Lightweight barrel for accuracy?

[SonOfLiberty]

I'm looking to finish my quasi recce/hunting rifle. Obviously the lighter weight is always better for carrying, especially once you add light/laser/bipod/optics/loaded mag/suppressor. I'm wondering what the general consensus is on lightweight barrels with regards to accuracy. My top two choices for barrels are

16" chrome lined med contour
16" melonite lightweight contour

Out of these two which would make more sense for a woods gun/suppressor host? I'm not looking to shoot tiny groups, as that's not the purpose of this rifle.

Thanks,
Mate

 

[Steve F]

Im using a lwt criterion 1/8 wylde on all my midwest guns the accuracy i to say the least fantastic

 

[ASH556]

A lightweight barrel can definitely be accurate enough. The part that gives me pause is where you mentioned suppressor. You get way more POI shift with a can on a lightweight barrel than a heavier one. Simple physics, the weight of the can flexes the barrel downward. When I put an AAC SDN-6 on my M&P 10 (Med-con tapering to lightweight) .308 barrel, I got a huge (4 inches @ 25yds) downward shift. If you take the suppressor out of the equation, though, a lightweight barrel can be accurate.

9 shots (forgot to dial the correction before the first shot) @ 100 yds, prone, bipod with a Leupold 5X out of a 16" Daniel Defense LW CHF barrel with Black Hills 75GR OTM:

5 shots @ 500 yds, bagged with a Zeiss Conquest 9x, same rifle, same ammo, establishing dope beginning @ 100, so a hot barrel:

Bottom line is that a LW CHF CL barrel will shoot about 1.5 MOA with good ammo out pretty far. If you're wanting to use a suppressor and keep the overall package light, consider an SBR if that's legal in your state. The shorter barrel makes for a lighter/handier package and the shorter barrel is also stiffer allowing for less shift when the suppressor is added. This is my 10.3" MK18 @ 100 yds, 5 shots without the can and 5 shots with it added:

 

[CrazyDoc]

I have a 16 stainless WOA barrel in my frankingun that is a "Recce" stylish rifle. It shoots like a dream and very well balanced. That said, that is with a Vortex 2.5-10x32 and no light.

Toole