New gun or New Barrel

[270Weatherby]

I've got a vanguard S2 in .300wby with a Vias brake and BC stock. I want to go to a 26" barrel with new vias and stay in 300Wby or .300Win. Is it worth the $900 for a new barrel and break install or should I just buy a new factory rifle all together? I'm getting 1" groups at 100yd with 200gr accu @2950. I want faster fps and better accuracy. If I go factory what one? this is a elk hunting rifle primarily (500yd) and long range pig gun second (800yrd).

 

[Jud96]

Have you bedded the rifle?

 

[270Weatherby]

no, the BC has an alluminum bedding block. I guess I could skim bed it, but the real issue is the brake install was crap and I cant stand looking at it.

 

[MudRunner2005]

no, the BC has an alluminum bedding block. I guess I could skim bed it, but the real issue is the brake install was crap and I cant stand looking at it.

Have your smith glass bed that action. Tune the trigger, and then but a new barrel on it. The most expensive part of a custom build is usually the action and barrel blank. You already have the rifle built, might as well just buy a new barrel the length and contour of your choice. For a big magnum like a .300 Wby, I would go with a Remington Sendero/Varmint contour barrel with a 1:10 twist.

 

[Jud96]

no, the BC has an alluminum bedding block. I guess I could skim bed it, but the real issue is the brake install was crap and I cant stand looking at it.

Aluminium bedding only creates a base for a surface bed and pre made pillars. The lug still needs bedded and the barrel probably free floated.

 

[Jluck]

If I'm in a new barrel/new gun conundrum I vote for both!

 

[270Weatherby]

Copy that, Mudrunner!

 

[tunacan]

1" isnt bad for a hunting rifle and 500 yards isn't far. Bugholes at 100 isn't going to kill an elk any better than what you have

 

[Jud96]

1" isnt bad for a hunting rifle and 500 yards isn't far. Bugholes at 100 isn't going to kill an elk any better than what you have

A 1inch 100yd rifle is a 5inch rifle at 500yds. That's not good enough for me, I. understand an elk's killzone is a lot bigger than 5" but I want my rifle to be as accurate as it can be.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I pull barrels if they shoot more than 1 MOA with a proven sub-moa load. For example, my Browning was shooting 1/2 MOA with a specific load, put it through it last weekend, and it wouldn't hit a 3" group @ 100. That barrel went south almost instantly. It shot good one weekend, then the next, it wouldn't hit anything. Almost like a switch flipped. So now, that little problem is fixing to get fixing in the next couple months.

 

[kcebcj]

I've got a vanguard S2 in .300wby with a Vias brake and BC stock. I want to go to a 26" barrel with new vias and stay in 300Wby or .300Win. Is it worth the $900 for a new barrel and break install or should I just buy a new factory rifle all together? I'm getting 1" groups at 100yd with 200gr accu @2950. I want faster fps and better accuracy. If I go factory what one? this is a elk hunting rifle primarily (500yd) and long range pig gun second (800yrd).

I personally would rebarrel the rifle if you like what you have. One thing to consider is the magazine length if you rebarrel making sure you can load the big bullets out where they need to be. I'm rebarreling a 300 Weatherby right now turning it into a 300 WM. The barrel will be a #5 Brux finished at 27". With the 300 Weatherby Mark V overall magazine size of 3.710 I will be able to load the 300 WM out to 3.600 if need be with the new chamber. Maybe I'm spoiled but that $900 dollar number you quote seems a little high. Shop around but pick the smith carefully.

A 1inch 100yd rifle is a 5inch rifle at 500yds. That's not good enough for me, I. understand an elk's killzone is a lot bigger than 5" but I want my rifle to be as accurate as it can be.

That is not necessarly the case. Now depending on a lot of variables a 1 MOA load at 100 yards could be a 1/2 MOA load at 500. In my opinion groups at 100 yards don't tell me much especially with VLD and botail bullets. You really need to test the long range loads and rifle accuracy at 300 yards or more.

 

[270Weatherby]

I personally would rebarrel the rifle if you like what you have. One thing to consider is the magazine length if you rebarrel making sure you can load the big bullets out where they need to be. I'm rebarreling a 300 Weatherby right now turning it into a 300 WM. The barrel will be a #5 Brux finished at 27". With the 300 Weatherby Mark V overall magazine size of 3.710 I will be able to load the 300 WM out to 3.600 if need be with the new chamber. Maybe I'm spoiled but that $900 dollar number you quote seems a little high. Shop around but pick the smith carefully.
I reallt like that idea of Brux #5 and go to WM!
$300 for Barrel $300 for labor $200 brake + shipping. Is that too high?



That is not necessarly the case. Now depending on a lot of variables a 1 MOA load at 100 yards could be a 1/2 MOA load at 500. In my opinion groups at 100 yards don't tell me much especially with VLD and botail bullets. You really need to test the long range loads and rifle accuracy at 300 yards or more.

It is 4" plus at 300yd

 

[270Weatherby]

I really like that idea of Brux #5 and go to WM!
$300 for Barrel $300 for labor $200 brake + shipping. Is that too high?

 

[MudRunner2005]

I really like that idea of Brux #5 and go to WM!
$300 for Barrel $300 for labor $200 brake + shipping. Is that too high?

The .300 Wby is longer than the .300 WM, so you be able to get full-potential out of the mag box of a previously .300 Wby chambered Mark V.

Are you going to chunk your .300 Wby brass? If so, let me know, I could always use them for a project of mine.

I would say about $300-350 for blank, $200-300 for labor, and $100-200 for brake, just estimating by what my smith charges me...