good enough to support anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 rounds before it needs to be replaced.

What is the advantage of fluting a rifle barrel?

The main purpose of fluting a rifle barrel is to reduce its weight, and to a lesser extent, to increase rigidity for a given total weight or to increase the surface area to ensure the barrels are less susceptible to overheating.

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