Browning A-bolt Needing New Barrel
- Thread starter need4x4
- Start date
Wes
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,178
4X4
There's more to it then just screwing a barrel on your action if your looking for accuracy. I was in the same boat as you when I first started looking at having a new barrel put on my Remington 7mm mag. At the least you should have a competent gunsmith accurize your action before you install a barrel. Also there's more to accurizing an action then just squaring the face and lapping the lugs. I talked to a lot of "gunsmiths" including the owner of Hart Barrels that told me that just squaring the face of the action and lapping the lugs was all that was necessary even for bench rest rifles. Check out this article on accurizing, http://www.rifle-accuracy-reports.com/AccurizedAction.html.
There are also some great barrel manufactures, such as Kreiger, Lilja, Rock Creek, Broughton and others.
After months of research I went completely overboard and scraped my plans to just re barrel and decided to have Kirby Allen build me a custom rifle. I sold my donor action and bought a Borden action with a Jewell trigger, a McMillan stock, Rock barrel, and Kirby will work his magic on them. Be careful about too much research tho because for me what started out as a $600 re barrel job has turned into a $3000 + custom project. Check out http://www.longrangehunting.com . There's a lot of great info shared over there. Good luck
Wes
There's more to it then just screwing a barrel on your action if your looking for accuracy. I was in the same boat as you when I first started looking at having a new barrel put on my Remington 7mm mag. At the least you should have a competent gunsmith accurize your action before you install a barrel. Also there's more to accurizing an action then just squaring the face and lapping the lugs. I talked to a lot of "gunsmiths" including the owner of Hart Barrels that told me that just squaring the face of the action and lapping the lugs was all that was necessary even for bench rest rifles. Check out this article on accurizing, http://www.rifle-accuracy-reports.com/AccurizedAction.html.
There are also some great barrel manufactures, such as Kreiger, Lilja, Rock Creek, Broughton and others.
After months of research I went completely overboard and scraped my plans to just re barrel and decided to have Kirby Allen build me a custom rifle. I sold my donor action and bought a Borden action with a Jewell trigger, a McMillan stock, Rock barrel, and Kirby will work his magic on them. Be careful about too much research tho because for me what started out as a $600 re barrel job has turned into a $3000 + custom project. Check out http://www.longrangehunting.com . There's a lot of great info shared over there. Good luck
Wes
thanks for that reply. I am a savage person and have done a fair amount of research and rebarreled one of those.
Browning, I don't have much experience with.
This is just a hunting rifle and really just needs groups around the 1 inch mark. Probably won't even buy the very high end barrel for this job. Probably will add a synthetic aftermarket stock. Beyond that, probably about it. Trigger is already adjusted to good hunting level by a gunsmith on this rifle.
I know it can get out of hand. Just looking for advice on a rebarrel that has a chance to keep the rifle shooting near the level it was with the factory barrel. This was about 3/4 inch to an inch for thousands of rounds.
Thank you,
Logan
Browning, I don't have much experience with.
This is just a hunting rifle and really just needs groups around the 1 inch mark. Probably won't even buy the very high end barrel for this job. Probably will add a synthetic aftermarket stock. Beyond that, probably about it. Trigger is already adjusted to good hunting level by a gunsmith on this rifle.
I know it can get out of hand. Just looking for advice on a rebarrel that has a chance to keep the rifle shooting near the level it was with the factory barrel. This was about 3/4 inch to an inch for thousands of rounds.
Thank you,
Logan
sageadvice
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 11,849
i have had good luck with Pac Nor out of Oregon. Reasonable price, fairly quick delivery, plenty accurate in my gun.
The gun smith who did the swap included action and bolt face work plus a heavier recoil lug installed. Barrel and all cost me about $500. which i though well worth the money. I had to do the woodwork to allow heavier barrel to fit the stock. This was several years ago, 2005, probably be more now.
The gun smith who did the swap included action and bolt face work plus a heavier recoil lug installed. Barrel and all cost me about $500. which i though well worth the money. I had to do the woodwork to allow heavier barrel to fit the stock. This was several years ago, 2005, probably be more now.
RELH
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 17,483
Need4X4;
The refference given by sageadvice is a good for a resonable priced re-barrel job on your rifle. Pac-Nor are very decent barrels and the price he qouted is very reasonable for the work that was done to his rifle. If you stay with the 7mm mag or other similar size mag round, you will not need the bolt face and feed rail work that he did. So your price should be better.
Another option is a Shilen barrel, also a good one for a hunting rifle, Brownell's carries them.
With the Pac Nor or Shilen barrel, a good gunsmith should be able to give you a rifle that will shoot under one inch at hundred yards for three shoots. You do not need to spend thousands on a hunting rifle that will see alot of bumps and scrapes. I would considerer going to a sny. stock for better service on maintaining the zero on the rifle from one season to the next, but it is not required if you prefer to stay with your wood stock.
RELH
The refference given by sageadvice is a good for a resonable priced re-barrel job on your rifle. Pac-Nor are very decent barrels and the price he qouted is very reasonable for the work that was done to his rifle. If you stay with the 7mm mag or other similar size mag round, you will not need the bolt face and feed rail work that he did. So your price should be better.
Another option is a Shilen barrel, also a good one for a hunting rifle, Brownell's carries them.
With the Pac Nor or Shilen barrel, a good gunsmith should be able to give you a rifle that will shoot under one inch at hundred yards for three shoots. You do not need to spend thousands on a hunting rifle that will see alot of bumps and scrapes. I would considerer going to a sny. stock for better service on maintaining the zero on the rifle from one season to the next, but it is not required if you prefer to stay with your wood stock.
RELH
Hill country rifles has done some work on the Browning and gets them to shoot. They use several different tubes and they are helpful and have a pretty good reputation. There are some good barrel manufacturers that will fit and chamber a barrel too. Shilen, lilja, hart,Schneider, obermeyer area few other choices that make a good barrel. Don't really know who chambers them in that crowd but they make some quality barrels that will shoot in a couple of different grades and price levels. Mkae sure you ask if they will match your factory contour or you're going to need some bedding and stock work.there are a few drop in snythetic stocks that should work for you. I hate to tell you this but buy the time you spend the $$ for a new barrel, finishing,bedding and stock it will cost more than a new rifle. the componets are better but you may or may not be able to justify the price. Good luck hope everything works out like you want it.
