# Saving weight



## olchevy (Jan 6, 2010)

How much weight can I expect to save if I was to have my 26'' Varmit barrel cut down to 18'' or 20''.

After looking online I came to the conclusion as long as I dont shoot over 170gr 18'' is enough barrel to get the job done so with even a chance for increased accuracy, so why have more....

So does anyone know roughly how much weight one of these barrels can lose if say that 8'' was to dissapear?

I will add I have also been looking for a take off barrel in .308 standard contour and possibly switch them out for now.
If a good Idea where can I find one, I have looked eveywhere locally and on the internet.

Which of these is more solid minded?


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## miles58 (Jan 6, 2010)

If this is a Savage, cutting the barrel is dumber than a box of rocks.

Buy the second barrel.

If this is a Remmy that has the 700 pattern cutting the barrel is as dumb as a box of rocks.

Buy a new take off for $50

If it's a hard to come by barrel then it might make sense to cut it.

What rifle in what caliber?


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## olchevy (Jan 6, 2010)

Remington 700 varmit profile 26'' 1-12''twist  .308

The big problem is I cant find a take off.

Plus I had been wanting to cut it down anyways.

Why do you say it is a bad idea on the remingtons?


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## bighonkinjeep (Jan 6, 2010)

Because there are lots of suitable takeoffs to be had and it's probably cheaper to have the barrel swapped than to cut,recrown and refinish the existing one,plus once you cut the one you have then you have pretty much destroyed its value. Keep lookin the one you want will probably turn up in short order.
 The weight of bullet that shoots well dosen't have a whole lot to do with barrel legnth. 
The weight savings are gonna depend on the contour of the barrel.


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## olchevy (Jan 6, 2010)

do you know of any good resources for used barrels. i have been looking but to no avail.


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## Hammack (Jan 6, 2010)

Gunbroker, 6mmbr are good both good sites to check for remington take off's.  308's are fairly common.  Making a switch barrel on a factory remington isn't as simple as it seems.  You are gonna have to buy a barrel vise, and wrench, then the take off barrel you buy will have to be fitted and headspaced to your action.  Some will screw in and fit within spec most I have dealt with will need a little work.  Not to mention you had better have a DANG good vise to remove a factory remington barrell as most I have dealt with were extremely tough.  Some I have actually had to make a relief cut in front of the recoil lug enough to break them loose.


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## olchevy (Jan 7, 2010)

Hammack said:


> Gunbroker, 6mmbr are good both good sites to check for remington take off's.  308's are fairly common.  Making a switch barrel on a factory remington isn't as simple as it seems.  You are gonna have to buy a barrel vise, and wrench, then the take off barrel you buy will have to be fitted and headspaced to your action.  Some will screw in and fit within spec most I have dealt with will need a little work.  Not to mention you had better have a DANG good vise to remove a factory remington barrell as most I have dealt with were extremely tough.  Some I have actually had to make a relief cut in front of the recoil lug enough to break them loose.



See that is the main reason i was looking at doing the cut down. I have cut down a few barrels and recrowned them myself in the past all have turned out great and just as if not more than accurate than before i cut them. But the crown on my rifle is different than i have seen before, its not rounded or recesed. its like a cone shape i believe it is called a target crown, it seems simple enough, but thats what making me hesitate is that this one seems to simple.....And i want this rifle to be perfect, this was the most expensive rifle i had ever bought and i plan on keeping it forever, so in short i want it done and right. 

Even though I feel confident in cutting the barrel good and square I want this target crown to be like new, and I dont have the tools for it. So I am going to talk with my local gunsmith tommorrow. Anyone know what the going rate is on a cut down and recrown?


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## Turkey Comander (Jan 7, 2010)

olchevy said:


> Anyone know what the going rate is on a cut down and recrown?



2 boxes of rocks.


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## Hammack (Jan 7, 2010)

The only way to get a barrel crowned perfect is to cut it and true it in a lathe.  It sounds like you have an 11 degree target crown. I have heard all the tales of using brass screws etc..., but you don;t see many benchrest shooters hacking off barrels and crowning with a screw so if you want it right then it needs to be crowned in a lathe.  I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but for what you are attempting to do I think you would have been money ahead to have found a 700 action and had a good smith barrel it for you.  Then you could have built a rifle to fit what you wanted, and have a more accurate rifle.


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## bighonkinjeep (Jan 7, 2010)

While you're talkin to your gunsmith you might also wanna get a price on just a barrel swap since to put it in a lathe hes gonna have to remove it anyways. The money you spend twords the cut crown and finish would probably go a long ways twords a new barrel.
Just another .02 worth.


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## tv_racin_fan (Jan 7, 2010)

Don't think I have ever seen a varmint barrel in an 18 or 20 inch length so I don't see how buying another barrel is going to save anything. It would have to be cut and crowned an installed the same as the other barrel if it is taken off to be cut and crowned.

You don't have to have the barrel off to cut and crown it either. Nor do you have to do it with a lathe to get it square to the bore. You can just as easily cut it off with a hacksaw (doesn't even have to be square) and crown it with a tool that pilots off the bore. Speak to your gunsmith buddy and see what he tells ya then go with that. 

Brownells sells a one caliber set for squaring and  chamferring the muzzle for about $150 that pilots off the bore. It includes the square cutter the 79 degree target crown cutter and the 45 degree muzzle chamfer cutter.

Then again there are a couple of guys on the forum that do this kind of work and you could ask them for their opinion or take it to them for the work. Heck I understand a couple of em might do it for free and even teach you a thing or three about gunsmithing.


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## olchevy (Jan 7, 2010)

Well I dropped it off at the gunsmith, I am getting it cut to 20'' with either a resecesed target crown or what it has the 11 degree crown.

Here are some pictures to show you all what it looks like now and around where the barrel will be cut off at. In case anyone is wondering that is a Boyds "limited run" Varmit thumbhole stock in the nutmeg coloration, I love it and it was trully a drop in fit, Once I get my rifle back i will bed it. Oh and thats a metal trigger guard I did away with the plastic one.























And here is where it is to be cut.


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## tv_racin_fan (Jan 7, 2010)

I like that.


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## bighonkinjeep (Jan 7, 2010)

I have a 30-06 with a 20"varmint contour  fluted barrel. Its a pleasure to carry and shoot. Thats a nice lookin stick.
Good Luck BHJ


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## olchevy (Jan 7, 2010)

bighonkinjeep said:


> I have a 30-06 with a 20"varmint contour  fluted barrel. Its a pleasure to carry and shoot. Thats a nice lookin stick.
> Good Luck BHJ



Thanks, i might get it fluted someday. If I did I would get that spiral flutting. I also talked to the guy about getting it threaded, but Ill hold off for now.
I'd love to see a picture of your shooting stick.


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## Hammack (Jan 7, 2010)

depending on how the gunsmith has his lathe set up he may not have to remove the barrel.  I have done it plenty of times with the barrel still screwed in to the action.  The piloted crowning cutters are also another route.


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## germag (Jan 7, 2010)

My Remington 700 SPS .308 Tactical came with a 20" heavy barrel....that sucker is still pretty heavy even at 20".


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## olchevy (Jan 7, 2010)

germag said:


> My Remington 700 SPS .308 Tactical came with a 20" heavy barrel....that sucker is still pretty heavy even at 20".



Okay take that add 6'' more of barrel and add a laminated stock, thats what i got...lol

I will admit though that weight is very helpfull, heck I believe I can hold it steadier off hand than some people with lite rifles  can prone...lol


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## olchevy (Jan 7, 2010)

Hammack said:


> depending on how the gunsmith has his lathe set up he may not have to remove the barrel.  I have done it plenty of times with the barrel still screwed in to the action.  The piloted crowning cutters are also another route.



Hes got it set up that way. He said he can just clamp the barrel down, and them use the mill/lathe.


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## germag (Jan 7, 2010)

olchevy said:


> Okay take that add 6'' more of barrel and add a laminated stock, thats what i got...lol



Yeah, I know...

That's why I bought a Tikka T3 Lite in .308 for hunting....much easier.


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## olchevy (Jan 7, 2010)

germag said:


> Yeah, I know...
> 
> That's why I bought a Tikka T3 Lite in .308 for hunting....much easier.



Everyone seems enamored with these tikka rifles, I will have to look into them.


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## olchevy (Jan 7, 2010)

that tikka t3 battue lite is weird looking with the sights like that....I think i like it though..lol


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## bighonkinjeep (Jan 11, 2010)

"Thanks, i might get it fluted someday. If I did I would get that spiral flutting. I also talked to the guy about getting it threaded, but Ill hold off for now.
I'd love to see a picture of your shooting stick. "

Just got done doing 55 hours of work in 3 days and wanted to get back with ya.

Here's my factory rig with a varmint contour 20" fluted. of course its got 2" of threaded on brake but still 6 1/2# without accessories. (gotta be cause of the fluting and the holes in the brake right?  )





Here's another of my factory rigs in the same model non fluted magnum contour and 26" yep its heavier at about 8# without accessories




Please note the bolts are on the correct side on these rifles. Also note the beautiful barrel nuts.
I agree the spiral fluting looks really cool. I've also seen some way cool bolts done lately.
That laminated thumbhole stock has gotta be way too heavy for ya so I'll take it for my fireplace and give ya a high speed, low drag, tupperware dandy in trade for it. LOL  It'll probably save more weight than cutting the barrel anyway.


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## olchevy (Jan 13, 2010)

Bighonkinjeep...Very nice looking rifles!

Update: After thinking long and hard I decided to go ahead and not only get it cut but also threaded. For now it will wear a compensator but I went ahead and got it threaded because I will suppress it in the next couple years. And yes I know that suppressors are nearly useless unless you handload.

Anyone have any input on a good compensator, right now I am looking at the JP tactical compensator or just a standard ar-10 brake, the jp is around a 100 but I really like the look of it though. Any ideas?


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