Browning BAR 308 conversion to 6.5 what?

[moosie]

Can a Browning BAR in 308 be rebarelled and rechambered for one of the 6.5's? Which 6.5 caliber would be the "easiest" or "least complicated" to work with (I am aware of the gas block and possible feed issues etc.) And of these which would make the best all around brush busting whitetail deer rig?

 

[benchracer]

For a conversion from a .308 BAR to a 6.5 of some kind, assuming you can find a gunsmith willing to tackle the project, your best bets would be .260 Remington or 6.5 Creedmore. I would be more inclined to go with the Creedmore, since it was pretty much designed to be used in an AR-10 platform.

However, I find your last comment kind of curious. The 6.5 family of cartridges have many virtues. Being "brush busting" cartridges is not among those virtues. If that is what you are after, I question why it is that you want to go from .308 to 6.5. Before you embark on what promises to be an expensive project, it would be wise to be more clear about your desired result than you appear to be.

 

[moosie]

Specifically, the deer will be running past me either in the brush in front of me or through the 600 yard bean field behind me. I know the 308 would work. But I want somethin a little different.

 

[moosie]

It would be much easier if Browning would just chamber their BAR in 6.5x55 or 6.5x47 etc.

 

[OneShot0351]

If you find any barrel manufacturer or gunsmith that makes a barrel or a gunsmith that will tackle the re barrel! PM ME OR CONTACT ME ASAP!!! I love the guns, have a older styler BAR .270 and a newer Long Trac .270 and wanting a shorttrac .243 win , and have searched and research and made phone call after phonecall looking for this type work to be done, (my dream was a short Trac .243 win w/ a helical or some type fluted barrel and brake) and what I have also been told , once the barrel is removed on the newer aluminum actions it's hard to thread or have a new barrel threaded and most gunsmiths have to have the action remover To put the barrel in a lathe to thread it. Anyways I know this is off your original topic, but from my research it's almost a lost cause unless you have a gunsmith that's your best friend and beg him just to give it a try or . . . Get the machinery and do it yourself hahahahaha. And not saying its a lost cause bc I know it can be done! But BY WHO? Is the big question of the matter.

 

[Dano1]

Can a Browning BAR in 308 be rebarelled and rechambered for one of the 6.5's? Which 6.5 caliber would be the "easiest" or "least complicated" to work with (I am aware of the gas block and possible feed issues etc.) And of these which would make the best all around brush busting whitetail deer rig?

That's easy, a .260 Remington.... Same case as a .308 and nothing but the bbl would have to be changed. Cases are tough to find, but can be made by necking up a .243 or necking down a 7mm-08.

Really easy to load, jus make sure you get a 1-8 twist bbl.

Dan

 

[Zep]

I love this thread. "Gunsmith who is your best friend" - ain't that the truth. And - "Get the tooling and do it yourself" - actually I have been looking into lathes myself. You know, you can learn a heck of a lot on Youtube but it seems like a heck of an undertaking without a mentor or two.

I have been thinking about the 260 Remington as it certainly looks good to me but a shooting buddy keeps poking me in the ribs with the Creedmore concept. There is brass available for the 260 but it does not appear all that easy to get for the Creedmore, maybe I am wrong (Sinclair, Midway).

Certainly have to agree that anything you do is going to be a project, depends where you live I guess or how many telephone calls you want to make. The 308 is a favorite for the things you mention. I have a friend with a 308 shortened barrel probably for exactly the same reasons, I know he likes to walk and hunt in upper MI. He doesn't sit in a stand waiting for things to happen.

 

[etisll40]

I love the 2 bar's I have, one's an FNar, but a model they made on special order with a hunting stock. I called Browning about converting to 260 as I want a rifle in that round that's a semi-automatic and they said they don't do it, maybe special order though? I scraped the thought and decided if I want a semi-auto in 260 then an ar-10 is the way to go. I didn't like the thought of a gunsmith trying to re barrel in 260 with an aluminum receiver. If I had to go the bar 260 route I'd find an older one with a steel receiver, they are cheaper and if it works out, you have a real custom bar. I don't think it will ever have any real value in the after market though. So you better enjoy and burn that barrel out. If you want a brush buster bar, get the 300 win mag, you'll bush brush and be able to stretch out over the bean field. I love the accuracy and reliability of my BAR. They really ar amazing for not being a bolt gun. So accurate and simple, just plain fun to hunt with. My 308 has an 18" barrel, it's like carrying around a toothpick.