Changing Caliber With Savage...

Status
Not open for further replies.
U

UltraMag1981

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2005
Messages
26
Location
Ontario, Canada
Hi, I have a savage 10 predator in 22-250, I have read that it is very simple to change barrels on the savages, and I have also read that you can change cal. by doing a simple barrel change....so, is it really as simple as that? or do I have to change the bolt he or bolt head? I would like to change it to a .204 or maybe a more unique cal !
 
If swapping to a cartridge with the same bolt head it really is that simple for example 22/250 to 260


But to go from 22/250 to 204 where you have vastly diffrent case heads the bolt head will need to be changed.

Watch out for impossible combinations with regards to action length too. For example a short action 7mm mag or a long action .223 (bolt head is unavalible)
 
What are some good companies/websites to order from? Also, Im from Canada so will I be able to order a barrel from the States or will it get hung up at the border?
 
They saved me a lot of keystrokes with the website and info.

Just went through trying to change a 10fp in .223 to .22-250. At the end I lost a lot of respect for Savage rifles. But they are accurate.

To convert mine the parts came out to about $400 not counting my time. You can buy a brand new Savage rifle for about $460 around here.

When I hear someone brag about changing cartridges on these guns I laugh, it's not cost effective.
 
To convert mine the parts came out to about $400 not counting my time. You can buy a brand new Savage rifle for about $460 around here.
Click to expand...

Well you did something way wrong....

Bolt head is about 25 bucks, barrels are 135 or so, wrench can be 35.00 but you can use it forever. New magazine box and follower about 25.00

Just over 200 bucks and 35.00 of that in my way of thinking doesn't count.
 
Darn, I must have deleted the email that I got from the Jim at Northland Shooters Supply. It had all the parts I needed and prices. He was very detailed in what I needed. The things he couldn't supply he told me where I could get them along with an estimate of price.

Kaferhaus, I remember the barrel being $300 as it wasn't a Savage barrel. There were more parts then you listed too. Wish I hadn't deleted it. I added everything up and it was getting close to a new gun. It wasn't $400 but I think it was like $370. And that was not including shipping, that's why I figured $400.

I kept that email, just not sure where it is. If I find it I'll have to post it on here.
 
I remember the barrel being $300 as it wasn't a Savage barrel
Click to expand...

Well that's a whole different story... a custom barrel is not equivalent to buying a new rifle...

So you were comparing apples to oranges to begin with.

Midway sells everything you need. Northland is far from the cheapest place to buy Savage parts.

all you need are the following

Bolt head
Barrel
Barrel wrench
Magazine follower
Magazine box (may not need that as some 223s just have a removable filler block in the back of the box....

I've done dozens of Savage re-barrels and have threaded and chambered custom barrels for likely a hundred or more.
 
I agree you were doing something terribly wrong.

I've bought "rebarrel your savage" kits for under $220 that had everything you needed. Adding a bolt head is at most $40

A hand lapped Shilen or McGowan barrel is not even comparable to anyones rough rough rot gut factory barrel. You buy one and you're literally set up to take accuracy to a whole nother level
 
Last edited:
Kaferhaus, why can't you live in OH?? I used to live in Pensacola, would have liked some help on the project. I'd heard it was inexpensive to convert but when I added the price up it seemed high. I don't remember who made the barrel but think it was Shilen. After I added that up I thought of sending it to Savage, even that would have surely been cheaper.

I know I used to see Savage barrels on the Savageshooters site but I couldn't find one when I needed it.

I believe you when you say it can be done cheaper. I expected to pay what you figured. When I got the estimate I had sticker shock. Put the conversion idea right out of my head.
 
Guys, can you point me to one of these kits to convert a 10fp in .223 to a .22-250? Maybe the project can be revived as I still have the rifle.
 
I can't believe this! I was going to sell the 10fp tomorrow to fund buying another rifle in .22-250. That kit is inexpensive at $129 and only leaves out the bolt head and magazine.

Thank god I didn't fall for the $400 conversion.
 
Well there is still the trick of finding one in stock.


You could get out even cheaper by removing your bbl hand reaming it to 22/250 and swap out bolt heads. HYPOTHETICLLY
 
Wow !! That is way cheaper than I would have ever thought! Especially when compared to the price I got for converting my Benelli R1 from 30-06 to 300wsm, that was what Joed called "sticker shock" because I got a price of over $900+ (Canadian) YIKES and I seen the dealers price too and it wasn't too much under the price he gave me!!! Thanks for all the info, you have definately pointed me in the right direction!!! Now without changing the bolt head...what calibers use the same bolt head as the 22-250?
 
Anything based on the .308 case and a few others


Don't forget that a good used Varmint contour bbl will fetch the better part of $100 greatly offsetting the cost of a new tube
 
One reason I love a savage.
I rebarreled my .300WM from the slim sportster to the heavy barrel in my back room... vise, blocks, and a wrench.
I am a savage guy from here on out.


Jim
 
How many calibers do you have a choice of? I may miss some but in a nutshell, .22-250, 243, .250 Savage, .260, 7mm-08, .300 Savage and 308. And then there are wildcats that I didn't include.
 
After thinking all night I'm kind of mad about the conversion. Not one person on the Savageshooters site knew you could buy a kit that cheap or where to get it. All told me to look at the sponsors of the site like Northland.
 
Shoot, I went to order that this morning and it's discontinued. I did find this but how do I know if mine is small shank? About all I can say is my serial # is F97XXXX
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=419779


This has been an excellent forum. I've found everyone on here to be knowledgeable and friendly, and willing to share whatever information they have.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

2
  • Locked
Changing caliber in Savage 112 rifle.
Replies
24
Views
2K
DIM
D
V
  • Locked
Savage Actions and Barrels
Replies
18
Views
2K
R.W.Dale
R
K
  • Locked
Caliber Change - Savage 112 Series J
Replies
0
Views
507
kevinakaq
K
E
  • Locked
changing calibers on remington 750
Replies
1
Views
276
NCsmitty
N
R
  • Locked
Savage 7 mag swap barrel to 30-06 family
Replies
4
Views
330
Gtscotty
Gtscotty
Back
Top