#ProofResearch

The AR-15 market has expanded rapidly in the 21 years since the AWB expired. What was once a relatively limited space has expanded to cover all budgets and use cases. With hundreds of options for every budget and build, finding the right barrel can be difficult. Some people subscribe to the buy once, cry once philosophy and suggest spending top dollar on every barrel; however, I tend to find this disingenuous. Not every build needs to be match grade or able to survive a nuclear apocalypse. In this article, I will go over multiple categories and price ranges and showcase some solid barrel choices in each category. For the sake of consistency, all barrels in this article will be the 16” model.

PROOF Research, the company renowned for pioneering aerospace-grade carbon fiber barrels that shave pounds off rifles while boosting accuracy and heat dissipation, has just dropped a game-changer for custom builders and backcountry enthusiasts. The company announced that its Lightweight Hunter Stock and Mountain Tactical Hunter Stock are now hitting the market as standalone components, giving shooters the freedom to integrate these ultra-light carbon fiber masterpieces into their own builds. Previously, these stocks have only been sold together with their high-end rifles.

I like Proof Research’s carbon fibre barrels (I have one on order for a DMR build) and I like Microtech’s knives. Here those two brands are combined, and it should be no surprise that I like this knife too. These images are also perfect for TFB’s Photo Of The Day.

Looking for lightweight maneuverability and magnum performance in the same rifle? Meet the new 6.5 PRC CROSS Sawtooth, made pairing precision engineering with backcountry-ready features. The 6.5 PRC variant comes equipped with a 22-inch PROOF™ Research carbon fiber barrel, offering impressive rigidity and reduced weight for extended carry or mountain hunts. The weight is 6.9 lb, or just above 3 kg.

Proof Research has a new family of bolt action hunting rifles. The Tundra Ti X has a Proof carbon fiber barrel and titanium receiver to keep weight low without sacrificing durability. Not only is it light, but it is accurate and features a 1/2 MOA accuracy guarantee from the manufacturer.

SIG SAUER and PROOF Research have teamed up again on the CROSS SAWTOOTH line of bolt-action rifles, expanding to include popular short-action calibers, .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor. The collaborative goal is to deliver lightweight performance while providing precision and increased versatility to this proven high-country hunting rifle.