Which 300bo barrel should I carry over the hill?

[Mygrainman]

I need some advice, or maybe just reassurance... This Sunday is Father's day and I'm getting ripped off this year. Not just because I'm broke and can't afford to give my kids money to buy me anything(funny how that works huh)... but there are only two "holidays" set aside for ME around here, Father's day and my birthday, and this year they happen to fall on the SAME DAY... I get one day, and I have to share it with almost half the adult population. And that's not the worst of it... I'm going over the hill!!!Ya..The big Four-Ohhh. That's a big one that I'm not entirely prepared to accept. I could swear I just turned 30!?
[* some say OTH is 50, some say it's 40... It seems to be a hot debate*]
All I want for this dubious day, is to see my latest project completed. Thankfully a set of knives I had on eBay just sold, and the "white envelope" has enough in it to order a barrel for my 300blk pistol build. I have about $100 cash, and $50gift card for Sportsmans to play with, but would like to save as much as possible for the other parts I need...
-hand guard
-gas block/tube...
-muzzle device (i'm thinking a generic flaming pig style..KAK?)
-Dies, brass, projo's... Its gotta eat too!
-BCG...I can always "borrow" one from one of my other ARs for a while.. so this isn't a pressing need.


so far the build is made up of high end "enhanced" parts, including the nicest set of forged receivers I have ever seen... so the challenge is to be both frugal, and careful not to ruin an otherwise high end build with cheap parts, just to get it done.... look at that top rail... I love how the back just kinda fades into the charge handle, and the way they machined the raised part around the mag release down flat... subtle, but different... enough to make it worth $300 for a forged receiver set? debatable.
I almost sold them several times, but I couldn't go through with it.


Notice the abundance of red... reminiscent of the middle aged man in a red convertible you see rolling around town, and the first thing that comes to mind... "somebody's having a midlife crisis"
Oh snap! is that me? is this my broke attempt at filling THAT void... or do I just like red AR parts?
40 is the new 30 my a$$!

I've already decided on a 10.5" barrel, and after much searching, and pondering, I've narrowed it down to a couple possible options... and one that would be nice, but ain't gunna happen(yet)::::::

option #1. is a great deal, but I'm unsure of the quality... should I just get it and play with it for a while and use the savings to get more parts? It's going to bee hidden under the Hg anyway..as long as it shoots straight I'd be happy with it. Anybody have a Bear Creek barrel, or heard anything about them?
Bear Creek Arsenal 10.5 Heavy Barrel 1-8 Parkerized .300 Blackout Barrel B300PHB10.518P
If I go this route I can get the gas block from sportsmans with my gift card, order the gas tube at the same time, and maybe trade for a handguard at the centrailia GS this weekend, and be shooting sometime next week...

option#2. For a little more I could get this one... anybody have experience with these? are they worth the extra $25?
10.5" 300 AAC BLACKOUT 1x8 MELONITE NITRIDE BARREL | MAS Defense

(not really an)option#3. This is the one I REALLY want... I have a Ballistics advantage 18" premium series on one of my builds, and it is an absolute tac driver... and I love the matte SS finish. It has a Sub MOA guarantee, and comes with a gas block already attached. And this is a great deal.(30% below anywhere else and free shipping)...see I'm still trying to rationalize.
Ballistic Advantage 300 Blackout Premium Series 10.3 Hanson Barrel - Monmouth USA

I know what your thinking. "just get the BA... you know you want it, and it's just another $75 or so. besides it already has a gas block so it's like $40-45"
Well, that's what the devil on my shoulder is saying too, but I've listened to it way too many times, and it's got me in a lot of trouble.
..I absolutely have to stay on budget, and only spend from what I sell or trade from my existing toy box. I can't let this damn AR addiction best me out of paying bills, and feeding my hungry teenagers that are going to be home all day for the next three months for summer brake.

I may take some things from my "toy box" to the Centrailia Wes knudel gun show(one of my favorite monthly events) on Saturday, and hopefully I'll be able to haggle my way into whatever's left on the list, but it's been slim pickings there the last couple months so I'm not counting on it.

Advice.?. Ideas.?. Other options in my price range?

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[Flopsweat]

First off, the hill is a 50, not 40.

Really to me, if not going to do precision shooting with it the BA is a no-brainer at $40-45 more. I don't know enough about Primary Arms to give you an opinion there.

 

[Mygrainman]

First off, the hill is a 50, not 40.

Really to me, if not going to do precision shooting with it the BA is a no-brainer at $40-45 more. I don't know enough about Primary Arms to give you an opinion there.

Its 40... I think people assume it's 50 because it's half way to 100, but the average american lifespan is 80 years, and according to Urban Dictionary: over the hill. 40 is over the hill.

 

[Enginerd]

Fourth of July is right around the corner. Which is the black Friday of online firearms sales. I would see what pops up then. As for which specific barrel to go with; for a 10.5" barrel on a pistol the inaccuracy isn't going to be coming from the barrel but rather the operator and the platform. Which isn't a problem because precision shooting isn't what .300 AAC pistol builds are about. I'd say put that money elsewhere.

 

[Hang-Man]

MAS Barrel best Bang for the $$ IMHO. Far as feeding the Boys, Get the Roadkill cookbook by Crocker the rocker... Kidding.

 

[Mygrainman]

Fourth of July is right around the corner. Which is the black Friday of online firearms sales. I would see what pops up then. As for which specific barrel to go with; for a 10.5" barrel on a pistol the inaccuracy isn't going to be coming from the barrel but rather the operator and the platform. Which isn't a problem because precision shooting isn't what .300 AAC pistol builds are about. I'd say put that money elsewhere.

Exactly.. I'm building this as more of a recreational, suppress in the future, legally carry loaded in the truck cause it's a pistol sort of thing. accuracy would be a bonus, but it's not expected..at most this will wear a RMR or microdot, but most likely just irons to keep the weight down. I'm thinking maybe a little over 100yard effective range.

 

[Boboclown]

Exactly.. I'm building this as more of a recreational, suppress in the future, legally carry loaded in the truck cause it's a pistol sort of thing. accuracy would be a bonus, but it's not expected..at most this will wear a RMR or microdot, but most likely just irons to keep the weight down. I'm thinking maybe a little over 100yard effective range.

A .300 BLK can be shot decently out to .300 meters, maybe a little further. The point of the .300 BLK was to be suppressed well and shot out of short barrels. As for the question, any of the three will work. I'd go for whatever saves the most.

Though bear creek arsenal is gambling, different market name for MMC who is/was known for putting out crap. Maybe they're good to go now, not sure.

 

[jblake00]

I built a 10.3" BA barreled 300 blackout and love the barrel. Then I followed it up with another build, but went with the 8.3" BA Hanson barrel and was even happier! Keep it short, and go with the barrel you KNOW you want. Just my opinion though...

 

[osprey]

I have used several bear creek barrels and they are decent for sure. However I used a ballistic advantage 9" barrel on my 300bo build and couldnt be happier. 1 moa accuracy or better and it runs like a raped ape with subs and supers. Buy once cry once.

 

[Quartermaster]

It's 50. Urban dictionary isn't a source worth citing. Most of their definitions are sexual acts with innocuous names, like "Eiffel tower."

You're 10 years from the hill. Get whatever you want.

 

[Mygrainman]

This is why I like NWFA... I get gun advice, and reassurance that I'm not as old as I think I am... now if I could just convince everybody else, and my body that I still have 10 years of youth left, I'll feel even better.

Anybody have experience with MAS defense stuff?

 

[Flopsweat]

Its 40... I think people assume it's 50 because it's half way to 100, but the average american lifespan is 80 years, and according to Urban Dictionary: over the hill. 40 is over the hill.

"I intend to live forever - or die trying"
Groucho Marx

 

[WildBills-AR]

Personally I'd save some moneys up and wait for a good sale get the very best you can the barrel is the most important part of accuracy.

 

[Squidly]

I'm biased toward Ballistic Advantage. Good bang for the buck when them on sale. (not intended) I have a 9" on my rig. Works for me.


*edit*
BTW, 30 was hard for me, 40 wasn't bad, 50 was a piece of cake. Embrace it. Own it. Getting old isn't the end...yet.

 

[Kent763]

Personally I'd save some moneys up and wait for a good sale get the very best you can the barrel is the most important part of accuracy.

Just to play Devil's advocate, very few people are ever going to be more accurate than their barrel allows. I bet you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in groups between a $100 barrel and a $300 barrel in the hands of most folks. It's like the high handicap golfers fantasy that if they'd bought a more expensive set of sticks they'd shave 6 strokes off their game. Not to mention the fact that this isn't for a long range rifle.

 

[DirectDrive]

Just to play Devil's advocate, very few people are ever going to be more accurate than their barrel allows. I bet you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in groups between a $100 barrel and a $300 barrel in the hands of most folks. It's like the high handicap golfers fantasy that if they'd bought a more expensive set of sticks they'd shave 6 strokes off their game. Not to mention the fact that this isn't for a long range rifle.

Yep ^^^

What makes this 9" barrel so special ?
Made from unobtanium and shoots around corners ?
9" 300 BLK AR Barrel

 

[Caveman Jim]

It's 50. Urban dictionary isn't a source worth citing. Most of their definitions are sexual acts with innocuous names, like "Eiffel tower."

You're 10 years from the hill. Get whatever you want.

Yeah, I saw the reaper carrying my cake & black balloon cloud (many black balloons) on my 50th....

 

[Mygrainman]

Just to play Devil's advocate, very few people are ever going to be more accurate than their barrel allows. I bet you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in groups between a $100 barrel and a $300 barrel in the hands of most folks. It's like the high handicap golfers fantasy that if they'd bought a more expensive set of sticks they'd shave 6 strokes off their game. Not to mention the fact that this isn't for a long range rifle.

I own a Ballistics advantage barrel, and an anderson barrel... both are decent, one was almost 3x the $, but worth every penny. The fit and finnish, and accuracy are on par with $500 barrels(proven at the range!), but it's an 18" SPR profile designed for marksmanship. The anderson is not a bad barrel.. it shoots great for its purpose, but it's a, boring, run of the mill M4 barrel, a steal at $80 imo. If you buy a $60 barrel you run the risk of imperfections in the metal, or the rifling process,(was it MPI and partial tested?) To upgrade from a mass produced, budget barrel, to a much nicer, but twice the price barrel is one thing... but at some point it becomes more about range envy(like the new set of Taylor Made's). I am by no means a great shot, but off a rest I do OK.. my $210 BA, was out shooting the guy next to me that had a $500 barrel last time I was at the range...both have a very attractive matte SS finish, hand made in America... but his had a Maltese cross on it that evidently is worth an extra $300.
I am not after a tac driver out of this pistol.. I would like better than Hour of angle, but Somewhere in the neighborhood of MOA would be nice out to 200.. and I don't expect it to go that far, I have other tools for that. I can't afford a $160 barrel if I want to finish the pistol any time soon, so I'm fishing for anybody that has experience with some of the sub $100 barrels.

...As I typed the previous line I thought about anderson barrels..
<broken link removed>
in my price range and I know they are decent quality..Hmmm

I'm still wondering about MAS defense.. they have their barrels at nearly 50% off this month, and I'm kinda leaning that way, pending somebody chiming in with first hand experience. $75 down from $144! $85(reg$160)if I go with Melonite coated.

 

[Mygrainman]

Yep ^^^

What makes this 9" barrel so special ?
Made from unobtanium and shoots around corners ?
9" 300 BLK AR Barrel

The name, and the fact that their government contracts allow them to overcharge without having to rely on a slower income from the civilian market.
Oh ya... they also put the AAC in 300AAC blackout.

 

[Kent763]

Yep ^^^

What makes this 9" barrel so special ?
Made from unobtanium and shoots around corners ?
9" 300 BLK AR Barrel

When I was about 5 years old, my dad convinced me he had a scope that could see around corners. Turns out that when he was demonstrating this to me, there was just a mirror behind me, and he could see me in the mirror. Yeah, I was a stupid kid. Anyway, part of me really wants that barrel that can shoot around corners, and thinks it's a bargain at $425. But then the other part of me thinks, I'm not falling for this crap again.