SOLD/EXPIRED WTB - 700 heavy barrel in 7RUM (.284 Ultra Mag) .

[Max Heat]

Last year I bought a 700 SPS in 7RUM, which I planned on upgrading to what I REALLY want. Current upgrades include a Tasco (for ME, that WAS an upgrade) 36X, 44mm hooded scope, Choate UV stock, Harris swivel bi-pod, and Wolff mainspring. The only thing left, aside from accurization (bedding, truing, lapping, crowning, etc), is the barrel, which is probably the most important thing. My original plan was to fry up the 26" sporter barrel that was on it first, figuring that 4 or 5 hundred shots ought to do it, considering the amount of "heat" that I put into my rounds. But after putting 100 rounds through it in the past year, there seems to be much less wear that I was hoping for. I assume that this "problem" is a direct result of my usage of what I refer to as the "mom" treatment (moly-on-moly), where I treat my bullets with moly, as well my bore (using Lyman products). So in not seeing the light at the end of the "barrel" (burnout), the itch-to-ditch it NOW is really starting to set in.

Of course I would love to go all the way on a long-***, fat-*** Hart, with some bad-*** looking muzzle brake on the front. But as can be inferred from the make of my scope upgrade (I am only seeing things like Z6's {as opposed to plain Z's} in my dreams), that my budget is pretty limited. Bobby H, whom I highly respect as easily being one of the best gun guys out there (how's that for a plug, man - I think you have a pretty good idea who I am), quoted me a price (including accurization) that matches what the rifle itself cost me new. I understand that's what it costs for what I want, but at this stage-of-the-game anyways, I can't [justifiably] swing it.

Before this post gets TOO long-winded, let me state what I am hoping to find, at least for the time being. The minimum would be a SS sendero take-off, which should be 26", with a varmint contour. Obviously I would be willing to pay more for a barrel that IS more than that, and also for a low round count through it. I don't really want to mess with one that has less than 50% life left in it, or one in which the accuracy sucks, for whatever reason. And I'm not looking for one that needs any kind of work before it is ready to drop in.

 

[Max Heat]

NLWTB (no longer want to buy):

After making some offers on barrels that weren't quite what I was after, I decided to go fresh. When someone has something to offer that isn't what I am REALLY looking for, I tend not to want to pay a whole lot for it. Since I got the feeling that I may have insulted someone with 1 of my offers, I had to change my strategy, and get off of what can become a very slippery slope. The guy was asking 3 bills, and I'm not saying it wasn't worth it. But I countered with 2, due to the fact that it did fall "short" of what I wanted, and I needed to walk away thinking I was getting a really good deal, to offset the fact that I wasn't really getting what I wanted. But the seller wasn't willing to negotiate AT ALL. If he would have been willing to meet me say half way, it probably would have been a done deal. But as it turned out, NO deal was made. And I am VERY glad that it turned out that way, because now I AM getting EXACTLY what I want, for less than 4 bills, to boot! I'm simply blown away by THAT deal.

The barrel that I JUST ordered is a McGowen SS pre-fit remage (uses barrel nut) that has a #8 heavy target contour (1"@muz) and a finished length of 32". Twist is 1-9", it's unfluted, and unbroken (NO brake). But it IS fully chambered, crowned, threaded (remaged), stress relieved, & polished. In other words, it will be ready to drop right in. The only drawback is that currenty, McGowen's lead time is 12 weeks, up from the normal 3 to 4. But it is said that good things come to those who wait. That puts delivery time at JUST before rifle deer season opens up in this state. That won't leave me much time to get it installed, set up, broken-in and sighted-in. But at least the ball IS rolling now.

Oh I forgot to mention, the grand total for what I ordered was $395 - and that DOES include the barrel nut! Basically, I easily saved over 100 dollars, and I'm willing to share the method for how it is done: DO NOT start out using the semi-custom menu, where everything gets added in as you individually select it. You start out by going pre-fit, as that lumps cost of all of the individual machining processes into the base price of the barrel. Then choose your contour and length, adding $10 for every inch over 26. For me, that was $299 for the SS barrel, and $60 for the additional length. Then choose [at NO additional cost!] your chamber, twist rate, crown style, and mounting style (standard remington shouldered, or remage {barrel nut}). They charged me $35 for the nut itself, for a total of $394. I'm so exstatic about pulling off this deal that I'm going to toss back a couple of jiggers (shot-and-a-halfs) of my stash of RED STAG (a Jim Beam product), in celebration.