.260 on the cheap?

[Ring]

400 or less after rebate for a cheep 700 from walmart... use it for a action, darkeagle custom will true it with out recutting the threads for less then 100$, so you can use a drop in CBI/kriger rem-age barrel and mount it your self...

that will save you 200 to 300+ on gunsmithing

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

darkeagle custom will true it with out recutting the threads for less then 100$,

Can you explain how they do this for me please? Do they just square the face and lap the lugs? What if the threads on the barrel are not cut off the center line of the bore? My understanding of this is a bit hazy.

[Ring]

basically they do everything on a trueing job except cutting the threAds because on a Remage barrel that's pre threaded and if they cut the threads it would have such a sloppy fit it would be bad

And with the results that everybody is getting with a CBI kit I don't think it's a problem with accuracy

this is 5, 5 shot group all shot at once so the barrel was hot and this load I wasn't picked for bench rest accuracy

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

basically they do everything on a trueing job except cutting the threAds because on a Remage barrel that's pre threaded and if they cut the threads it would have such a sloppy fit it would be bad

And with the results that everybody is getting with a CBI kit I don't think it's a problem with accuracy

this is 5, 5 shot group all shot at once so the barrel was hot and this load I wasn't picked for bench rest accuracy

OK that's what I thought, seams like a kind of a waste of money don't you think? I only say that because I guess in my mind it makes more since to shoot out the barrel and then have the action trued when your having your new barrel installed. I will have to check out their site, thanks for the info.

[Ring]

not really, you swap the barrel on a new gun for a better tube, or better caliber... cutting oversized threads into the receiver is probably the least important thing in a trueing job unless you action is really hosed.

if you have new threads cut, then you can never buy a pre-threaded barrel... that means every time u need a new barrel, add another 300+$ to the cost of you barrel to have it cut and threaded and chambered... for that cost, i can buy 2 CBI's

[Ring]

also, McGowen and Pac-Nor make rem nut barrels

[BoilerUP]

The least expensive option for somebody without a rifle now is probably a Savage, either a factory rifle or using a donor rifle/action and a quality prefit barrel like a Criterion.

If you already have or only want a Rem 700, the AAC 260 barrel is the least expensive option at <$200 plus the cost of a barrel vise/action wrench or a gunsmith's fee to remove the factory barrel and install the AAC tube.

For all the talk of action truing, etc. there are a number of folks on SnipersHide with a LOT more invested in precision rifles than me that have used those AAC 260 barrels on untrued 700 actions, and most report 5-shot groups in the 0.6MOA range with minimal load development (read: 140 A-Max or 142SMK at mag length with 3-5 different charge weights of H4350).

Can you get more accuracy? Of course you can - but you're going to spend a lot more money to get it.

I suppose the question what provides more value - a 0.3MOA rifle or a "cheap" rifle that shoots 0.6MOA with the price delta spent on reloading components to send rounds downrange. And that value is different to each individual shooter.

[TurretGunner]

I'd spend some money #1 on getting the action trued up and sorted out.
In my opinion it's senseless to screw a good barrel into an action that will then wobble in the stock, bolt lugs not fitted as well as possible, etc.

YMMV but I found that starting with the CORE piece of the machine...the action, then moving out from there ; trigger work, bedding action to a stable stock, etc. Gave me my most accurate rifles for the least amount of time and expense.

I have a few buddies who are big on wildcat cartridges which means they rebarrell a lot. Twice in the past several years I bought take off barrels that they claimed "did not shoot". I had my smith (same guy they use) install first a 7mm chambered into a .280 into a trued and straight 700 LA. Dropped it into an HS Precison stock, checked fit with some blue, ended up adding a skim of Acra-glass here and there.

My first groups out of that gun at 200 yds were .950" and .920" for five shots. With standard 154 gr Hornady's.

Point of my story....Both of my friends are impatient. They also claim they don't think having the action gone through is worth the wait time or the money. I believe they are VERY misinformed.

FN in MT

Or you could start with a non piece of shit action that doesn't need to be trued/blueprinted in order to shoot.


Want to build a hell of a rifle for the money.

Buy either a Tikka T3 light $500 in whatever flav u want (.260 not avail). Throw that into a WC3 chasis and you have a .308 that will print very good groups and a world class stock that uses ACIS mags. You can have it rebarreled to any calibur of your choice. (6.5C if you dont reload or .260, 6C ,xxxx, if you do). Without a new barrel your looking around $1500, with around $2K including gunsmithing.

Or you could buy a T3 Sporter for $1500, Sell the stock for around $500 and you have a Cold hammer forged, heavy barreled .308,.260 , or 6.5 Sweed that you can drop into a WC3 chasis or you can just keep origional stock. Still around $1500-$2000 in the end.

Might be able to find a Used AE MK2 for around $3K

Find a used or like new Winchester Stealth and drop into a chasis.

Nothing else will shoot this good in this range (T3), except maybe a FN SPR, but you are stuck with McMillian stocks. Tikka barrels are the same as the ones Sako uses on the TRG 22/42. They are known lasers.

[jwfuhrman]

Shot a Precision Rifle match this past weekend at the range I work for. At 1000 yards it was all steel targets

40in Stop Sign shaped target - 5 rounds
20in Rectangle - 5 rounds
10in Circle - 5 rounds
5in Circle - 5 rounds

I put 5 out of 5 on the 40, 20 and 10 in targets and 2 outta 5 on the 5in target. The guy who beat me put 4 outta 5 on the 5in target with his .284 F-Class rig.


I was using Bipod and a rear bag for support out of my custom built 260 Rem on a 700 chassis.

142gr SMK, 37gr Varget, 2800fps. Just getting slight pressure signs but nothing to be worried about according the the f-class guys who shoot more long range in a weekend than I do in a month.

[okie john]

So something finally gave me the push I needed to start piecing together a .260 or 6.5 Grendel for both varminting and 600-1000 yard shooting. PA's hunting laws for the moment being annoying as hell not letting me use my beloved AR's in the field (rat bastard pieces of **** need to fix that) has me reluctantly looking at doing something in bolt action which also would be used for the precision realm. How much might I expect to pay for a Savage or Remington action in .308 length or perhaps a no frills used maybe beat up.308/.243/7-08 I can just pry the action out of, or the same in .223 and get a 7.62x39 bolt for it then rebarrel to the Grendel? Hoping $200 or less--can that happen?

From there I'm thinking either Krieger or Hart for the barrel, heavy varminter with 5/8x24 threaded muzzle. Priced in the 300's as I see.

Then on to the stocks...after step 1 and 2, of course. Still, this should stack up far cheaper than buying this sort of stuff off the shelf, right?

Anyone else playing the cobbling together game? Any tips on making this work well, or any pitfalls to avoid?

I've built several custom rifles over the years. The main thing I'd try to avoid in your situation is being penny wise and pound foolish.

If you decide to roll your own, then you might be able to find a pawnshop Remington 722 (parent of the 700) in your price range, but $250 is probably more like it. As other posters have noted, you'll want to true the action and lap the lugs. If you try to go cheap on these steps or skip them, then you may have to repeat the work at the full price, or even at a premium if the second gunsmith has to fix something that the first one screwed up. You'll also want to upgrade the bottom metal, which can be surprisingly expensive. A good barrel is $300-ish, then you have to get it chambered and installed, then you'll need a stock and bedding. I've learned the hard way that none of that stuff is cheap if it's done properly, but you can manage costs and put together a pretty decent custom rifle on a tight budget if you're careful and patient.

But you have to understand everything that should appear on the budget. The first thing that people overlook is the time that it takes to make this stuff happen. Every minute you spend talking to a gunsmith or barrel maker or driving across the county to hit that one last pawn shop is a minute that you didn't spend doing something else, like working or being with your family or on the range actually shooting. It also doesn't include shipping and taxes. Or gas money driving to pawnshops and gunsmiths all over town, or wear and tear on your vehicle. I don't know if you're married or not, but wives can be very quick to point out and howl about soft costs like these.

Back when I was having custom hunting rifles built, rifles like the Tikka T3, the Ruger American, and the various Savages just didn't exist. But now they do, and it's unwise to overlook them.

Unless you just have to have a 6.5 something, it might be better to cut the Gordian Knot. Get a Tikka T3 in 308, 270, or 25-06 and put the savings into Varget, RL-15, Berger bullets, optics, and range time. That would give you a superb sporting rifle that you could use almost anywhere in the world, and leave extra money for your beloved AR projects. Also, if PA law changes any time soon, you can sell the Tikka a lot quicker than a custom bolt gun, and take a much smaller loss.


Okie John