Barrel Change for Model 16 Weather Warrior

I picked up a used Model 16 Lefty Stainless Weather Warrior for my son in .243 and I have to say it is a good shooter. It has the aluminum Accustock and it shoots most any ammo at .75 MOA. I spent countless days at the range trying to get a good load for my Sako .243 and we just went with that load for his Savage .243 which shoots great. Now I plan to use a 280AI for myself and I'd like to upgrade my son to a larger bullet and it was advised to me that I could rebarrel his Savage with a 7mm-08 or .308. We are non-lead out here and with the twist rate, the .243 is limited to about 85gr mono.

Are there any good sources for used stainless model 16 barrels in 7mm-08 or 308 (or even 260 Rem)? Probably need a barrel nut and recoil lug too- the stock barrel nut is smooth so guessing it might get marred upon removal.

And NO guys…. It’s not ME! :p Just an incredibly coincidence I share with another person having a fantastic first name is all, LOL!


To my name-sake “doppelgänger”, there are a plethora of barrels to choose from. The entry level barrels are EABCO, and a step up from them is ER-Shaw. Then there are several in close price range to each other, like Criterion, Shilen, X-Caliber, Preferred, McGowen, and probably a couple others. These are in the $400-$450 range. These are followed by the tip-top shelf barrels (by price over $500 typically), which are Cut Rifled like Bartlein, Brux, Kreiger… Oh, McGowen just started doing Cut Rifling for under $500. Not bad.

I suggest plugging those names in Google followed by “Savage Prefit” after each brand name. Decide on the pricing you want to stay within and research the companies in your allotted price range. It’s likely one of the barrel manufacturers will stick out to you; “strike a nerve” in you, so to speak. They are all good and can all deliver exceptional accuracy. While most top shooters consider Cut Rifling to be best, I do believe Button Rifling holds the most wins. (I could be wrong, but it’s close regardless) I for one don’t believe the rifling, being Cut, Button or CHF and being 4-groove, 5-groove, or 6-groove, really gives any discernible advantage on its own merits.

Dont forget the 6.5 Creedmoor.:)

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Originally Posted by Robinhood

Dont forget the 6.5 Creedmoor.:)

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I was first thinking of the 308 based cartridges, but assuming the 6.5CM has the same bolt face then sure that would be a good candidate too. Kinda nice to have the 308 though; because I could work up a light recoil load when bigger bullet is not needed.

I’m a 260Rem fan myself. Part of the reason was to have an endless supply of cheap brass. I did mine when 6.5cm was very new and still hadn’t become the fan-boy favorite. I’m still very glad I went 260 because I don’t use any factory ammo. Every round that goes through it is one of my reloads. I’m getting ready to re-barrel by summer and planning to stick with 260, but going to the 260 Ackley Improved. Wish I had done that from the start, but oh well.

Yes, 6.5cm is the same bolt head. It’s another good short action choice. BTW, what will be the primary use for this rifle? Oh, and before you start buying parts, check out our Barrel Nut article. https://www.savageshooters.com/conte...el-Nut-Options But more important than which barrel nut is using a good quality Recoil Lug.

Don’t forget to check the classifieds on this forum. I noticed some 308’s and 6.5 CM’s listed.

I just removed a 260 barrel that is surplus to me now.

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Originally Posted by Dave Hoback

I’m a 260Rem fan myself. Part of the reason was to have an endless supply of cheap brass. I did mine when 6.5cm was very new and still hadn’t become the fan-boy favorite. I’m still very glad I went 260 because I don’t use any factory ammo. Every round that goes through it is one of my reloads. I’m getting ready to re-barrel by summer and planning to stick with 260, but going to the 260 Ackley Improved. Wish I had done that from the start, but oh well.

Yes, 6.5cm is the same bolt head. It’s another good short action choice. BTW, what will be the primary use for this rifle? Oh, and before you start buying parts, check out our Barrel Nut article. https://www.savageshooters.com/conte...el-Nut-Options But more important than which barrel nut is using a good quality Recoil Lug.

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I just removed a 260 barrel that is surplus to me now.

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I had a 260 barrel...still do. The factory chamber was too short for seating them where they should be. I consistently was blowing out the primer pockets trying to get me to the speed that the 6.5 creedmoor achieves. This is also what the smith that chambered my barrel told me. I found that if you have a throated chamber then then the longer Savage SA magazine helps, and you can seat them longer. Generally if you look at what the majority of 6.5 shooters go with, it is rarely the 260. The 260 is a great round but why go with that when you can have the creedmoor without having to ream or turn the .016"neck wall thickness, or have a non SAAMI chamber. the 260 is a choice. It just hasn't proved itself to be the right choice in a new configuration.

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Originally Posted by Hdskip

I just removed a 260 barrel that is surplus to me now.

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I'll send you a pm.

The recoil lug ("replacement of" and "use of one of good quality") has been mentioned twice in this thread. The OP states the Model 16 being discussed sits in an Accustock and doesn't mention he wants to replace it. If this is the case, to my knowledge and in my experience, there are no aftermarket recoil lugs for the Accustock. It does not have the same shape as the standard non-Accustock recoil lug. See the 2018 thread in the link below for pics and an explanation.
http://www.savageshooters.com/showth...l-lug-question

I bring this up not to throw cold water on your decision to rebarrel, but to hopefully save you the headache of purchasing a standard aftermarket recoil lug and then realizing it won't fit your Accustock without modifying either the recoil lug or the Accustock as Jim mentions in the thread above. The rebarreling part is straightforward and has been explained many times on this site and others across the web and in videos. You will just need to reuse the recoil lug you have or purchase a new Accustock recoil lug if you desire.

If I'm wrong, then I'm fairly confident someone with much more knowledge, wisdom, and experience than I will be along to correct the misinformation I have inadvertently and unintentionally provided in this post and hopefully we will all learn something.

The story of the 6.5cm now somehow being faster than the 260 is among the NEW fantasies told. First it was admitted that the 260 was faster, but only 50-100fps, and that wasn’t enough to matter. Then certain people started saying the two were exactly the same velocity. Now, as I indicated, they are stating the 6.5CM is FASTER! Seems 6.5CM is the first cartridge in history that has gained velocity through the years, yet the factory ammunition has remained the same. Look at factory ammunition using the same 140-143 pills. The 6.5CM is typically loaded to 2650-2700fps & the 260Rem is typically loaded
to 2750. It’s quite easy to go verify this by manufacturers. When buying a new barrel, the throat can be whatever the buyer’s wish, so that point is moot. I don’t understand the argument “It was like this 20years ago for me, so that’s how it is for everyone else!” -LOL!

The people telling us they are loading 6.5CM to beyond 2800fps, & even 2900+ with the 143gr & 147gr pills are disingenuous..(to say the least) Now there are guys saying they are loading their 6.5’s to almost 3100fps!! The story just keeps getting bigger & bigger with 6.5CM. It’s sad really.

However, in the end.. do the research & draw your own conclusions.

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However, in the end.. do the research & draw your own conclusions.

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Finaly.

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Originally Posted by Wildcat

The recoil lug ("replacement of" and "use of one of good quality") has been mentioned twice in this thread. The OP states the Model 16 being discussed sits in an Accustock and doesn't mention he wants to replace it. If this is the case, to my knowledge and in my experience, there are no aftermarket recoil lugs for the Accustock. It does not have the same shape as the standard non-Accustock recoil lug. See the 2018 thread in the link below for pics and an explanation.
http://www.savageshooters.com/showth...l-lug-question

I bring this up not to throw cold water on your decision to rebarrel, but to hopefully save you the headache of purchasing a standard aftermarket recoil lug and then realizing it won't fit your Accustock without modifying either the recoil lug or the Accustock as Jim mentions in the thread above. The rebarreling part is straightforward and has been explained many times on this site and others across the web and in videos. You will just need to reuse the recoil lug you have or purchase a new Accustock recoil lug if you desire.

If I'm wrong, then I'm fairly confident someone with much more knowledge, wisdom, and experience than I will be along to correct the misinformation I have inadvertently and unintentionally provided in this post and hopefully we will all learn something.

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Good head's up.. I would be fine reusing the existing recoil lug. I would even reuse the barrel nut if unmarred.

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Originally Posted by David_h

Good head's up.. I would be fine reusing the existing recoil lug. I would even reuse the barrel nut if unmarred.

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Once out of the stock, you should find a hole in the bottom of the nut to use for removal. odds are it will not line up with the hole in the same place again.

Ahh, glanced over it being Accustock. So, yeah… need to stick with the stock Lug, etc r do what I would do.. Get a new machined lug & mark/grind/sand it to shape. Pretty easy to do on a 1/4” piece of flat steel.

well Dave, with my 26" Savage LRP in 6.5 Creedmoor i am running a 140 ELD-M at 2840 fps with hand loads and factory 140 ELD-M are also in that same ballpark... My brother with his match rifles with 26" barrels are all running 2900 to 2920 with 140 ELD-m through many barrels and many seasons, with hand loads. Go ahead Dave, call me a liar.

Update by OP. I picked up a stainless Shaw barrel in .308 and a new stainless barrel nut with groves from Brownells. I really wanted to save the smooth barrel nut when I removed the oem .243 barrel but I could not save it. I soaked the thread area for weeks with Kroil and PB blaster. I even applied a little heat and more oil. I had an aluminum collar tight around the smooth nut and put a wrench on the collar but the barrel would still rotate in the barrel clamp even when tight as I could make it. So I used some cutoff tools to remove the nut and everything is apart and cleaned up now. As was pointed out above, the recoil lug is being re-used. There is no locating pin or bump and it can just rotate around the receiver; so I need to try to clock it before snugging up the new barrel nut. I want it to sit square into the Accublock aluminum chassis.

A simple mark on the bottom of the action and the rear of the recoil lug with a sharpie would allow you to realign the lug, but I guess I’m a little too late to the party since you have it apart already…lol

You can probably still mark it by finding the bottom center of both.

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Originally Posted by pdog06

A simple mark on the bottom of the action and the rear of the recoil lug with a sharpie would allow you to realign the lug, but I guess I’m a little too late to the party since you have it apart already…lol

You can probably still mark it by finding the bottom center of both.

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I assumed there would be some locating pin. However, your idea of marking before disassembly gave me an idea. I just reinstalled the receiver without the barrel and then the recoil lug drops in and I can make the corresponding mark on both pieces. --Thanks.