Salvage switch barrel opinions.

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Wylietx107

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I have a savage model 11 243 that is taking up space in my safe. I can't sell it because my wife bought it for me for Christmas 6years ago. It's better to keep her happy. Since I don't shoot it I was thinking about order tools a a couple of barrels from northland shooter supply. I think I got the name right. What are y'all's opinion on doing this. I figure be cheaper by taking the gunsmith out of the equation and using that money for dies and brass. If I get bored with one caliber put on another. I'm not a huge savage fan but I have tinkeritis and figure this would be a cheaper way have a couple of calibre to play with.
 
I think its a great idea. You could get some different bolt faces and really change it up. Thinking about doing something similar myself.
 
It's a great idea. I have seven or eight Black Hole barrels now and four different bolt faces. It is unreal how simple they are. I just ordered a 220 Swift the other day.

Greg
 
Originally Posted By: GLShooterIt's a great idea. I have seven or eight Black Hole barrels now and four different bolt faces. It is unreal how simple they are.
Greg

Greg is right on the money. Once you have done it a time or two swapping barrels on a Savage rifle is no more difficult than changing dies on your reloading press. A couple of months back I decided to make something else out of my .221 FB barreled Savage and made it into a .243 AI. There are so many different ready to screw on barrels out there it aint even funny. Why more rifle makers dont have such an easy barrel swap method is beyond me. As far as I'm concerned, they all got some catching up to do!
 

here is what mine will do,savage .223,5 shots 100 yards,my best is in between 3/8-1/4 group,barrel is a 26 inch shilene select match,from northland(jim Briggs)
 
I've always thought every person should have at least one really nice switch barrel setup, no matter how many other rifles he has. The Beautiful part is that you could afford to have one high quality stock, scope, trigger, and receiver... along with many different barrels...what's not to like.

I need to get rid of all my excess rifles and live what I preach...LOL.

Beautiful group Jose
 
Originally Posted By: Wylietx107Where is the best place to buy replacement bolt heads? Greg can you post a pic or 2 of your rifle please sir.

Jim, at Northland should have bolt faces. He is very knowledgeable about different model changes, and will have good advice about what you will want to do when swapping barrels. Also, he has the tools you will want(may not NEED, but will want the more you do this).

A couple of notes on swapping barrels, and bolt heads...Given the new cartridge, you may need to swap magazine components, too. I have two Savage Model 16s, with hidden box magazines. One started out a 22-250 Rem., and now is a 6mm Rem. It just needed a barrel. The other swap started out as a 204 Ruger, and still swaps back for P-dog trips. I bought the components to turn it into a 260 Rem. That included a new bolt head, a new barrel, a new blind box magazine, and a new magazine follower. The real pain in this swap was replacing the blind box magazine. The part is not made to swap! I invented new eloquent profanity getting the factory installed part out of the rifle. Now that I have done it, it takes less profanity each time I swap. If you have a blind box magazine, and it needs to get swapped out, be ready for a struggle.

Squeeze
 
Originally Posted By: Wylietx107Where is the best place to buy replacement bolt heads? Greg can you post a pic or 2 of your rifle please sir.

I get bolt heads from PT&G most of the time. I also bought a complete bolt assembly for my short action as it will see several changes and I'm lazy enough to not want to go back and forth. Not that much more when you consider the price of a bolt head.



Th top one is my 243 LBC that is my F-Class gun. The bottom is a 25-06 with the original barrel prior to swapping it out.

The 243 was a 22-250AI off GB with the complete Redding competition bushing set ($300) for a total of $550 plus a ton of brass and new 22-250 ammo.

The 25-06 was $525 off Savage Shooters with the scope and has a Rifle Basix trigger. It wil be my main test bed shooting gun as I don't wantto mess with teh LBC and my matvch laodings.

Three barrels that showed up a few months ago on the same day.



I got a Wheeler barrel wrench and a Davidson barrel vice all from Brownells.



Lots of fun and the accuracy? Oh my, the accuracy!!

Five shots 100 yards 243 LBC that took home a turkey for Ritch.



Greg

BTW I blame Ritch for this new addiction as he got me my firts barrel or two.


 
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Originally Posted By: GLShooter




That's some seriously hard holdin', Greg!
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Regards,
hm
 
I appreciate the pics Jose and Greg. My wife probably doesn't though. I see some salvage builds in my future. I will probably be asking a few more questions before its all said and done. I sure thank everyone for their response and pushing me over the edge.
 
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