Rebrreling. Is is worth the money?

[Beelzebub]

Just a little bio before the question. I live in NW FL. A huge deer is <200. About the longest shot I can see is 500-600 yards. I've been reloading .243's for 30+ years and am fair at it. I have a Rem 700 VLS 1:9.125" and a Ruger MK II with the same (I think). Both guns will stabilize Hornady 105 AMAX, Hornady 105 BTHP Match and SMK 107s to groups of .200 and .25" at 100 yards. I shot a coyote last week with the 700 at 483 yards and flipped him. I shot a big (for NW FL) deer last Sunday in the curly spot and crushed it at 360 yards.

So, now for the +/- $600.00 question? Would it be worth it to re-barrel one of my Model 7's with a McGowen or E.R. Shaw 1:7 or 1:8 barrel? VLS and MK II both have 26" barrels. I was considering 28" from either company.

Should I go ahead with the re-barreling, or spend the money on pole dancers and fast cars? ;-)

tks in advance,
Lee

 

[The Oregonian]

What are you hoping to get out of the rebarrel? Sounds like you have everything you need if the guns shoot that well.

 

[Beelzebub]

Other than just saying I have one and not lying I suppose. I was mainly thinking about heavier bullets, but I suppose 105-107 is enough weight for what I expect to achieve. I'm in my 3rd or 4th childhood (I say 3rd but the wife says 4th), nothing pressing, So I thought about buying a new gun. Then I thought about working up loads, what would I want to kill with it or hit with it and everything I could come up with could me done with a 6mm bullet. Maybe I should replace either of the old stock laminate stocks with something "high speed and low drag" looking.

L

 

[MudRunner2005]

Just a little bio before the question. I live in NW FL. A huge deer is <200. About the longest shot I can see is 500-600 yards. I've been reloading .243's for 30+ years and am fair at it. I have a Rem 700 VLS 1:9.125" and a Ruger MK II with the same (I think). Both guns will stabilize Hornady 105 AMAX, Hornady 105 BTHP Match and SMK 107s to groups of .200 and .25" at 100 yards. I shot a coyote last week with the 700 at 483 yards and flipped him. I shot a big (for NW FL) deer last Sunday in the curly spot and crushed it at 360 yards.

So, now for the =/- $600.00 question? Would it be worth it to re-barrel one of my Model 7's with a McGowen or E.R. Shaw 1:7 or 1:8 barrel? VLS and MK II both have 26" barrels. I was considering 28" from either company.

Should I go ahead with the re-barreling, or spend the money on pole dancers and fast cars? ;-)

tks in advance,
Lee

The Rem 700 is always worth the rebarrel. There are more aftermarket parts for the 700 than any other brand and model of bolt-action rifle ever made. You will always be able to find parts for it, so IMO, yes, the Rem 700 is always worth the money to keep and rebarrel.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Myself, being the dirty old man I am, I'd opt for the couch dances and titty bars. I'm into 'feel good' so long as it's not too expensive.....

Now for reality....

I took a good shooting (moa at 200) Savage lightweight Hunter and rebarreled it with a Bartlien and got a super sub moa @ 200 rifle, like 3 in the same hole and 2 more almost touching consistently. Needless to say, I like the Bartlien.

Having said that the kill zone on an average whitetail is a bit bigger than sub moa anyway so I could have probably got away with the stock barrel (which I sold on here no issue, like right away).....

However, I didn't like the factory stock (wood) and wanted a snot stock, a MacMillan but then I found out that Kelly didn't make a Savage stock to fit my action so I did the alternative and bought a Manners and got the red carpet treatment, Manners Pillar Bedded my action for me.

All in all, it was worth it and I still had titty bar funds left....

I guess what I'm leading up to is, considering the kill zone, you appear just fine where you are at but if you can afford to fiddle, do it, so long as you still have entertainment money left.....

Personally, I'd forget the ER Shaw tube and just go to a Bartlien or Hart but thats my personal preference....

FYI, Bullets.com is offering some over the top deals on Bartlien barrels. Old man Balolia (the owner of Grizzly Industrial... The sellers of all the Taiwanese machine tools, just happens to be a gun nut and sponsors and shoots F Class prone and he started Bullets.com to sell what he and his team uses.... good site btw.

 

[The Oregonian]

If it truly shoots .2 to .25 MOA I wouldn't touch a thing...

 

[SidecarFlip]

If it truly shoots .2 to .25 MOA I wouldn't touch a thing...

It's human nature to fool with things that already work well.... just say'in.

 

[Beelzebub]

If it truly shoots .2 to .25 MOA I wouldn't touch a thing...

They truly do. I've even shot a few groups under .6 at 300. Not always, but a few. The guns always seem to do their part if I come close to doing mine. I really would love to see what the 700 would do with an accomplished shooter and a better than homemade rest could do with it and my loads. I've gotten to the point where I'm blind in one eye and can't see out of the other. And I shake like a dog poopin peach seeds too.

thanks to all for responses.

L

 

[HARPERC]

Worth it? Who knows. Sounds like it's meeting your needs, but leaving a hole in your wants.

You don't say what scope you're using if you have enough money to get in trouble with, maybe upgrade a scope.

 

[Jaxdialation]

There you go talking about strip clubs again

It's human nature to fool with things that already work well.... just say'in.

 

[ATH]

It those factory guns truly shoot that well, you've already won the lottery and found the best drugs ever.

Hard to find anything worth messing with speeding money on. Buy a different gun for a different purpose. Much longer lasting than blow and strippers. I'll give you the fast cars thing if that's your bend.

 

[Barrelnut]

Yea, I wouldn't tear a .25 rifle apart for a new barrel. Especially for the same cartridge. Might shoot worse when you get it back.

I would keep the Ruger and get the 700 changed to a 308, or 6.5 something. Or sell one of them and buy something different than .243.

After 30 years with a pair of .243s, I'd be looking at pole dancers and hot cars too.

 

[SidecarFlip]

When you get to be my age..... Nothing is fast anymore......

Well almost nothing................

 

[Bravo 4]

If it truly shoots .2 to .25 MOA I wouldn't touch a thing...

+1, what more do you expect to accomplish? Especially for an old shaky blind guy with a bunch of peaches up his *****!