Picked up a Model 11 Trophy Hunter Package before doing my homework. I am not fond of the barrel (would have preferred a heavier barrel). My question is will I see a difference with a Criterion or Shilen prefit Barrel installed? Is it is as simple as plug and play with these barrels?
I am trying to decide if I should ditch the rifle and start from the ground up or work on building what I have. Also does anyone know which action this gun comes with? I know its a short action but it seems like there are two different ones?
What kind of distances will you be shooting and how many shots will you be shooting in a row? The factory barrels tend to be nice as is but if you plan on shooting high volume strings...6+ shots with out letting the barrel cool...then I might suggest buying a heavier contour barrel. You will need to inlet your stock for it though.Originally Posted by anonymous308
The newer Model 11 Trophy Hunter has a bottom bolt release. Older model 11's have a top bolt release.
What caliber are you shooting?
Distances range from 100-1000 yards. I want a long range precision shooter. If I rebarrel I also plan on putting a different stock on it. Just not sure if I should stick with the action or sell the rifle as is and start with a different action.
Shooting 308. I was noticing there is a 4.275 short action and a 4.410 short action. Not sure what the difference is. And ya that bottom bolt release makes it a PITA to find a chassis system.
If its a newer rifle, it is most likely the 4.4" centerfeed short action (measure the spacing between the action screws to know for sure).
I used a trophy hunter as my donor (accutrigger but not accustock), and put on the .308 26" shilen varmint w/ a new lug and nut from Jim at NSS. He also carries the 1.5# accutrigger spring that's really easy to swap and is worth it in my opinion. I then dropped it in a mcrees chassis which is compatible w/ the bottom bolt release (love the chassis btw)
With the NSS action wrench and headspace gauges the barrel swap is pretty easy. A pipe wrench is the easiest way to get the smooth nut off (mine had a bunch of blasting media in the threads - see post #4 in this thread: http://www.savageshooters.com/showth...l=1#post306670 )
The shilen was a big upgrade over the factory sporter barrel, and by the 3rd round it wasn't really leaving any copper at all. (I'm shooting 175gr smk's)
I also saw your forum post over on the 'hide, and while my savage action isn't as nearly as smooth as custom 700 clone, its still a shooter for less $$ and its nice to be able to do the work yourself.
A heavier contour can help slow the heating and cooling process and add barrel stiffness, which can be helpful with longer barrels and with extended courses of fire. As to whether you should keep your original barrel, it depends on how your current barrel is performing. If you're getting great results with the original factory rifle, then I couldn't in good conscience recommend upgrading. If you're unhappy with the performance and need something that will offer better performance, then I'd be more than happy to help out. If you're running a .308 we have a number of chamber, length, and contour options available that we can tailor to your particular style of shooting. Feel free to give Jim over at NSS a call for ordering and installation information if you decide to go that route. If you need any technical input I'd be happy to help answer any questions that pop up along the way. You can reach me via email at contact@criterionbarrels.com.
Good luck with your build project!
-Josh
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