Looking to rebarrel Rem 700, any experience with McGowan barrel plus installation?

[cdherman]

My buddy has a Rem 700 BDL 270 win from around 2006. Was NEVER a shooter, but his first gun. 5" groups with factory ammo. Seriously! With a new trigger and bedding, plus handloading, I got it down to around 1.5-2" groups, but we are both spoiled with other guns that shoot under 0.5" with a little effort.

So the gun sits around. But its a nice looking gun, and its a special piece for him, his first gun. Got down to 5 rounds of my handloads from 10 years ago or so, so I decided to once again try and do better. No luck. Reminds me of the frustration I had at the time.

I had a local smith here in Kansas city re-barrel, true and spiff up my 700 BDL years ago. But cost like $1500

I was looking around for articles about cheaper options -- McGowan has decent barrels I think, will sell a barrel in the same Rem contour, blued, and in the correct faster twist that we would need for a heavier bullet. And they will install for like $220. So like $370 for the barrel. $590 total.

Seems reasonable and hopefully improve on the accuracy substantially, maybe make the old girl more useful than just a sentimental piece.

What do you think? Any other better options? On a budget though, so no high dollar suggestions. I like Bartlein barrels, but I'd think a button rifled barrel on a sporter used for hunting inside 600 yards ought to suffice.

 

[LuvDog]

Call up Northland Shooter Supply and order a Criterion Remage, get their lug and nut too while you're at it.

Do it yourself at home and smile. The last one I did shot .5MOA.

This assumes you have a barrel vise, gauges, and an action wrench already. If not, then add that to the cost.

The hardest part will be getting the factory barrel off.

Although those prices from McGowan look hard to beat. I've heard all good things about their barrels too.

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

McGowen has been around years and years, I have never had them install a barrel, both for customers and personal, got my first barrel from them well over 40 years ago, they know what they are doing, I always garraunteed my work to shoot under MOA, I installed perhaps 2 dozen of they're barrels, over a 40 year span I returned A number of barrels from quality makers, but I never had to return a McGowen.

 

[cdherman]

What do people think about Shaw barrels out of Bridgeville PA? They are similarly priced as McGowan, and offer a complete high polish rebluing of the entire gun at a reasonable price. Would ensure that the new barrel and the action matched.....

I don' t think my buddy wants a remage with barrel nut. I actually do savages, and have a action wrench and barrel vice. But no go, no-go gauges in 270 Win

 

[sierracharlie338]

I have a Shaw on a savage 260. Thing is a hammer with 130vlds. However I have heard some complaints about their quality periodically but name a barrel company that does "budget" barrels where at least one person hasn't complained about something.

No experience with either companies gunsmithing past prefit barrels. So far no complaints on either.

 

[jjmp]

I also have a Shaw in 243 mated to a Savage 110 j single shot it's 24 inch 1/10 twist ss and shoots wonderful heavy bull .

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

In today's world of manufacturing quality barrels I believe are the norm regardless of manufacture, the barrels a seem to be much easier to tune than the ones we had 40 to 50 years ago, I have used a small handful of Shaw barrels, they all shot more than good enough, I have a 8lb 416 Taylor that will cluster five 350 gr Barnes x bullets, while not all are in the same hole, all will be touching, perhaps if the rifle weighed 10 lbs and had more than a 1x4# scope I could put them all in one hole,

 

[Dmagna]

I have probably 8 of their barrels, this includes my carbonsix barrels. Everyone is a shooter, just got my first rem700 shouldered prefit and it's great. I recommend them.

 

[FEENIX]

I too have a good experience with McGowen and C6.