Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Ever ruin a rifle ?

I've got a Remington 700 in .257 Roberts.

Its pretty much OEM. I replaced the tubberware stock with a bedded Boyd's laminate and switched out the firing pin & bolt shroud.



The rifle shoots as well as any rifle I've ever owned.



Its super accurate with all loads tried.

Would like to lighten it up a bit, no stock change this year.

Would like to cut the barrel back to 20", have it cerakoted and possibly a smaller more compact scope.


Has anyone ruined there accuracy by doing custom work on a rifle?

Why not buy what you want and leave that one the great shooter it presently is?

If it does that consistently, there's no way I'd touch it.

Then wait until next year for a proper lightweight stock.

Don't touch it...

Good Lord, you can't improve on perfection --

LEAVE

IT

ALONE.

THIS^^^^^^^

I wouldn't touch it other than put a set of Talley lightweight low rings on it. Bring that scope down a bit.

If you do change out the scope for more compact, I've been happy with a Leupold 2-5-8x36 I recently put on a Browning A-Bolt micro.

Ditto, That scope looks awful high. My 2.5-8 on my .06 is great

I'd have no hesitation getting a new (lighter) synthetic stock for it and swapping out the mounts for something that lets the scope ride lower, to fit me better. No way I'd mess with the barrel though.

A Leupold 2-7x Compact in lower rings of your choice would be ideal. If it shoots like that in the Boyd's Laminate stock I'd leave it be, same with the barrel leave it be. Alterations can sometimes turn out to be not the great idea they seemed to be.

The present scope could be mounted lower.

Going to a less than optimum scope to save a couple of ounces while leaving the boat anchor stock in place is straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.

Ruined two (2) rifles in the same day one time. One Anshutz and
one Sako. Both were .222. Owner wanted them rechambered to
223 because surplus ammo was cheap. Didn't want to do it.
Told me if I did not want to do it he would go to someone
else that would.
So, I did it, and figured that both were ruined.

Changing a gun to suit you is not what I would consider ruining it. I would have absolutely no issue bobbing that barrel to 20" if thats what you want...but I would definitely put it in a lighter stock for sure.

As for the guy who wanted a pair of .222s rechambered to .223...that makes perfect sense to me. I see that as an improvement for sure.

No, but I had some Ammo that did...

Why so many are 'afraid' of rifles is beyond me.

Cut it and lighten it. It will still shot fine unless you cut the barrel at a 45 degree angle.

I agree with Steelhead.

Although the weight you save chopping the barrel will be near unnoticeable. The only way I'd cut it is if I just wanted a shorter, handier rifle. You will give up a bit of speed chopping the barrel off as well.

Get a lightweight stock when you can afford it, that's the quickest way to weight savings from where you are now. Plywood is heavy.

I would definitely shorten it...but I would go to 16", then thread it, but only because I run a suppressor on absolutely everything I can.

Interesting comments about lowering the scope. It looks just about right for the way I shoot. I've tried about every height and highs or extra highs are what I usually end up with.

I'm fixin to ruin three Savage 99's. Restocking one almost complete, 7 IHMSA, chopping 4 inches off and restocking a .375 brushgun to a barrel band carbine, refinishing and refitting the wood on a DL in 308.

Ruined two like this last year, a DL .243 and a 99F 358.

You must have an enormous face.

I start with lows, and often wish I could go lower.

Cutting back the barrel while leaving the laminated stock in place would tend to make it butt heavy.

Heavy butts are rarely a good thing.

Heavy butts are always a good thing...



I'm not trying to make it a featherweight, more compact is more what I'm after. Its apparent that the barreled action has found a sweat spot in the Boyd's stock. So it's staying for now.

Thanks for the tips.

If shorter is what you are after, hack away

Bet that has something to do with your Campfire name...

DF

I had a buddy that ruined a very expensive, fluted, rifle barrel in 338 EDGE. He wanted it throated out for heavier bullets to match his wyatt extended magazine box. He was impatient and kept pestering my buddy about it. Finally my buddy said if you want it done so quick do it yourself. Set it up in the vice with the throating reamer on a t handle. Told him to lightly give it a turn and then check the distance to the lands until he got it where he wanted.

Came back a little later and this yahoo had screwed that throating reamer down all the way until the t-handle hit the back of his action. basically giving himself around 9” of freebore. I guess old Roy Weatherby would be proud!!!!!

My dad was at a gun auction in PENN many years ago and he and one of his gun head friends were looking at a Savage 340 22 Hornet that they were thinking about bidding on. My dad noticed that it had been drilled and tapped on the barrel for a longer scope and one of the holes went through the barrel and into the bore.

I would leave the barrel alone. If changing the stock or changing mounts or optics somehow screws things up, you can put the old ones back. If you've cut the barrel off, it's cut off.

Tom

And if its cut off....so what? Its likely not going to shoot any worse, and if it does, screw a new one on.

That sensible decision sure took the wind out of my sails for
some pretty snide remarks!

That's a beautiful rifle shooting better than 90% of factory
rifles out there. Ya paid extra for the grips on that stock
(love the Forest Camo -- have it on several different rifles)
and if it fits comfortably with those rings, I wouldn't change
them, either.

Not really. I have sorta a small head. It's difficult to find a new cowboy hat since I wear 7 1/8-7 1/4.

I don't scrunch my face down on the stock, but rather hold all my rifles lightly like I would a BB gun.

I just finished this one.

22" .375 brushgun converted to 16.5" carbine with lightweight stocks. Changed the straight lever out for a curved lever, and swapped and fit the wood, shortened and crowned the barrel. Lots of handwork involved, about 6 hours.

IN SPADES!

You can thank us later ...............