.250 Savage: M7 or M700

[AtlLaw]

I kinda started this discussion over in the Remington forum but it would probably be better here.  For years I have wanted a nice light .250 Savage, and have always thought the cartridge would be a perfect match for the Rem M7 action.  The idea that was bouncing around in my head was to get a 20 inch .250 barrel in Rem factory M7 contour from Shaw and, since I like the fit of the Remington Mountain Rifle or Custom stock, a M7 Custom stock from Boyd's.  All in all nothing fancy.

Well, I recently found a used youth M7 in .260.  Now I like the .260.  But I've already got one.  A M700 that started life as a .308 but now wears a .260 barrel and Mountain Rifle stock.  It shoots very well, as do all my 6.5's, and after doing the barrel swap I used it to kill a couple of deer but I haven't done anything to it since; like developing hand-loads, fitting nicer wood or re-bluing the bbl/action.

So I gave Shaw a call and darn, they don't make a factory contour M7 (or Mountain Rifle) barrel!  RATS!!    Back to square one...

I spend the next few weeks thinking about the problem and this is what I have come up with.  The .260 is a great cartridge.  I've got a pretty nice M7 stock I've had laying around for several years and I'll refinish it and glass the barreled action into it.  If it shoots well, it can become my .260 rifle (I try not to have more then 1 hunting rifle per caliber).  Also, I've got the youth stock and the .260 with it's 18.5 in barrel would also make a great deer rifle for my Grand kids to use!

Then I can ship the M700 to Shaw, get it re-barreled to .250 in a standard factory contour barrel and have all the metal refinished at the same time.  I should imagine I'll be able to sell the M-700 .260 barrel and recoup some of the cost.  The only downside I can see is that the resulting rifle will be more of a full sized one then the "Ultra-lite" I had always envisioned for the .250.

If it doesn't shoot well, I will have it re-barreled with the slimmest .250 barrel I can get and go from there.  The kids will have to make do with the youth stock on my 7/08 M7.

Have I missed any options?  What would YOU do if faced with this dilemma?  Ain't it TERRIBLE to have problems like this? 

[Jim See]

Rather than swapping barrels on 2 guns, I would keep the m700 in 260 just as it is. Your whole goal is to have a light 250. I would contact a couple of different barrel manufacturers many will do a custom contour and some probably have the mod 7 profile in there system already. You might pay a little more for the barrel, but in the end you will be happy. Or you could take a barrel blank to a good smith and he could profile it before he chamber/fits it to your action.

[Mikey]

AtlLaw:  Jim See is giving you good advice.  In addition, I would look over our sponsor's list.  We have at least one barrel maker, MGM Barrels and at least one stockmaker, Gunstocks, Inc.  I think that twixt the two of them you should be able to find what you want. 

This sounds like an interesting project, and good luck.  I like my 6.5s and the 260 sounds like it is rapidly becoming a good overall round.  I wouldn't mind one in a Remington with about a 20-22" bbl and a nice lightweight, properly contoured stock but then I would have one more caliber to load for..................(sigh)............ Mikey.

[AtlLaw]

Rather than swapping barrels on 2 guns, I would keep the m700 in 260 just as it is.

   I would only be swapping the barrel out on one rifle.  In my scenario the M-7 would stay as it is (.260) and the M-700's action would be the basis for the .250.  Let me read my post again and see where I got confused.  Ah, I see.  When I said the M-7 could "become" my .260 I meant replace my M-700 as my sole .260 caliber rifle.  The Model Seven is already a .260. so I would only be swapping the barrel out on the M-700.

Your whole goal is to have a light 250.  I would contact a couple of different barrel manufacturers many will do a custom contour and some probably have the mod 7 profile in there system already. You might pay a little more for the barrel, but in the end you will be happy.

You are absolutely right.  I would not have what I have been planning and thinking about all these years.  I may fall back to the my second alternative and get the lightest .250 barrel I can find and if it's a larger diameter then the factory barrel, open up the barrel channel to accept it.  Knowing myself, if I didn't do it the way I wanted to I wouldn't be AS happy with the final product.

Or you could take a barrel blank to a good smith and he could profile it before he chamber/fits it to your action.

I considered that also.  I use a 'smith who is a genuine artist, not just a gun mechanic (Roger's Gun Works In Fayetteville, GA; see his add in Rifle and Handloader magazines).  He has built one rifle for me from scratch (everyone should have at least one rifle built to their specifications) and done a lot of "individual desired improvements" to others I own.  Knowing myself, if I got him started on this I'd end up going whole hog and his work doesn't come cheap or fast!  Nope, I want to get a decent barrel stuck on an action I have so that I can drop it into some wood I also already have (or a factory fit/finished one I can pick up) and start shooting a caliber that has always interested me.

But you did get me back on track.  I want the .250 in an ultra light form and I don't mind my .260 in a standard M-700 configuration.  If I did the .250 any other way I wouldn't be as happy with it!  Thanks for reminding me!

[AtlLaw]

AtlLaw:  Jim See is giving you good advice.  In addition, I would look over our sponsor's list.  We have at least one barrel maker, MGM Barrels and at least one stockmaker, Gunstocks, Inc.  I think that twixt the two of them you should be able to find what you want. 

Yup, Jim reminded me of what I was feeling all along; I wouldn't really be happy unless I got just what I wanted.

This sounds like an interesting project, and good luck.

I got a bunch of them going on.    I'm beginning to worry about living long enough to finish them!!

I like my 6.5s...

Me to!!  The one rifle I had built for me is in 6.5x55 Swede and I've got a 96 Swede action with a Lilja 6.5x55 barrel on it that I'm trying to find time to inlet into a real nice stick of walnut I've got.  One of the projects mentioned above.  Trouble is I can't decide whether or not I want to have it re-barreled into 7x57, another caliber I really like, or leave it in 6.5!  Decisions decisions!

... and the 260 sounds like it is rapidly becoming a good overall round.

Great round, just like the 6.5x55!  I load the 6.5 with 160 gr. bullets and the .260 with 120 to 140 gr. projectiles.  I dunno why, just seems reasonable to me and makes me happy!

I wouldn't mind one in a Remington with about a 20-22" bbl and a nice lightweight, properly contoured stock...

Funny you should say that.  I never cared for the M-7 stock.  Just looked to butt heavy for me.  That's why I mentioned the Boyd's.  I didn't realize they were making Remington's stocks until I was getting ready to bed a M700 Custom in 35 Whelen I picked up last year and saw the "Boyd" stamped into the wood.

but then I would have one more caliber to load for..................(sigh)............ Mikey.

Cummon Mikey!  That's the fun part!   

[beemanbeme]

You know, a fellow has all these projects up in the air, plus his shooting, hunting and fishing commitments, and the time he needs to spend at the local pub giving and getting lore about hunting and fishing and shooting, it has always amazed me that a woman could expect a man to keep a full time job on top of all this. 

[AtlLaw]

it has always amazed me that a woman could expect a man to keep a full time job on top of all this. 

True, true... <sigh> But it's been my experience that wimmins just don't understand what's really important in life.