question about turning down a barrel to save weight

[greyling22]

I have a left handed pre-66 savage 110L rifle in a nice custom stock, smooth action, light trigger, etc. Bottom line, I like it.
However, there are 2 issues with it.
1) It has something like a shilien #5 contour barrel on it that measures 23" from muzzle to receiver face. It weighs a ton, and so I never take it hunting (I walk around looking for pigs or antelope or whatever, I don't sit at a feeder)
2) it is a a 1.5-2moa gun. (Old ershaw 1:12 barrel from the 70's in 257AI) and thus, not really worth keeping around as a target rifle. [I have played with loads for it for years using rl-17 and 4350, bullet weights from 75-120grns (it hated the 75's) weighed cases, bullets, trickled powder, it's just not all that accurate]

So here is the question: if I had a local smith turn the barrel down to a lighter profile, would I lose a lot of what accuracy remains? would I gain much weight back? would I be better off cutting 3" off the muzzle?

Originally I had thought to just buy a new barrel and thread it on there, but in my tinkering I learned that the pre-66 guns have a different bolt. There is a nose on the bolt that prevents it from being used with modern barrels. So fine, new bolt head....wrong. the bolt body attached to the bolt head via a pin that is turned 90 degrees from modern bolt heads. And the ejector is mounted to the box magazine and would need to be ground off, and.........well you get the idea. rebarreling is not simple. And numrich is out of stock on most of the parts I need to get a new bolt.

I am open to other ideas of what to do to this thing, but it looks like reprofiling would be ~$100, rebarreling would be ~$400, and fluting would be something like $300.

I'm currently into the rifle for about $500. I hate to get too deep into a savage you know.

 

[LoonWulf]

I would have the smith check the barrel for ware, or some other cause for the poor accuracy. While Shaw may have improved technique over the years I haven't seen one that wouldn't shoot better than that. There maybe a chamber or crown issue.

If it gets a clean bill of health, turning it down should save you 3.5/4lbs going from a number 5 contour to a 2.5. youll have a heck of a stock barrel gap tho.

Ive got about 1k into my savage 250AI not including scope.

 

[BBBBill]

I've got one of those old original style LH Savage 110s in .243. Factory barrel. First three shots will go through the same hole (If you need more than three shots you need to practice). Subsequent shots will wander if you don't stop to let it cool down. Try re-crowning along with turning down the profile. If that don't work ther are any number of folks who can turn (and install if you want) a barrel to work with that receiver/bolt combo.

 

[LoonWulf]

I for some reason thought of shaws #5 which is a heavy bull barrel. Going from a shilen 5 to a lighter contour wont save much weight 2lbs at most.

 

[Blue68f100]

You should not loose any accuracy by turning the barrel down. What you will loose besides weight, is the ability to shoot more rounds before it starts walking (group opening up) as the barrel heats up.

 

[rangervoss]

I'll start by saying I've never done it. I have only read and then use my brain. That being said, I have heard that the preferred method of decreasing the diameter of the bbl is to grind it, not turn it on a lathe tool. The reason behind that is when you use a tool it will stress the bbl in minor ways that could add up. I have also heard by removing any metal, you risk the chance of releasing micro stresses in the bbl and that will affect accuracy. Either way you choose, I can't imagine it being cheap enough to justify doing on a Savage. Might be easier to just re barrel?

 

[MachIVshooter]

I'll start by saying I've never done it. I have only read and then use my brain. That being said, I have heard that the preferred method of decreasing the diameter of the bbl is to grind it, not turn it on a lathe tool. The reason behind that is when you use a tool it will stress the bbl in minor ways that could add up. I have also heard by removing any metal, you risk the chance of releasing micro stresses in the bbl and that will affect accuracy. Either way you choose, I can't imagine it being cheap enough to justify doing on a Savage. Might be easier to just re barrel?

Virtually all barrels are lathe turned from in-the-white blanks.

We're not talking about porous castings; other than mandrel hammer forging, barrels are made from chromoly or stainless bar stock, drilled and then rifled by broach or button, which may then be stress relieved afterward. The profile is turned later, and not a one has a perfectly concentric bore down it's entire length. That's why we indicate with a rod in the bore when threading, as indicating on the outside profile practically guarantees not being axially aligned or perfectly concentric.

Turning the barrel down further could change POI slightly, though cutting & recrowning is more likely to. I've never heard of anyone trying to use a grinder of any flavor to reduce a barrel. I wouldn't even consider it. We really only use grinders and other abrasives when the amount of material to be removed is too little for a tool bit to do cleanly, or when the material is too hard. Just a rigid set up and a good, sharp cutter, use a steady if I'm getting chatter.

 

[greyling22]

well, what if I just cut 3" off the end. that should be about a half pound out at the muzzle according to the pacnor barrel weight calculator that I plugged very few numbers into. that's not insignificant weight. though taking off 1.5lbs the length of the barrel would be better.

 

[rangervoss]

MachIVshooter, I agree with what you're saying about the making of bbls by way of lathe tools. What I was getting at was the fact the bbl is already made and set to the rifle. If a guy takes too heavy a cut or the metal has a micro flaw in it, it could get exposed by turning after the fact. Upon reflection, when talking about grinding it really does pertain to very light passes, such as a military bbl that a guy wants to sporterize, not a bull bbl that a guy wants to make into a field carry. Like I said, I have never performed and would definitely do more reading prior to myself doing this. I would assume modern bbl making is down to the gnats ass as far as metallurgy so it would preclude having any issues on lathe turning it. I always like to learn from someone who has done it before!

 

[627PCFan]

I would go for the new barrel, the chances of you improving accuracy and weight substantially aren't really high. For 400$ you can almost get a new Howa in whatever cal you want.

 

[Sav .250]

I`ve had weapons that I thought were ....heavy. Good shooters as well. Like you, they got left behind during hunting season. I have no desire to "tamper" with them in any way.
My fix for that was, I picked up others that were lighter. Took some time but the end results were great.

 

[adcoch1]

I'd check out the chamber and crown really close to see if there isn't a reason for the lack of accuracy, but if the barrel is actually too difficult/expensive to replace, turning it down would be an option. I think it would probably be my LAST option though. Chopping off three inches and recrowning would help a lot, or you could send it to JES and have it bored to some other larger caliber to lighten the barrel from the inside. Considering the custom stock you have though, I'd stick with the barrel profile you have...