Very interesting thread! I only have one carbon barrel (a proof sandero light) and can say first hand that the 4 groove in a 6.5 Prc with a 7.5 twist will blow up thin jacketed bullets. Have had zero issues with the 155 Berger, and clearly zero issues with the 131 hammer hunter. I’ve read proof barrels are slow, inconsistent, etc. but mine has proven great so far. I don’t know the numbers off hand, but I think it’s a safe bet that Proof produces at least double the amount of carbon barrels than the nearest competitor. My point being people very rarely post about the good barrels, but always do about the bad ones. If they were all that terrible, they probably wouldn’t be the leader in the market. My point is that every maker is prone to producing a bad barrel here and there. Since proof produces the most, they are prone to producing the most bad ones. The smith that built my gun has had great luck with carbon 6 and bartlein. He gives the edge to bartlein. That being said, they weigh almost a half lb more for a similar contour and thus taking away one of the largest benefits. May as well just run a fluted steel barrel for half the cost IMO. It’s going to be a tough decision for my next barrel, and I’ll be watching this thread to see what others have to say. With their experience I would take Ryan and Jeff’s experiences to heart. They have probably
shot through more barrels than most. My opinion so far is that they all have pluses and minuses to them.