School me: 700 barrel swap

[Jon in TN]

I've been looking around for a deal on a 7mm-08 or a 25-06 and all the "deals" are 30-06, 270, and 243's.

Is a barrel swap all that's involved in changing a 243/308 to 7mm-08 or changing a 270/30-06 to a 25-06?

If yes, is it something that most anyone with common sense can do or does it require a gunsmith?

[SHOOTALL]

You would have to have the tools and smarts  to set the head space

[Jon in TN]

You would have to have the tools and smarts  to set the head space

That's what I thought....

What's the going rate for a smith to swap them out?

[wareagleguy]

Savage would be MUCH eaiser!   and cheaper.

[Jon in TN]

Savage would be MUCH eaiser!   and cheaper.

I've already got the 700's that's why I asked...

[skarke]

Shilen, Douglas xx, etc in stainless, $450 threaded, chambered, crowned.

[tdd4570]

I've got an extra 7mm/08 barrel laying around.

PM me if you are interested.

Dave

[ourway77]

There are alot of take off barrels for sale around. I am sure you can find one of your choice. Then have a gunsmith install it and head space it for you, You needent spent big bucks and you will have a decent shooter, remington barrels as a rule are terrific shooters right out of the box. I have several remingtons and they all shoot decent enough for the average person to kill game. But if your cup of tea is to shoot 1/2" groups or less than a custom barrel may be in the cards. I had a varmit specal in 6mm and I had ir re-chambered to 6-284 and I will put it up againt any other factory gun, as it shoots 1/2" groups every time if I do my part. Lou

[Dances with Geoducks]

The cheapest way is to do it your self

The smartest way is to have a qualified gun smith do it.

Most barrels you buy are short chambered, which means you have to finish ream the last bit of the chamber.

Ive ruined a few barrels doing this. It takes a few to get good at it.

When I did my 700 with a Shilen varmint barrel. I centered it 10/1000ths off.

So I paid $450 to have it centered, and blue printed.

I can shoot 1/4 inch groups at 200 yards all day long.

[diggler1833]

That puts your rifle about a tenth of an inch from shooting the benchrest record for 5 shots at 200.  If you can come that close to the record consistantly, show some pics of the groups that beast makes then.

[DalesCarpentry]

I second that one. Dale

[leather5to1]

My 22 mag will do 1/4 inch 200 yard one shot groups all day long too. 

[Dances with Geoducks]

show some pics of the groups that beast makes then.

When I go out next month, Ill bring my camera

The Beast:



3 shot groups, not 5 BTW

[crash87]

Jon, Go to Brownells web site and have a look there. I believe they have a step by step on what it takes to do it yourself. But, always the "BUT", I believe they use a short chambered barrel meaning you need a finish reamer. You will also need a action wrench, a barrel vice, & go/nogo headspace guages. Now, if your take off barrel, when insatalled on your action, has excessive headspace you will then need a lathe. If you plan on doing a bunch of conversions, it would pay to DIY, once? have a smith do it. Check around, there are a lot of good smiths advertised on here and elsewhere, But to just swap a barrel and maintain the proper headspace, like i think you want to, is in the 125 to 175 price range. CRASH87

[ba_50]

I believe Northland Shooters has barrels for 700's that have a quick change nut like the Savages. It would still take a smith to take an original barrel off for me, then maybe later I could swap it myself.

[diggler1833]

Even if you buy a pre threaded and chambered barrel (not my recommendation for a rifle to be used in any type of accuracy matches) it wouldn't hurt to get the action and bolt trued to include the bolt face and locking lugs.  you might also want to get the recoil lug ground to ensure that it isn't off either.

A good 'smith will keep all tolerances to the nearest .001" or even better (see Tac Ops, Surgeon Rifles or LA Precision rifles for the "even better", and I know I'm missing a bunch right off the top of my head).

Cost for having a rifle rebarreled by one of the many quality gunsmiths when I last checked a few months ago usually will run in the $800-1000 dollar range to include the cost of the barrel.  You can get it done for less, but generally it will mean that a couple of the steps in the truing dept. will be left out (which may not hurt accuracy).  A lot of barrel manufacturers do barrel swaps too, just check into it.  They are generally cheaper as well, but may only true the action and lap the locking lugs (again, might be all that your rifle needed).

[ShottieMan]

Hart is getting $650 for a rebarrel.

[LaOtto222]

I bought a heavy SS Shilen 221 FB barrel that was short chambered for my 700. I already had the barrel vice and action wrench (the same ones I use for Savage). I took the old barrel off and set the new barrel. I then rented a floating pilot (with extra pilots) reamer and bought a head space gauge and finished the chamber. I had to take out .011". It shoots as good as the 222 Remington barrel that was on it, used to. I would have liked to have trued up the action face and put on a heavier recoil lug, but I do not have access to a lathe for this work. I did lap the lugs a little while I had the original barrel off.