PDog.....Thank you but I'd only consider re-barreling with a quality after market barrel.

The bolthead cost is minimal.....but Robinhood raises a point about the magazine. My mag is detachable....but I was thinking the .243 cartridge would fit well into the .223 mag.....but then again I have nothing to base that thought on.

Orezona...Yeah it would make a great rifle for your Dad, but.......

I use this .223 for groundhog hunting and it's fine out to 350 yards. Beyond that I use my 6.5 Shilen barreled (varmint contour) single shot Savage. I shoot 140gr from the 6.5 (same velocities as the 6.5 Creedmore) and the 140gr bullets provide a one shot kill on the longer distances. The .243 would work well with a 90-95gr. bullets and provide better "whack" at the longer distances.

Actually now I use my Savage M-25 in .17 Hornet for 'hog's out to 300 yards and the 20gr Nosler's over Lil' Gun work very well with less report. So, what I really have is a .223 that is collecting dust as I'm preferring the .17 Hornet for those short fields, and I use the 6.5 for the long shots.

I guess I just need to mull it over a little longer.....must to keep my indecisiveness razor sharp!!