.25-06 for $25 What should I do?

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Scratchy

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Well about a month ago my dad found this Remington model 700 in pieces at a yard sale for $25. He called me and asked if I wanted it. I answered "Hell Yeah" and left my jobsite to go buy it. I guess the previous owner had spilled bathroom cleaner that contained acid on the rifle. The finish is toast and has pitting on it. But the insides look great. I put the rifle together that night and was amazed all the pieces were there. The finish sucks but I don't mind.

I guess what I want to know is what is the .25-06 cartridge best for?
What kind of finish would be cheap and easy to apply?
And if you bought this for $25 what would you do to it/with it?

Oh yeah the bore is bright and looks good and I fired 4 rounds with no problems. DSCN1388.gif
 
Looks more like a bluing problem. ok if the wood is messed up. id say light sand it with maybe 600 grit. then wipe it down good. Then give it a clear coat spray. as for the bluing on the gun. remove the rest of the bluing with either vinegar or something. Vinegar works but takes a while. Then wash it clean. You can take a look on cabelas or midwayusa they have a cold bluing kit that i believe sells for around 25.00 the amount you paid for the gun. hahaah. Any how Thats a cheap method. Heck you might just want to remove all the bluing whats left of it and take some metal polish like mothers and polish it out. may look pretty good
 
I Would Spray Paint It And Use It, 2506 Is A Good Deer Or Varmit Round, Thats A Good A Deal On A 700! Even If It Is In Bad Shape
 
The 25-06 is good for up to elk and black bear with the right bullets. It can be loaded with 85-100 grain bullets for deer and varmints, again depending on the bullet design.

For that price I might spring to have it reblued. Otherwise you could have it duracoated. Cheapest option is to duracoat it yourself and get a new synthetic stock, maybe in camo, but that's not exactly considered "nice."

How is the wood?
 
The wood isn't to bad but there is a lot of pitting on the barrel near the muzzle. I had thought about cutting about 1 1/2" off but had heard the .25-06 likes a long barrel. DSCN1389.gif
 
With that pitting I'd try sanding it out then painting over it. Maybe call around and see if anybody local does bead blasting.
 
The pitting near the muzzle is unattractive but as long as the crown and bore interior are untouched it should shoot just fine. $25 is a steal!
 
Would it be a lot of money to put a new barrel on it?
DSCN1393.jpg
 
First of all, before you do ANYTHING take it to the range and try it out.

The last thing you want to do is mess with a gun before you know how it shoots.

If it doesn't shoot well after you try a few loads then you might consider rebarreling it. Otherwise I'd be tempted to sandblast the metal to remove all the remaining rust and then paint it with grill paint to prevent further rust. It may not be the prettiest gun you ever own, but there are advantages to having a gun that you don't have to baby.
 
It's going to cost a bunch to get it looking like new. I would shoot it and see how it shoots before I did anything else. If it is a shooter then I would find someone who does the duracoat or other finishes and have them bead blast and do it up.
 
its a cosmetic thing. I even had an old .22 rifle an ithaca. the bluing was gone. pretty much looked toast. well i was really young. So i took the gun apart completely. Then i spray painted in Rustoleum black. then i put a spanish walnut stain on the stock. wow i cant believe i still remember that. Any how i still have the rifle today shoots good. a little scratched on the paint but it worked for what i wanted. Heck a 25.00 rifle the quick and easy way would be to do the same thing as i did. may only cost you about 10.00 and it will look really good. of course the other would be to machine it and have it beed blasted then reblued. Id stay away from getting another barrel. it will cost way too much. most smiths will tell you not to bother to just blue it or use it the way it is
 
Old feller I used to hunt with in PA never used anything but a 25-06, brought home deer quite a bit. Duracoat it!
 
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Whatever you do try not to spend that much on finishing it. that would be like putting a $5000 paint job on a ford pinto
 
if you think that pitting is bad you aint seen nothing. if you must send it to get bead blasted and parked. me? i like wear. i would just clean it up real good and then oil it up and let it run as is.
 
To answer your original question "What is a .25-06 good for?"

Varmints up to large deer and maybe elk in a pinch. It's maybe the perfect antelope round. Lazer flat shooting with about zero recoil.

You're in the perfect situation where you've probably got a really good shooting rifle with a scope and sling and about zero investment. And, you don't have to worry about scratching it or messing up the finish.

I'd forget trying to make it pretty. Cover it with something to kinda protect the metal and go hunting.
 
Barrel exterior looks like you want to use a -rough- finish spray/coating...

How's the other end where the action is?

Personally, I'd say stick some corks in it, sand blast, and duracoat... And put a $300 scope on it...
 
A Remmy 700 is definitely NOT a Ford Pinto regardless of condition. If this rifle is a shooter (and there is nothing to indicate that it's not) then matte blue it or Dura-Cote it and put it to work in the deer woods. Or sell it to me,I'd GLADLY quadruple your purchase price.
 
If you absolutely MUST do something, get a can of flat black high temp paint for the metal like used for exhaust manifolds, etc. Works great. Dont worry too much about the stock unless you want to paint it too. If the rifle shoots, you have a great antelope and deer rifle, elk with well placed shot. Lucky you!;)
 
Good on ya! I wonder if you can fill in the pitting a bit, if it won't be completely filled in by the duracoat (or whatever you decide to use).

I was just thinking the pitting might be a bit deep and it would be nice to make it smooth for the coating.

If you do duracoat it yourself, make sure you prep the metal properly. Bead blasting or sand blasting would be ideal. Even if you get that done, you should treat the steel with Phospho. It will convert any of the rust chemically to make it inert.

We used to use the process to prep the steel on the boat I was on before we painted anything. It makes a big difference with how well the paint or primer will adhere to the steel.

Good luck! Not that you need it. Seems like you got plenty.
 
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