Rebore vs Rebarrel?

[wildwilderness]

With this Coronavirus lock down I'm always thinks of new thing to tinker with.

what are your opinions as to reboring a rifle vs rebarrel to change it? Say changing a 270 to a 338-06?

if rebore is ok, do you know a place that does it? (The only one I know of is JES in OR) just looking for options

 

[338 dude]

Rebarrel

 

[shortgrass]

Classic Barrel & GunWorks. cutrifle.com

 

[wildwilderness]

I'll give cut rifle a call. From what I gather a rebarrel job on a Remington will be 500+ while a rebore will be 250+

I guess if I switch to a Remage nut the rebarrel would be less if I headspace myself.

 

[shortgrass]

If you stay with a cartridge in the 'family' of cartridges the barrel is currently chambered for, you will need to open the neck and throat for the new cartridge. Like going from .243 to .260, 7mm/08 or .308. Hope that makes sense.. Sccccrew the barrel nut, shoulder it up, like it should be!

 

[shortgrass]

I'll give cut rifle a call. From what I gather a rebarrel job on a Remington will be 500+ while a rebore will be 250+

I guess if I switch to a Remage nut the rebarrel would be less if I headspace myself.

By the time you have the neck and throat 'fixed' for the new chambering, because your barrel (inside) is bigger, and pay to have the outside converted to use the 'nut', you have just defeated your objective of saving $$$$$. The headspace should be the same as it was if you stay within the same family of cartridges provided the same recoil lug is used. You are thinking too hard about this! Go from .270 to .338/06 and all that ls needed is a reamer to cut the neck and throat to .338 , install the barrel using the same recoil lug, and checking the headspace with gauges.

 

[shortgrass]

I think, all told, that you are in that $345 range instead of the $250, like you'r thinking.

 

[Alibiiv]

I suspect that you probably will get a number of varying opinions on this thread about rebarrel vs rebore. For me it depends what I intend to do with the rifle. If looking for a rifle that shoots -MOA, then for sure it is a rebarrel. However if is not going to be such a rifle, then............it's a rebore for me. I have three rifles that have been rebored by "JES" reboring in Oregon, and all three shoot well above my expectations. I have two 35 Whelens that were rebored from 30-06, and one BLR that was rebored from .308 Winchester to .358 Winchester. The Whelens will shoot 3-5 inches at 300 yards depending on load and bullets; and......I didn't build them for that distance as I black bear hunt over bait. A rebarrel job with a decent barrel is going to run around $600+ depending on the barrel, and....JES is doing rebore for around $250 including the turn around shipping. I recently purchased a Ruger 77 in 30-06 and probably will have that one rebored to 338-06 for bear hunting just because I have never owned one. Good luck with your build.

 

[wildwilderness]

I think, all told, that you are in that $345 range instead of the $250, like you'r thinking.

Yes, JES said $250 to do it all on the rebore. Cut Rifle would be more like 345. Are they better?

I can buy a new barrel for $300 standard chamber or 375 custom reamer.Then the gunsmith fee 150 to install the barrel. Unless I put a Remage nut on it and put the barrel on myself (plus cost of go gauge)

I actually have a 300 SAUM that I'm considering reboring to a 338 SAUM or a 35 SAUM.... could do the 338 SS, but nothing on the 35 SAUM, which would be easiest by a rebore... this is a Rem mod 7 for Alaska moose bear. (I live in AK)

 

[HARPERC]

...For me it depends what I intend to do with the rifle.....

I consider doing it every once in awhile just to say I tried it.

 

[shortgrass]

I don't see in Dans' or JESs' reamer lists any SAUMs. It will cost to have a shouldered barrel machined to use a barrel nut. You'll have to make your own decisions on who to use or to just buy a barrel. Low cost and "good" usually don't go together when it comes to gunsmithing or barrels. Depends upon what you want and what you expect. I, personally, would not have a 'factory' barrel rebored and re-rifled. It'd have to have a contour that was very costly/hard to duplicate.

 

[Alibiiv]

Yes, JES said $250 to do it all on the rebore. Cut Rifle would be more like 345. Are they better?

I can buy a new barrel for $300 standard chamber or 375 custom reamer.Then the gunsmith fee 150 to install the barrel. Unless I put a Remage nut on it and put the barrel on myself (plus cost of go gauge)

I actually have a 300 SAUM that I'm considering reboring to a 338 SAUM or a 35 SAUM.... could do the 338 SS, but nothing on the 35 SAUM, which would be easiest by a rebore... this is a Rem mod 7 for Alaska moose bear. (I live in AK)

When it comes to reboring, there's the variable of the diameter of your barrel at the muzzle! If you don't have "at least" .062 thousands of an inch, I know that "JES" will not do the rebore. For me personally when the price gets into the $450+ range, as you have just posted $300 for a barrel and another $150 for chambering and fitting, plus plus shipping charges that will run as high as $60-100 ("times 2", back and forth to the gunsmith) and......no one has mentioned a bluing job on the barrel (another $100)................it only makes sense to rebarrel and be done with it. If I"m going through all the trouble of upgrading a rifle to "really shoot", a new barrel for $600 certainly is not that big of a deal for what you are going to get, in the cartrigde and barrel length that you want. I like Lilja barrels and get the accuracy that I want out of them. Presently I know that I can get a new Lilja barrel, blued, rechambered, contoured to the existing barrel from my rifle ($50), crowned, blued for $600.

 

[StraightShooter77]

I'd say definitely rebarrell! Once its worn its worn. If someone came up with a way"reuse" the worn brakes on your car would you do it? Same thinking applies here...

Affordable custom prefit rebarrell options are available at www.straightjacketarmory.com

Shoot Straight!

StraightShooter77

 

[Privi457]

I tend to doubt any of those saying rebarrel have ever had a rebore done. I have 4, two by JES and they are perfect. When a rebore is done you are working with destressed steel. You also keep your sights and blue. The only thing you want to do before sending a rifle to JES is to emery off and polish the original chambering designation. That will give him a clean spot to mark new chambering. A quality touch up blue will make it look like factory. 250 bucks and 2 week turnaround. Nothing is faster. When it's back it's ready to shoot.