Button Rifling has, in the past, been seen as the best in producing highly accurate barrels. It is accomplished by forcing a button like device down a barrel to cut grooves or rifling.  It is not a volume process and the devil is in the Quality Control details including barrel lapping.

But today, Heavy Machine Hammer Forged barrels produce barrels just as accurate and in volume. Quality Control again is necessary to ensure a barrel will shoot well. Some companies are legendary in the button rifle barrel making process and hold a place in the hearts of Competitive shooters even today but again, no volume and higher cost.

Ruger and others makes hammer forged barrels that can shoot 1/2 inch groups or better out of the box based on my testing, so that means 1 inch groups at 200 yards. For hunting that is all you need unless you are target shooting in competition.

But more than that, the technology of hammer forging keeps getting better, so expect that hammer forging to advance and make button rifling less attractive but it will never disappear as button rifle barrel making and lapping is an art form and skill of a human metal smith. And a few of these metal smiths are near magicians in the art of barrel making.

In the end, as a hunter I am very happy with hammer forged barrels and their greatly reduced cost and quality bedding.

Good Shooting!

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