Gunsmithing Rebarrel Questions

[Nikon147]

I have a Pre-Freedom Group Remington 700P in .308. From the Serial Number it was manufactured around 2005 (I bought it used as a police trade-in with an unknown round count).

In my latest range trips, it's clearly showing wear. It's fine for hunting, but groups are opening up quite a bit from the slightly sub-MOA it used to shoot. I believe it's time to rebarrel.

I'm already saving up for a new 6.5cm build, and I want to keep a 308 rifle as well.

I've been mostly an AR guy and only recently got more serious about precision shooting. This is my first precision rifle that has had enough use to need a rebarrel.

What are my options with an action this old?

I've been looking at pre-fit barrels, but I'm unsure if that's something I can use for my action.

Do I need to go the full gunsmith route? I don't mind buying the tools and doing it myself (I rebarrel AR's all the time).

I'd like to keep budget under $1k if possible. (ETA: budget is for gun parts only, if tools are extra that's fine since I'll have them for the future).

 

[TRPrecision]

Buy two blanks, a .308 and a 6.5. Take the action and blanks to a gunsmith who will cut the chambers and fit the blanks to your action’s tenon. Switch barrels at your pleasure using a barrel vise and action wrench. Same bolt, same magazine, etc. Call it $300 for each blank and maybe $350 each for the chambering. So for...$12-1500 you get both chamberings. Do it in stages to save your budget...have one barrel done and ask your smith to save the data so he can cut the second without having to see the action again. You probably can’t just buy a shouldered prefit because of the unknowns of a factory R700. There is probably a way to use a barrel nut option too but I’m less familiar with that route.

Call James at Northland Shooters Supply. Order Criterion Remage barrel's in calibers of your choice, 300-400 each. James will get you set up with the proper action wrench and barrel not wrench along with anything else you might need, he will have the answers you seek. I have never had one of these barrels shoot worse than a .5, most of them a good bit better.

 

[Jscb1b]

+1 on this. They had 6.5cm remage barrels in stock. You need a barrel vise and action wrench. Go and no go headspace gauges too.

 

[Steel head]

Remage barrels
So easy to do!

 

[Nikon147]

Thanks for all the replies.

Looks like I'm going the Remage route....that was easier (and cheaper) than I thought.

 

[Jscb1b]

Let us know how it works for you.

 

[MakeSawdust]

I have used a ton of NSS criterion savage barrels and would go the route of the NSS Criterion Rem-age barrels. Like the guy above, all of mine have been capable of .5 moa. Most better.
If you want to do a switch barrel, you can red loctite the barrel nut in place on the initial installation. Then you will get consistent headspace when you switch back and forth between barrels. They headspace just like a shouldered barrel after you get the nut loctited in the right place. My wife and I have 2 TL3 actions and we swap between 223 for practice and 6 Dasher and 243 AI for hunting and matches. When match season is in full swing we swap barrels twice a week and I have had zero problems using this method.