Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Kimber Montana rebarrel to 6.5 Creed

Modify it to work. It's been done already.

I will if I ever build it. Until then, the 75gr Horn btsp is accurate as all get out at SAMMI length.

That rifle is why I want to build a Creed for factory ammo, HPR match 75gr shoots lights out in the .223. The only advantage to handloading for it is the 120fps extra, but accuracy is the same.

Better than factory...muzzle doesn't wander around as much when firing





Smithed by barrel maker---Benchmark Barrels...I priced a reamer + barrel from Lilja with a longer wait time + smithing cost and it was a bit cheaper and way faster turn-around having it done at Benchmark






Here you go....

The LAST fhuqking thing I'd do to a Montucky is add contour or length. The LAST. Though I've only got (3) Custom Montuckies and only one of which is finished at OEM length(7 Whizzum),with the trio being contour dupes.

Mike Rock 1-7" 223AI at 21".



Brux 1-8" 6BR at 20".



PN 3-grooved 1-9" at 24". Which reminds me,that I need to kill sumptin' with it and it's newest paint job. I guess I'll whack a Booner with it this pass,for posterity.



20,21 and 22" Montuckies. Rest assured,that noone who guns a 20" wishes for a 21,22,23 or 24"...let alone more contour. Hint.



OEM outta da box. Mag shim slide,port scallop,ejector trim,yada,yada,the usual.



Dick Rifle contour/length dupe.



BR Box Slide,though 223/223AI COAL is greater.

[img]http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/904/zJquWF.jpg[/img]

While the Hornie 75BTHP do leap nicely,the jump cain't begin to hang with a smooch. Read that again. Now one more time. Hint.

Yet another Montucky 223AI slide/scallop. Hint.

[img]http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/908/2a6d43.jpg[/img]
[img]http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/539/6714df.jpg[/img]

Some 100yd FF clusters from a Slid Scalloped 223AI.

[img]http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/829/j5ki.jpg[/img]

Just sayin'.

Boxer- you sure do have some particular tastes in paint.I've never seen anything like your customs. Looks like you have quite a bit of fun.

Is the bolt-stop mod in one of those Montucky threads? Gotta look for that.

Now, back to the Creed..
Any more input for twist and number of grooves? Now looking at shooting the Hornady 140amax ammo, and reloading berger 140gr vld.

Chamber for the factory knowing I can get to the lands with the vld? Or chamber for the vld, hoping that the factory will shoot?

Thanks

I've got a 6.5 8 twist #2 brux. That should work for a rebarrel...

Man, I was excited to see this thread bump back up. Thought for sure I would get some input on cutting the chamber and ideal number of grooves.

Oh well, that brux sounds nice.

I'd go with an 8 twist Brux #2 and have it duped...

I just shot mine last weekend. PacNor installed 7mm-08 1 in 9", polygonal rifling, duplicated factory length & contour. Just fire forming factory loads so nothing great as far as groups, but already better than factory. I'll work some more with it next weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1DR9g8RUJk

Again watch this. Measure your magbox's inside diameter and subtract at least .050" and make your dummy round to this length. For the dummy round, pic the longest sleekest higher BC bullet that you will reload and throat using that bullet.

That way the throat will in fact be SHORTER not longer and will kiss all other bullets of less sleek profile and factory ammo because shorter stubbier bullets move the ogive up the bullet. The opposite is true for the high BC bullets, the ogive moves down on the bullet giving you a shorter throat.

I would then call Lilja and ask for a 1-8" twist 6.5 caliber blank with whatever grooves he suggests. You can't go wrong and it doesn't really matter what grooves you choose. Copy the factory contour or if you like extra weight at the muzzle ask for his slightly bigger contour.

That's what I would do anyway, good luck with your build.

And I'd cut it at 22" but definitely no longer than 23".

Thanks for the info. I had watched the video when first posted, but was not sure how it applied to factory ammo.

Am I correct in thinking that if I run a Lilja, I will have to find a smith to chamber and install it?
Thanks

I have 4 rifles chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, 2 with 22" barrels and 2 with 24" barrels. The 24" barreled rifles are Vanguard2s, a special run made for Cabela's, and I like them well enough that if I was going to build another, I'd probably do it with a 24" barrel and absolutely not less than 22". I've yet to own a 20" bolt gun that wasn't unbalanced to the rear, even with a light weight stock, and I prefer a neutral balance.

The majority of my bolt guns that came with 20" barrels, Remington 7s, 660s, and Winchester 70 Lightweight Carbines, have been rebarreled with longer barrels as a means by which to improve their balance.

The only scenario in which I can envision myself opting for a 20" or shorter barrel is on a rifle that is used in tight cover or in a tree-stand. My 17" Winchester 100 in 308 is a dedicated tight cover rifle.

My 20 fluted light Palma is pretty sweet
That said an S2 would be chopped to 22.5 given contour.
21 is as short as I would chop or build a sporter.

Yes!

Yes you will have to find a gunsmith. Not a bad option at all.

If you go with the PacNor get polygonal rifling. Otherwise I am happy with my Benchmark too.

I had my 6.5x47 Montana ready for deer season but didn't shoot it, a few weeks ago I shot my hunting loads at 600, 140 Amax over RL26. The two groups on paper averaged .895 MOA and the rest were spent blasting steel.

I loaded some 123 Amax's over RL17 and shot three groups at 200 yesterday, the average was .499 MOA.

I am sure a 6.5 Creed would be one in the same, fun.

Either way, after the drive back from the range I was building the 6-6x47 Montana in my head to replace the 700 I had put together before deer season...Montana's are addictive.

Is your Benchmark cut or button rifled?