Thread: True-Flite and other local barrels, how do they stack up to the rest.

Replacing a barrel, is it worth considering some locally manufactured barrels considering cost, accuracy, fouling and barrel life? For a target rifle, target/hunting rifle or for a hunting rifle.

Ive got a couple truflite barrels
300 Rum and Creedmoor
Both shoot awesome
Truflite are great to deal with aswell


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I'll second Truflite,
They have done 2 barrels for me and just recently redone some worn out scope mounts and a trigger smoothing on an old lever action for me.
Turn around is good as is communication.
I can't speak to accuracy and life yet as I only pull the 243 out at my NZDA range once a year, 2 shoots as the small 50 or 75mm gong at 200 mtr, 2 hits and it goes back in the bag knowing any game animal out to my limit of about 400 mtr will be dead.
Z

TF have done several barrels for me. All have proven very accurate and I like to support kiwi businesses, and have stood by their work if anything needed fixing. Have also done a couple of rifles with Bartlien barrels. Equal or slightly better accuracy. The one difference I’ve noted is the TF barrels taking some breaking in, and seem to copper foul quite significantly. Can be sorted with vigorous cleaning and some lapping, and seem to settle down after a while. The Bartlein bbls show no tendency to foul at all and no real break in needed.

I have had 3 really bad experiences with TF. Rather spend the extra 400-500 bucks that it would cost on ammo and time to get their barrels shooting and not fouling like they actually mine the fucking copper, on a Bartlein or Proof Research in the first place.
Have both a Bartlein and Proof barrels now and they're practically maintenance free and are way more accurate than I can shoot from the get go.

I run Berger projectiles in both and they both shoot them no matter where they're seated.
My Bartlein was fussy with some projectiles but I won't have to change anything unless what I use now, is discontinued.

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I have a TF 7mm WSM barrel that they manufactured to the same profile as the original and fitted to an X-bolt action for me in June this year, I've only put about 30 rounds down it but it is about as accurate as you are going to get for a sporter, about a quarter moa so far, very little copper right from the start which is likely attributable to the hand-lapping process that they now utilize as their final production step and it alleviates the need for break-in. That accuracy is not with the exclusion of any "fliers" or "pulled shots" it's been every shot so far, the finish of the product and their service is very good. I couldn't have got a better result and would definitely go back. I have another with a Brux barrel in .243 cal 2B profile which is also very good, accuracy is more like half moa and copper fouling is minimal. I'm absolutely happy with accuracy of 1/2 moa for a sporting rifle, any better is just a bonus and not something to have any real expectation of as there are a lot off effects besides the barrel.

I had a TF barrel on a 243 that was pretty average. I currently have a TF barrel on a 308 which is excellent. I'd look at getting a Criterion blank and having a Smith chamber and fit it if I wanted to rebarrel something. Steve's Wholesale is the new agent for them.

I nowadays have a preference for cut rifling. Last barrel I got was Kreiger and except for the downside of a reasonable wait was pricewise on a par with TF.
Have Lilja, Pac-Nor, MAB, Tobler barrels and they were all similar priced to TF so no $ advantage going local. All the forementioned barrels are absolute hummers.

Only time I looked at TF was for a 7mm blank and they had just had problems with their button so passed.

Next barrel will be Bartlein in their new steel.

Criterion (button) are performing extremely well locally.

I have had nothing but excellent results from Vulcan and Bradley barrels. I have a definite preference for chrome-moly over stainless and don't use Tru-Flite as I have found them to be very soft in comparison. The NZ barrels are fully the equal of the imported brands.

I have a true flite on my rem mag and it goes very, very well, there were vulcan barrels being done locally that were getting good feedback too but think he has stopped doing them

just wanted to note that I have not had copper issues with either of my TF barrels in 243 or 358.
Mate recently brought a 6.5 CM with an aussie barrel and even after 200 rounds you can still see copper streaks at the muzzle after 20 rounds.
NB my 243 TF worked well with the berger 87gr VLD hunting but not the 105 gr version, tried the Hornady ELDM 108Ggr and that is now my go to bullet.
Have also read some good things about the Hardy barrels but have no first hand experience.
Believe the prior to Grant taking over TF in 2007 the 416 S/S was more mid range for hardness. Grant must have changed the sourcing as the hardness stepped up after he look over.
Z
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kno...ell+tests.html

Had a trueflite on my 300win mag.

Shot really well.

Wont use them again due to other reasons.

We have 3 308 target rifles with True-Flite 32" 1:10 barrels with Barnard 'P' actions.

The oldest has fired over 6,000 155gr rounds and is still competitive in FTR.
The second has fired over 4,000 185gr rounds and is still competitive in FTR.
The 3rd has fired over 1500gr 155 rounds in TR and is competitive.

We've never had an issue with any of the barrels.
They ran in quickly and haven't shown any fouling problems.

When we were in Gisborne for a competition we asked for and were given a factory tour.
Very interesting.

Personally we'd recommend True-Flite barrels (and Barnard actions) to everyone.

never had problems with true-flite or vulcan. same accuracy as the brand ones. also, i am having good results with green mountain barrels.

got a true flight most of my rifles shoot better than i ever will be able to very happy with it. Service was great as well