So who's going to be the first to get the Barrett??

[Fireguy]

I picked one up in 6.5 Creedmoor. It is a damn nice rifle. Put a SWFA 3-9 on it and ran to the range yesterday to quickly zero it and see what it can do with factory 143 grain ELD-X ammo. It was hot and windy out, shot 12 total rounds, only had about 30 minutes. Stock is fantastic, absorbs recoil incredibly well - feels like shooting a 22. So far accuracy looks to be very promising. Here is a photo of a 3 shot group I did.

 

[duckpopper]

Fireguy,

Was that group shot with the 18" barrel or 21" barreled Fieldcraft? Also, how was the trigger feel and bolt feel? Smooth, rough, wobbly? Im very interested in one of these for myself and the wife. Seems like a perfect backcountry rifle with a little more attention to detail than a Kimber Montana.

-Mike

 

[Brightwhite]

Fireguy,

Was that group shot with the 18" barrel or 21" barreled Fieldcraft? Also, how was the trigger feel and bolt feel? Smooth, rough, wobbly? Im very interested in one of these for myself and the wife. Seems like a perfect backcountry rifle with a little more attention to detail than a Kimber Montana.

-Mike

I'm curious about this too. The 18" threaded model is appealing to run a suppressor down the road...if they ever become easier to get.

 

[Fireguy]

Fireguy,

Was that group shot with the 18" barrel or 21" barreled Fieldcraft? Also, how was the trigger feel and bolt feel? Smooth, rough, wobbly? Im very interested in one of these for myself and the wife. Seems like a perfect backcountry rifle with a little more attention to detail than a Kimber Montana.

-Mike

Mike it has the 21" barrel. The trigger is excellent. One of the best I've ever felt on a "factory" rifle. Smooth, light, crisp break. There is nothing to complain about. Overall Barrett hit a major home run. The fit and finish of the rifle is impeccable. I've owned Tikka's, Montana's, a NULA, and two Forbes and IMO the Barrett is the best of them all. A Tikka Super Lite is a great rifle that will shoot lights out, but the stock kind of sucks and it is almost a pound heavier. The NULA is obviously excellent but it is now pushing $4,000 new and it isn't completely stainless. I could never justify another one knowing I could just get a Barrett. I love Kimber Montana's BUT they sometimes need some work out of the box. I'm kind of over the whole buy a new rifle only to tear it apart and bed it, sand the mag box, fix binding, torque this and that etc. I'll be buying a second Barrett in 30-06, putting a Leupold 6x on it and I'm done.

 

[NDGuy]

Does anyone know if/when retailers will be carrying the Left Hand version?

 

[Brightwhite]

Mike it has the 21" barrel. The trigger is excellent. One of the best I've ever felt on a "factory" rifle. Smooth, light, crisp break. There is nothing to complain about. Overall Barrett hit a major home run. The fit and finish of the rifle is impeccable. I've owned Tikka's, Montana's, a NULA, and two Forbes and IMO the Barrett is the best of them all. A Tikka Super Lite is a great rifle that will shoot lights out, but the stock kind of sucks and it is almost a pound heavier. The NULA is obviously excellent but it is now pushing $4,000 new and it isn't completely stainless. I could never justify another one knowing I could just get a Barrett. I love Kimber Montana's BUT they sometimes need some work out of the box. I'm kind of over the whole buy a new rifle only to tear it apart and bed it, sand the mag box, fix binding, torque this and that etc. I'll be buying a second Barrett in 30-06, putting a Leupold 6x on it and I'm done.

Sounds nice...I am seeing them on Europtic for $1730, is that about what you found yours at?

 

[Fireguy]

I got mine on Gunbroker for $1650 shipped.

Whittaker Guns is currently selling them for $1580 I believe plus 5% for their moving sale which is a crazy good deal.

e-Commerce

 

[duckpopper]

The direct word from Barrett Customer Service is Late 2017 for the left hand model.

Fireguy,

Based on your stellar review I went ahead and picked up a 6.5 CM in 18 inch threaded for the wife so I can try one out. Im very excited and will hopefully have it in hand on Tuesday next week. Thanks again for all your help!

-Mike

 

[Brightwhite]

The direct word from Barrett Customer Service is Late 2017 for the left hand model.

Fireguy,

Based on your stellar review I went ahead and picked up a 6.5 CM in 18 inch threaded for the wife so I can try one out. Im very excited and will hopefully have it in hand on Tuesday next week. Thanks again for all your help!

-Mike

Certainly let us know what you think. I am talking myself into the same gun, but am thinking about the 21" barrel. I do like the idea of the 18" though since it's threaded. If yours shoots I'll have a delima!

 

[hodgeman]

Shot my Fieldcraft today... just drives tacks.

143 ELDX at 100 yds.

 

[statikpunk]

Im really interested in a fieldcraft, but according to their site the 18 inch model weighs quite a bit more than their 21 inch model. would anyone with one or the other be willing to plop one on a scale for us. I just find that hard to believe unless the 18 incher has a more stout barrel or something. other than the little knob at the end for the suppressor it looks like its the same contour.

 

[GKPrice]

Im really interested in a fieldcraft, but according to their site the 18 inch model weighs quite a bit more than their 21 inch model. would anyone with one or the other be willing to plop one on a scale for us. I just find that hard to believe unless the 18 incher has a more stout barrel or something. other than the little knob at the end for the suppressor it looks like its the same contour.

Hodgeman says his 18" weighs 5.1 lbs

 

[statikpunk]

Hodgeman says his 18" weighs 5.1 lbs

see that's weird I wonder why that is? It must be a larger contour barrel

 

[luke moffat]

see that's weird I wonder why that is? It must be a larger contour barrel

Where are you seeing the weight differences listed on the 18" vs. 21"?

 

[statikpunk]

Where are you seeing the weight differences listed on the 18" vs. 21"?

it was on their website in the "specifications" section. But I saw the 5.1 pounds figure on one of my gun dealer websites. I thought it was wrong but it does seem to be confirmed. I bet they did use a fatter contour because they knew it would help with the suppressor.

 

[luke moffat]

Huh still dot see where there are different listed weights for the 18" and 21".

 

[hodgeman]

I've held both the 21" and the 18" in 6.5CM.... There is no discernible weight difference between them and the contour appears the same. If it's different, it can't be by much.

The 18" version is fatter at the muzzle, but that's due to where they cut the barrel off. There is a slight shoulder behind the threads to butt a suppressor up against. I would wager a dollar that they start life as the same barrel blank and the finish machining does the rest.

My rifle weighs 5.1 on my scale...I'd also wager if it had a .308" hole in the barrel it'd weigh 4.75 on the nose.

 

[luke moffat]

I agree...while I don't think you'd lose 4-5 oz going from a .264 hole to a .308 hole in either 18 or 21" the weight difference between models likely isn't that much. I would bet at most a 4 oz difference at most between an 18" .308 and a 21" 22-250.

 

[GKPrice]

I have a Taylor classic kitchen scale, by no means a certified scale - the Barrett Fieldcraft I took delivery of today with 21" barrel in 6.5 creedmor weighs 5 lb 1 oz naked by that scale -

 

[hodgeman]

Took the Fieldcraft out for a bit of long range action, tried it with a suppressor and chronographed some ammo.

Rezeroed the rifle with the suppressor- not nearly as far off as we thought it would be.
Chronographed the Hornady 143 ELDX...2550 with an 18" barrel. The Magnetospeed was a complete PITA on that thin barrel.

Did some shooting at 150 yds and moved out to 560 and clanked some steel. The Leupold 2.5-8x36 is really the wrong scope to shoot a 10" plate at 560 with but once we got the holdover dialed in...we both clanked it pretty regularly.

The suppressor moved up on the list of stuff to get. Ridiculously civilized to shoot a high power rifle without muffs and plugs and being able to carry on a conversation while you're shooting- especially when one person is spotting shots for the shooter. The whole package with the can weighed just under 7 pounds.

Just an easy rifle to love.