Heavy Barrel for Remington 700 .270

[SniperHill308]

I recently purchased a used Remington 700 in a .270 and I am considering purchasing a heavy barrel for it. I talked to the local gunshop owner today and he said he could get me one for $225 that isn't blued. I forgot to ask what the brand is but plan to tomorrow and will post it as soon as I know. He talked to the techs at the company and they said I would have to take my whole gun to a gunsmith to get it fitted to my gun. I may sound dumb but please keep in mind that this is my first experience with a Remington 700 and the whole heavy barrel idea. What would the gunsmith have to do and how much would it normally run? Why isn't the barrel blued? I also plan to get a new stock and I am guessing that I need it before the gunsmith gets my gun. Also I can't seem to understand the whole contour thing about heavy barrels and the stock. I know I sound like I don't have a prayer in the world but I figured my fellow shooters could help me back on my feet. Sorry if I sound too dumb but I would have felt dumber if I hadn't asked at all. Any help at all will be priceless. And please don't let this be like the topic that I posted under Rifles which 50 people viewed with no reply. Just tell me I' m hopeless if that is the case. Thanks again.

[wildbirdhunter]

The barrel is more them likely still going to be in the white or unfinished. The fist thing you need to ask your self is what are you going to use the rifle for as 270 is more of a hunting round. If you are going to use it for hunting deer and the like you may wish to save the money on the barrel and new stock and go for a good high end sporter barrel. Dragging a 13+lbs rifle in to the field 2 or 3 hundred yards is not fun and shooting it off hand is even less fun.
WBH

[AMMOe]

Sniperhill: Skip the middle man and go talk directly to the gunsmith you want to rebarrel your rifle. Your gunsmith can get you a barrel, or turn you one to what ever contour you want from a cylindrical blank. Bring the gunsmith the rifle to show him and have an idea of what you want when you arrive. He'll explain the rest and quote you a price. There is no set price for barrel work and generally, you get what you pay for.

As to the contour and stock thing. Look at your barrel and how it fits into the stock. Now imagine your barrel was fatter at the muzzle end. It wouldn't fit into the stock anymore, correct? I think that's the issue.

As for WBH's comments about the heavy barreled 270... well, to each his own, I say. Not wanting to start a fight here, but I don't like the 270 too much, preferring the 7mm bullets. (I do own a .270 but don't shoot it) I am from Montana and we generally have to carry our rifles several miles into the field, not hundreds of yards. Heavy barrels are not pleasant in that event and I prefer light, accurate, fast handling sporter-weight rifles instead. You never said whether you were going to keep it as a 270 or not but if you do, and a heavy barrel is your thing, go for it. Just plan it out well as the cost of the rebarrel will certainly approach what you paid for that rifle to begin with. Good luck! ~Andy

[tmoniz]

Try www.pac-nor.com. Good barrels, good work.

[SniperHill308]

I recently read an article in American Rifleman that talked about how more old shells like the .270 are getting put back on the shelf because of people are trading them in for the newer high power rifles. The .270 has been killing animals in America before most of us were alive. Did the animals become more tough? Also I can understand how most can consider the .270 to be just a hunting load but does that mean that no one in the world should try to make their .270 more accurate or even not have dreams of half inch groups. Or does that mean that I can't use it for target practice? Maybe I'm not the smartest man about guns but I don't rely on what most people think. And if it means adding ten more pounds to gun to make it more accurate then I'm willing. But thanks for the feed back. And I really don't mean to sound like I have an attitude but you hit a sore spot. Sorry.

[Bou]

Sniperhill308,
I ahve a .270 FN Sears and Robuck and it'll do shoot under MOA groups which suprises the heck out of me. It's got a pitted chamber and really isn't all that pretty but hey, it shoots great so why mess with it. Like wildbird hunter says it's an unfinished barrel that's why it's in the white. There's always ER Shaw, he rebarrels, trues actions and does blueing work for a very reasonable price. You can find him on the web. BTW if you going to go to all the trouble to rebarrel your rifle why not go for a Ackley Improved round like the .270 Ackley Improved? Or even better yet why not an .280 Ackley Improved? You'll have an even bigger selection of bullets with the 7mm bullet. You can still shoot standard factory ammo and load even hotter rounds after the standard rounds have been fire formed.

[grtwythunter]

How accurate are you looking to make that gun? Unless the barrel is shot out or the gun has other problems such as a beat up crown, loose screws, etc... there should be no reason for it not to shoot MOA or better groups. All of my guns do with factory ammo. I'm sure I could do better if I handloaded.

IMHO the increase in accuracy that a heavy barrel will give you won't be worth the added weight(at least where I hunt) If there is an accuracy problem with the gun, talk to a reputable gunsmith. There's a good chance he can correct whatever it is cheaper than what it's going to cost to go with the heavy barrel.

As far as all the old .270's getting shelved because they're not accurate...I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that. Everyone is doing it because the new "short mags" are the lastest thing or their buddies have one. IMHO the difference is all on paper....that deer isn't going to know if that bullet is traveling an extra 200 or 300 fps. Put the first shot in the boiler room and he's not going to care how long the cartridge has been around.

That's my opinion ........
Scott

[tmoniz]

I think the real issue is how much are you willing to spend. If you do your homework you may find that you are going to sink alot of cash into an already fully functional rifle. The 700 is famous for accuracy right out of the box. I would shoot it first and then determine what course to take if any at all. Maybe change the trigger for safety's sake. Maybe drop it into a remington factory synthetic stock for around 100 bucks. Good optics. Test different ammo.



On a side note, the 270 is a time proven performer. I know several people who refuse to shelve theirs because it has given them good service for many years on antelope, deer, elk, sheep, pigs, and black bear. One of which only uses 130 grain remington core lokt ammo. It is as accurate as the individual is pulling the trigger.

[The Big Dog]

Sniperhill 308

Remington makes heavier barrels for their 270 Sendro. I hate to say but I just gave away one of these barrels to a gunsmith friend of mind.

I do a lot of varmint and some target shooting and use a lot of different barrels. There is nothing wrong with a 270. I have two of them. Hart, Kreiger, Pac-Nor are some of the best barrels out there. For what you are looking to do, I'd probably use a Pac-Nor barrel. They shoot awsome. There is not a real big difference in prices between the cheaper barrels and a good target barrel, $100 maybe $150. Labor is about $150 - $200 to thread and chamber a barrel to your action. The other thing I've noticed is the money you save in not blueing your crome moly barrel, you can get the Stainless barrel.

The cheapest way for you to ge would be to go with a 270 Sendro barrel, if you can find one. Call around and ask gunsmiths who do barrel work if they have what they call a take off barrel. E-bay has them all the time. Go to E-bay and type in { Remington 700 } and it will come up with all the 700 stock, barrels, and gun parts that are available.

If you need any more information, let me know, The Big Dog