Wilbur,
A while back a fellow gave me a take off barrel that still had some life left in it, I tried it on my rifle, and have to say that it is the best barrel that I have ever shot. It makes me look like a better shooter. I can see why top shooters have been buying good barrels in quantity, and testing each one. I have also asked someone who has quite a few of the same action if they vary in accuracy, and he told me that they do. For years I have let fellows who looked like they might learn something useful try my rifle, after I had finished tuning and shooting for the day, just so that they could see how good they really are, and how important equipment is, not that mine is necessarily top for benchrest, but it stands head and shoulders above what is typically found at the range in the hands of the general shooting population. Most every time, with a little coaching and dry fire practice, they have shot the smallest group of their lives, at which point I have pointed out that they had probably underestimated their potential for years. If they had the budget, this has cost some of them quite a bit of change, and changed their shooting lives forever. In short, I believe you.
Boyd