Printable View
How many of you swap barrels a lot and have multiple barrels for one action/stock/scope set up? I am building a 6mmBR and don't know if I should keep the 308 barrel or sell it. I don't know if I see myself switching things up all the time. I see putting a barrel on an action and leaving it. Kind of like putting an AR upper on a lower and then leaving it alone.
If it were me, I would keep it unless you need the funds to fund part of your build. I personally will have a few calibers on a 110 action within the next year. Its a great way to save a by not having any $$$ tied up in unused stocks/actions/triggers. Typically you know what you want or need to shoot ahead of time, and can prepare for it. By keeping a good scope log for bullet drop and where your zero's were, you can easily switch barrels and get back on target. Use a couple sighter shots to fine tune the zero again (some poi changes can occur when barrel is changed out and then back again.) and your back in business. As far as AR's, I have a few uppers that share lowers. The beauty of the AR flattop is the scope stays on, the downside.... is buying another dang scope for each haha.
You would be a rare breed here.
I have 18 barrels in different calibers & sizes and 10 actions. I like variety & the ability to swap out to "the caliber of the month".
It's part of the Savage Addiction & Reloading OCD.
Support group meets every Thursday at 9.
PS - Keep the barrel. I have a feeling you'll need it someday. Maybe to trade for a nice 22-250?
I have sold barrels and some I keep. Sad to say sometimes before I ever fire it in the current caliber. Let me explain my silliness. I was promised by a co-worker/friend, that lives in AK to join him on an AK moose hunt. WELL he flaked. For that hunt I had turned my '06 into a 338 WM, just because the caliber was intriguing and powerful. A strong gun for moose and good protection for the big bears as well.
I left it a 338 for about a year, in misguided hopes, but finally relented and changed it back. Have taken two mulies with it since.
I sold off the WM stuff. I have done similar things, but just hard to keep some things "as is".
Well........since you asked, I probably will not finish this deer season with out changing out my barrel (and bolt) to a different caliber 3 or 4 times.
I plan on starting the season with a 6.5x47 Lapua built on a Striker also have a 257WSM that still needs to be blooded....... and I also want to take another long range deer with my 6mmSAUM......and that's just for starters. The list will change next week.......
Oh I forgot my 375-06AI........I'll have to fit that in there somewhere this season, Maybe just bust some hogs with it if I can get several of them to line up in a row for me. Also have the big 500 HPDT (Hammer's Prairie Dog Thumper) that's needs to strike fear into the hog herds.....some many barrels, so little time....there will be some jealousy among my barrels this year I'm afraid. Many will not get to come out to play....
While swapping barrels on the same action is fun and addictive, building complete rifles is as well. Every time I start to have a dedicated switcher I always seem to get a load just right or some other magic circumstance that leads me to leave it whole as is and start searching out the parts I need to do another. Kinda funny how having a spare barrel laying around can lead to so many complete rifles... I cant help it.
Swapping barrels is fun and entertaining....for awhile, then you realize it's just a pain in the rear and life's a lot more enjoyable when you can just grab a complete gun and go rather than taking the 15-20 minutes to break down a gun, swap the barrel, reassemble and re-zero your scope just to go shoot it.
This forum is effectively the trauma ward for those seriously inflicted with barrel-swap-itis, so naturally you'll find a lot more discussion about it here than you will on most all other forums. I lovingly refer to those who partake in the madness as having fallen as prey to the seduction of the Dark Side because now they're merely lost soles who's lives will forever be burdened with continual and repeated barrel swaps. I've even considered starting up a non-profit charity organization to help raise money to research this sickness and hopefully one day finally find a cure. lol
Then some of us are just old retired fossils with nothing better to do ! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by J. Baker
And some of us take pride & pleasure in fine tuning a $300 rifle to shoot like a $1200 one. It's all part of the Savage Addiction & Reloader's OCD.Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Baker
No matter how you describe it.
Besides, if you want a "grab - N - go" gun, That's why Mr. Kalashnikov made the AK47...
PS - Don't waste your time or money. There is no known cure, meds or treatment. Someday we'll all end up in a home for retired barrel swappers.
I switch barrels frequently. When I get tired of something just swap it out. Some that are extreme switches in velocity differences, like one of my Strikers goes from 243 to. 450 bushmaster, I change out the scopes. Then I don't have to jack around with trying to zero so much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Baker
You would just spend the proceeds on actions stocks triggers mounts and glass. LOL
I can honestly say that I've never "swapped barrels" on any of my Savage's. I've been known to remove a barrel to permanently install a different barrel, and I've removed barrels in the process of parting out a gun, but I've never swapped one just for the sake of swapping it for the short or long term with the intention of eventually switching it back again sometime in the future.
So Jim, youre saying that if I swap out a barrel with everything laid out on the tailgate of my truck(even did this once in an empty grocery store parking lot...lol)then i have an illness?..........
I can live with that.......LOL