I have a custom commercial FN Mauser in .30-06 that shoots OK (about 1.5" for 3 at 100) but not great. It currently has a number 2 Shilen or Douglas in that I don't think the smith told me which but it is one or the other. Everybody I have been using for barrel work is now unreliable in regards to quality (this rifle) or time (taking years to get a rifle re-barreled. I otherwise like the weight and balance, but want better accuracy for no other reason than I would feel better about it.

Who would be good to rebarrel it with a good cut rifled barrel from Chanlynn, Bartlein or Krieger?

Don't doubt that any of the 3 your mention would do a good-great job of it. I had my Mark X re-barreled by Pac-Nor. took about 5-6 months and shoots quite a nice group with factory stuff.




1.1" 5-shot group - 358 Win.

There is nothing wrong with a 1 1/2" group at 100 yards.Have you tried it at 200 or 300 yards?I had a Browning FN High Power that shot better at 2and 3 hundred yards than it did at 100 yards.

Didn't get to try it past 100. Thunderstorm came in and cut the day short. I'll get back out and try it again soon and see. Plus, I have about 60 different handloads to go through just for S&G's.

After load workup, 1.5" MOA or a little worse as range gets longer out to 400, which is far as I have tried it. Maybe good enough, but I want better.

So back to the question, who's a good gunsmith to re-barrel this one?

Whidden gunworks has done rifles for me and all were outstanding in the accuracy department. 4-8 weeks for a complete job.
http://www.whiddengunworks.com/custom-rifles/

Buy a Douglas thru & have it installed by Dave:

http://www.itdcustomgun.com

Many here have and he does good work at a great price with short turn-around.

Or a Shilen and get Jkob to do it.

I've used Dave, too.

For a hunting rifle, I don't think cut vs. broached rifling makes enough difference to worry about.

Dave and Jim have relationships with Douglas and Shilen. It won't take them months to get it done.

Jim built a pair of 26 Noslers for my buddy and myself using Shilen Match barrels. He had the work done in weeks, not months. He had them done way before I was expecting to see them.

Dave built a .404J, but I supplied the Walther barrel.

Both do good work in a timely fashion and have reasonable prices.

DF

itdcustomguns......powdr

An honest 1.5" ain't great, but ain't awful either. I don't know where you are or where you hunt, but you could very well do every thing you need with that kind of accuracy.

Replacing the barrel would be very expensive, of course. Have you played with the bedding, with other loads, have you tried a break-in process? There's a lot you can do before dropping a bunch of money on another barrel and it's pretty early in the year so you have some time. Something like a bedding issue could result in you spending a bunch on a new barrel and ending up the same place you are now. You may have done all this, but you didn't say.

It's your gun and your money, of course so by all means do what makes you happy.

Pappy, I have played with all your suggestions over the last two years and several hundred rounds with the exception of break in. Took the rifle to Africa and killed 8-10 animals and it worked fine. Already pretty deep in the gun as a custom and still wish it shot better. Though it works today, 6" to 8" at 400 is not confidence inspiring.

6-8" at 400 would never come up for me, but if it's a problem for you, by all means do something about it.

Can't help you with a 'smith, but good luck.

Benchmark barrels in/near Marysville, WA, took about 6-7 weeks to put my 6.5-06 together. It is not a Mauser, but I don't think that would matter.

I adopt unloved Mauser barrels - PM me if you want to get rid of the barrel.