Beater barrel for Sako TRG - what are my options

bovie

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Minuteman
Jan 7, 2020
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I’ve got a Sako TRG 22 in 6.5 creedmoor. Factory barrel is fantastic but I’m burning through its life pretty quickly. It would be great to get an inexpensive 308 barrel with a switch barrel system as a trainer/beater so I could preserve the factory barrel for competitions, resale, etc. I’ve seen KRG and PVA offer barrel nuts for Sako TRGs but their barrels are pricey. What are my options for budget barrels that I can swap out at home?
 
KRG has barrel but systems setup for SA TRG rifles. Nobody is going to have a shouldered prefit, also you own a TRG...nothing is going to be short of expensive or custom? your quickest bet would to get get a blank chambered to your barrel, or a few of them. That way there are now setting headspace with gauges and barrel nuts. Just loosen one off and tighten on the other. Easy as that.
 
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I’ve got a Sako TRG 22 in 6.5 creedmoor. Factory barrel is fantastic but I’m burning through its life pretty quickly. It would be great to get an inexpensive 308 barrel with a switch barrel system as a trainer/beater so I could preserve the factory barrel for competitions, resale, etc. I’ve seen KRG and PVA offer barrel nuts for Sako TRGs but their barrels are pricey. What are my options for budget barrels that I can swap out at home?

you could always do like what was said and get a krg barrel nut and do barrels from them, or they will give you the dimensions for a gunsmith to spin one up. I have 22” 6.5 creedmoor broughton with shy of 800 rds I could be tempted to part with ?
 
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2 parts of Shooters Choice and 1 part of Kroil is what I've used for a very long time.
you could always do like what was said and get a krg barrel nut and do barrels from them, or they will give you the dimensions for a gunsmith to spin one up. I have 22” 6.5 creedmoor broughton with shy of 800 rds I could be tempted to part with ?
How do you like your Broughton? I’ve got one, 30” heavy palma 338 Lapua waiting to get spun to my trg 42.
 
I’d run a lower powered practice load that’s closer to the trajectory of a 308.

You’ll get better barrel life than the full house 6.5 load, you won’t have to buy another barrel or switch barrel system or brake/suppressor mount or mess around with changing barrels. Just re-zero your optic and go.

Your break even just for barrel savings isn’t worth imo. I have an AI AT and that’s what I do with cheaper bullets. Just track down a lower-charged accuracy node.
 
Thanks all for the suggestions.

Never_summer appreciate the offer! If I went through with this I’d be looking at 308 though.

Zorfunk - I hadn’t considered that idea but makes a lot of sense. Sadly I have not yet started hand loading but it is in the cards for 2020.
 
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Thanks all for the suggestions.

Never_summer appreciate the offer! If I went through with this I’d be looking at 308 though.

Zorfunk - I hadn’t considered that idea but makes a lot of sense. Sadly I have not yet started hand loading but it is in the cards for 2020.
Then that’s even better to stick with only 6.5. You won’t have to buy 308 dies, large primers, switch priming tools from small to large, calibrate case trimmers, etc. Unless you have another .308 you’d be loading for..
 
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I’m about 500 rounds into my KRG 260 barrel. I’d pass on a 308 barrel and just shoot out the 6.5CM then replace it. It took me awhile and I was always cautious of shooting too much to save barrel life. I was surprised how easy the KRG barrel/nut setup was to do. I’m no longer worried about barrel life and sending my gun out to get a new barrel installed. That being said I wouldn’t want to change barrels all the time. That’s one thing I’m jealous about the AI guys for their quick lock or whatever it’s called.

If you add up the ammo or component cost over the life of a barrel the barrel cost isn’t a big deal, just part of the game.