Savage 110 Rebarrel-semi custom advice

[DrHunter]

First Post here.

Here is what I would like to do. I have my eye on a used Savage 110 in 30-06. The ones I am finding seem to be the top loaders. What I would like to do is rebarrel the rifle to a ? .260 is my choice at this time, but some round sinilar to this, basically a versatile round capable of taking white tails and varmits. I am also leaning towards this caliber as I have a 308, and 7mm, and I want something a little smaller with good range and a tad less recoil so my son could use this (he is 10 but probably 15 by the time it is done).

Anyway my question not life story:

What problems would i encounter in rebarreling this type of internal round storage system and how or would it limit my selction of rounds?

I am choosing savage, because it seems to be the easiest action/set-up to begin in the do-it-yourself area. Any major work would be sent to a smith.

I am looking at replacing the trigger, barrel, and stock. So I don't know how custom you can call that, or just modified, but in any event I am sure I will spend more money than I could go buy a new one for, I just want a project, and want to shoot something I created (even if it is in a lego set kind of way).

 

[greyling22]

http://www.varminter.com/particles/poorman2.htm
http://www.westernshooter.com/2009/12/how-to-build-or-rebarrel-savage-rifle.html

 

[kludge]

1) If you want the .260, then I would look for a model 10 or 11 to rebarrel. First, you get a short action, meaning a shorter bolt throw, shorter rifle, and a bit less weight than the standard length action (.30-06, .270, 25-06). Also, feeding cartridges from the internal magazine of a gun that started life as a .243, .308 or 7mm-08 will likely not need any modifications to feed .260 Rem.

It sounds like you're going for a hunting rifle, but for a target rifle, if you want to seat low drag bullets way out, then going to a model 110 or 111 would still work, and likely you wouldn't have much to do to get reliable feeding from the internal magazine.

2) Check out McGowen Barrels.

3) .260 is a good choice.

 

[DrHunter]

Thanks for the advice. Yes Hunting would be the primary purpose. I live in ohio so Varmit is all it could be used for (here) and really don't even have a range within reasonable range that goes beyond 100 yards. So while a 1000 yard rifle sounds fun, it would be kinda like putting Albert Puljos bat in my hands.... Nobody is going to pay me what they are paying him to swing it that is for sure...

So you are saying the shorter action would work on the .260? I had read somewhere I needed the longer action (I have a model 10 at home, so I guess I could have figured that out myself) Or maybe I was just leaning towards the 110 because I seem to find them much cheaper used? Anyway thanks for the advice and links!

 

[kludge]

Yes the .260 will fit in a short action. It's based on the .308 family which are all short action cartridges.

 

[benzy2]

.260 can be short or long action depending on the bullet loaded and how far out its seated. The real long heavy bullets will take a long action to fit but many others still fit in a short action, at least that's what I've heard. I've never loaded .260 so I don't have first hand experience.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

.260 Remington doesn't require a long action. (Although it will work in a long action, if I'm not mistaken.)

You might be confusing it with 6.5x55 Swede, which is long action only--easy to do, since people often talk about the .260 in the same conversation as 6.5x55 Swede. It's another really, really great cartridge in that caliber, and can fire even heavier bullets than the .260.

Get that long action 110! It'll allow you the flexibility to switch to a long-action cartridge down the road, if you so desire.

 

[lefteyedom]

long action rifle with short cartridge work just fine. the Army sniper rifle has been doing this for 30+ years now.

 

[MtnCreek]

Measure bolt spacing prior to purchasing a donor rifle. There are some odd-balls out there and retrofitting them gets very costly.

Talk to Jim Briggs at Northland Shooters Supply. He can hook you up with parts for a fair price.

Kevin Rayhill at Stockade Gun Stocks is a great source for a stock and any custom savage smithing.

If I were spending money on barrel, trigger, ....., I would have a good smith blue-print the action. This needs to be performed by someone that Knows what they're doing (Real Smith, Not a Parts Changer).

Edit: Looking for a project? Stockade sells a good stock in the rough. You do all the finish work.

 

[snakeman]

another option is the 6.5 creedmoor. But since it is a long action you could consider the 6.5x55. This round will be very very gentle with factory loads or you can hand load it for full power.

 

[DrHunter]

I had considered the other calibers mentioned above, and am pretty sure of the 260 but still open in that area. So as long as it will feed ok in a longer action I think I will go with the 110.
I do not reload currently and while that is on my list of hobbies to take up, I don't see that time freeing up soon.
Any suggestions on barrel length. I will talk with the manufacturers to see what they recommend as well but just curious if anyone has any thoughts in that area. Again the rifle will be a hunting rifle, and I think regardless of barrel the gun's range is going to be limited by me more than anything, but I would like the ability to shoot further distances out to 1k if the opportunity to practice at those ranges arose. While I would like to don my super hunter cape and take 1k shots at game (I don't care if it was a groundhog I would have it mounted just to tell the story) I do not see this ever happening nor is it a priority (my favoritue hunting instrument is my bow so I like close), so a barrel length that is capable of longer ranges would be nice, keeping the weight manageable is equally if not more important. As far as max range I expect to shoot, probably 500 yards. I do not see any problem with this range, we shot 200 yards all day with a M16 when in the Army with open sights so with a little practice I don't think 500 is unreasonable at all.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Measure bolt spacing prior to purchasing a donor rifle. There are some odd-balls out there and retrofitting them gets very costly.

Can you tell us more about that? What does such measuring entail?

 

[MtnCreek]

Can you tell us more about that? What does such measuring entail?

Length between action bolts. I don't remember standard spacing; you can find that info from any of the major stock makers. There is a rifle called "J series'. Most aftermarket manufacturers do not support that spacing.

I have an early 90's 110 (long action) that was chambered in .308 from the manufacturer. The mag well area was not machined out all the way, like a standard long action. Aftermarket products are non-existent and must be custom made. In my case, a ‘budget’ re-build went over budget by about $1,000.

Edit: One other consideration is Center Feed or Stager Feed. If I’m not mistaken, the newer rifles are center feed and that’s where most of the aftermarket support is.

 

[DrHunter]

One one of the links above I believe the spacing for the different periods of manufacture is listed. If not I know I have seen it.

As for the aftermarket stocks, I believe the 5" is the most common, if you seach for stocks on Brownells for example they have a section to ask questions and when I looked through that it seemed to be a common answer to most questions as to whether it would fit a specific rifle or not. I am going off of memory here, so don't take it as gospel.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Oh, one nice thing about 6.5x55 Swede is that Lapua brass appears to be 30% cheaper for it than it is for .260 Rem.