Great Accuracy — Criterion Pre-Fit Barrel and Creedmoor Ammo
Check out that 0.188″ group. Can you believe that was shot with factory .308 Win ammo? A couple seasons ago our friends at Criterion Barrels tested some .308 ammo from Creedmoor Sports. This was loaded with Lapua’s 175gr Scenar HPBT bullet. The results speak for themselves. Any time factory ammo can shoot inside quarter-MOA, that’s impressive. This ammo was used in a “Rem/Age” project rifle. That term refers to a Remington action rifle that has been re-barreled with a pre-fit Criterion barrel. The new barrel is secured with a Savage-style barrel nut. Hence the term “Rem/Age” or “Rem-Age”.
Criterion posted: “I think we may have a new favorite factory match load for the nitrided Rem/Age build.” Another reader added: “[Creedmoor’s] 175 Scenar .308 ammunition is top notch.” FYI, this group was shot on our load development target, which you can download for free from our Targets Page.
Why do Criterion barrels shoot so well? One reason is that Criterion’s barrel steel is carefully stress-relieved. In the photo below, Criterion Rack 1A (aka the “Coffin”) has been loaded with barrel blanks — made ready for the stress-relieving process.
Working with Pre-Fit Barrels
While they may require the purchase of some additional tools and a bit of a learning curve to install, using Rem/Age pre-fit barrels offer advantages over gunsmith chambering and barrel-fitting. In this video, 8541 Tactical explains how to install a Criterion 6.5 Creedmoor “pre-fit” barrel. You save money and time — you don’t have to wait for a gunsmith to chamber the barrel. While Criterion recommends that a competent gunsmith oversee the pre-fit installation, if you understand the use of go/no-go gauges and you have a barrel vise and action wrench set up to remove the original barrel, putting on a pre-fit barrel CAN be a DIY project. You don’t have to pack up your rifle to ship it off to a smith.
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Tags: .308 Win, 8541 Tactical, Creedmoor Sports, Criterion Barrels, Free Target, Pre-fit Barrel, Stress Relieving
“You don’t have to pack up your rifle to ship it off to a smith”… But you will still likely need to send your action out to have it accurized before rebarreling it.
Editor: Not necessarily. There are plenty of good Rem Clone actions that have good specs. If you are running a Criterion pre-fit for a Howa, there is no need to “blue print” the action at all.
I have two criterion in 6.5 Creedmoor. Done the work myself and they both shoot sub 1/2 moa at hundred with handloads. Criterion Remage and the other a Savage. Awesome system and barrels!
Great barrels, I’ve rebarreled 3 Remington’s so far one old M78 the others were M700 all 3 shoot great…all 3 shot pretty good with factory barrels so like a gunsmith friend of mine told me, if they shot good with the factory barrels they should shoot lot better with a custom one. Like he said if it does need blue printing it’ll take all of 2 minutes to pull the barrel off.All 3 guns, 6.5×284,6MM and 6.5 Creedmoor have no problem shooting 5 shot .25 moa groups at any range and when I have a good day lots better.