Savage and other actions that use a barrel nut require a "go gage". The barrel is screwed into the action to the right depth and the barrel nut locks it in place.
Savage has the barrel nut for perfect head spacing. The floating bolt head keeps it from binding and with even pressure. That solves a lot of problems. 👍
Gunsmith here. You guys are painting a pretty simplistic picture of prefit barrels. I’m shocked that you never mentioned headspace gauges to verify that your prefit barrel is chambered correctly. The fact is that the difference between a “Go” and “No Go” gauge is only .006. You should ALWAYS check this and never assume. For the viewer who may be considering this, here’s what you’ll actually need to build one of these rifles yourself: 1.) proper barrel vise. If you’re doing a powerful magnum cartridge like a .300 Win Mag or 300 PRC, barrel torque needs to be 120 ft lbs and you’re not going to hold that in a conventional vise without completely ruining the finish on the barrel 2.) Ft lb and in lb torque wrenches. Barrel is ft lb and action to stock and other accessories are in lbs. 3.) “Go” and “No Go” gauges for the cartridge you plan to use to verify correct headspace4.) action wrench to fit your action and barrel nut wrench if required. A couple of other notes: You can only choose a cartridge for your prefit barrel that matches your action and bolt face. If you have a standard short action, you couldn’t use a barrel chambered in 6.5 PRC for example because that cartridge uses a magnum bolt face. In the same way, If you have a long action with magnum bolt face, you couldn’t drop down to a .30-06 or .270 win because those cartridges use a standard bolt face and not a magnum. Finally, gunsmiths are as much to blame for prefits as anyone. Customers are tired of spending hard-earned money to be treated like a nuisance rather than a customer and waiting months for a simple rebarrel. Prefits are often “good enough” for most hunters and even PRS competitors who’s score depends on impacts and not group size like F-class or benchrest. If you still want the most accuracy possible from your rifle, that barrel needs to be fitted and chambered individually to that action. I personally don’t offer prefits simply because it puts the burden on the customer if something isn’t correct. I do offer prefits for rifles that I’ve built previously because I measure each action and create an actual blueprint with the measured headspace and barrel tenon dimensions. This is saved by rifle serial number.
And all of this is pretty much why I chose my local gunsmith to turn a 20" Proof blank to replace the original barrel on my XLR cha-cha-chassis'ed Savage 110 action in .308, last winter. The complete rig was 13+ lbs. and was built for the bench at the local gun range...too heavy for this 69 y.o. to schlepp to the high country for elk & deer. Off to Boyd's to check for a light weight trad-style stock because it would be a HOOT to take this rifle to the field this fall. I still haven't shot in the new barrel & been able to get it zero'ed but now that a broken arm is completely healed, I'm anxious to get the rifle (affectionately called "Blew Budget") to the range very soon.
@@StuninRub 😂 Lots of my customers hand load. With hand loads there’s always a possibility of overpressure at best or a complete case failure at worst. You REALLY want that barrel nice and tight if you’re running a large magnum cartridge. I torque to 80 ft lbs for short actions. Furthermore, my customers run suppressors and muzzle brakes and there’s nothing worse than trying to remove a brake or a suppressor and having the whole barrel unscrew. If the barrel unscrews, not only do you need the tools to reinstall, but you’ll need to re-zero also. My figures match those engraved on the side of the Zermatt Arms action wrench. “Hand tight” is not a torque spec I can use.
Quote "Finally, gunsmiths are as much to blame for prefits as anyone. Customers are tired of spending hard-earned money to be treated like a nuisance rather than a customer and waiting months for a simple rebarrel. " >>>> SO TRUE
I’ve had 4 prefit barrels for Bighorn actions and 1 for a Tikka action. 2/4 bighorn ones were barrel nut prefits and the other 2 were shouldered. All the proof prefits I’ve had shot lights out. The barrel nut prefits are kind of a pain comparatively, but functional once installed. I always check headspace with a no go gauge to be sure, and I haven’t had a shouldered barrel fail. Torquing is pretty easy with a barrel Vice and wrench.
I love Savage rifles and have replaced barrels before on them. I purchased a 12FV in 308 from a friend that was moving but the existing barrel was damaged from neglect. Everything else seemed fine so I gave him a C note for it. I took the barrel off, with the barrel nut system it was a breeze. The rest of the rifle was in really good shape so I ordered a new 26" Palma contour barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor from EAB and screwed it on and set the headspace, it even came with a barrel nut wrench. The EAB barrel was one of the cheaper ones offered but with my handloads it shot to 1/2" first time out. With a short breakin and a little load development that rifle put 5 rounds into .330" at 100 yards and all that for half the price of a new Axis II.
I wasn't happy with the factory barrel on my Savage .308 Win., so I ordered a new barrel, go and no go gauges, and action wrench, and built a barrel vise. Then it was a simple matter of following the instructions. The end result was well worth it, as the new barrel is more accurate and easier to clean to boot.
I did the same. My factory Savage 10FP barrel in 308 Win was terrible. You could see tooling marks and pitting all the way down the bore and the crown had a bur around 1/3rd of it. Despite the terrible finished condition, it would shoot well under MOA at 100 yards for about 20 rounds. After that, it would open up significantly. The bore was so copper fouled after just a few shots that accuracy went to crap. It would take hours to clean that bore. I would use the Barnes CR10 copper remover, which is pretty aggressive, and would have to do 4-5 cycles of patching and brushing and waiting. After 2-3 hours of this, I would have enough and just call it good enough even though there was probably 20-25% of the copper still in there. I replaced that barrel with a Shillen match grade pre fit and could not be happier. Running a patch down the bore feels like its sliding across glass. I can shoot 100+ rounds through it now and it maintains sub MOA groups all day. It cleans up in 30 minutes or less with far less materials. Definitely one of the best decisions I ever made.
If a rough Savage bore shoots great for about 20 rounds before you have to scrub…so??! If it’s a hunting rifle..and shoots less than a MOA…do what?? It’s a hunting rifle. Most of my hunting rifles are Savage with Savage barrels..j just change the stock..j stall a precision recoil lug..bed the action and scope mount base..buy quality scope and rings…mount scope square snd straight using a high quality alignment bars and lapping tool…all my Savage rifles will shoot really well without costing ridiculous amounts of money. Any hunting rifle that shoots a group 1” or under..is a keeper. And just learn to shoot that rifle. Bench shooting a hunting rifles is great..to sight it in only!! Which is a huge mistake committed by most.
@@BusterBibb You are probably right about hunting rifles. However, the model 10FP is not a hunting rifle. It’s a heavy bull barrel “precision” rifle built for competitive and long range shooting. I put mine in a McMillan stock and with a scope and bipod, weighs over 14 lbs. definitely not a hunting rifle. I use it for different types of competitive long range shooting so accuracy for 20 rounds wasn’t going to cut it.
@BusterBibb While you are right, in a way, I reload, trying to find the most accurate load for a given rifle. In the course of searching for that combination, I may fire dozens of rounds at a time, and fouling is a real concern. One rifle is inaccurate with ANY factory load I've fed it, but performs great with my handloads. Yes, I only fired two shots at deer last season, but those two shots put two deer on the ground. And no, I didn't get a fancy carbon barrel, and the rifle wears a Leupold scope in Leupold rings, and a glass-bedded factory stock, with an aftermarket precision recoil lug.
Sir you have expanded my knowledge and understanding over cartridges I didn’t even know existed. You are an amazing knowledgeable expert. I am extremely grateful and very thankful to have you’re informational videos at hand.
I am since 1978 a professional hunting guide with hunts in the Pacific NW and Alaska and a custom rifle builder and builder of AR 15s and AR 10 uppers in unusual chambers. I caution you not to take anything Spomer and his knuckle head side kick as serous or true because I have found both tend to talk allot of other Bar room drunks' nonsense like telling the ignorant go hunt Alaska brown bears with handguns and deer guns. They also push east coast deer guns for all Elk hunting and haven't a clue in the Pacific NW where massive canyons are a deer gun hunter is out of luck for most all shooting
Thanks for the video! Last year, I built a bolt action 22 Creedmoor based on the Aero Precision Solus platform. I specified a pre-fit and spun it on myself. Headspaced properly with no problems. The rifle shoots great!
I burned out a barrel. Over heated. Ive done a couple of barrel replacements.... neither of them shoot well. Cheap barrel? Yeah, but is that why it doesn't shoot? Its a long journey..... I'll let you know when I get there!
you can consider yourself lucky if you can swap the barrel yourself. if you live in Germany for example, you aren't allowed to modify essential parts ot the weapon yourself, you need to be or hire a gunsmith.
Oh, absolutely, Oafee. Great point. I didn't think about the negative impacts on gunsmiths while we were recording this. But, alas, such is the way of the world, new innovations creating new job opportunities and ruining other job opportunities. But by all means, support your local gunsmiths! We actually need more of them.
I don’t trust any of my local gunsmiths for anything beyond engraving.. If I have the tools to do it myself, then I prefer to do so. Anything that requires a lathe goes to a shop though. Sadly I need to ship things out for that to get to someone I trust though.
@@pb7087I agree. I wouldn’t trust any of my local gunsmiths as well. If a guy sticks with a prefit name brand they’ll guarantee their work before any no name local will.
I have three rifles with the prefit barrels on them 2 tikka and a Remington and all of I used a no/ go gauge to check heads spacing. The Remington I had to used a barrel. If ever replace that barrel I can reuse the barrel nut.
As a machinist I think it’s stupid to assume that you’re going to be “within a thousandths” with every action across the board. The only actions I think are actually designed for this are Savage rifles and the copies that use the Jam nut system. You still need a go gauge. no reason to ever buy the No-go because you’re screwing it down and touching the go gauge, then locking it down with the nut.
As a non machinist, I agree that it is foolish to assume. However, these shouldered prefits do work on the actions they are approved for. But it would be negligent to not check the headspace with go no go gauges.
I bought a Marlin X7S because it has the Savage barrel nut and the floating bolt head. I glassed it and floated the barrel myself. I couldn't be happier.👍🤩
Great Content Ron and JVB. There has been good things said about go gauging and checking head space etc. if you are planning to do this. It would be natural to assume you do these safety things.
Well that stock is not my cup of tea. I can see that its also were things are going. I bought my first synthetic stocked rifle back in 1976- I still have it. The other thing is precision manufacturing has gotten so good, that this sort of thing is now practical . I shoot a Blaser R-93 so I know all about switch barrels. If I was going to buy another rifle and I am not in the market, A John Rigby Highlander in 275 Rigby would be what I would want. In the mean time I will continue to hunt and put venison in the freezer with my old Steyr Mannlicer Model M Professional in 7 x 57 that have had since I bought it in 1976. Best 400 dollars I ever spent.
I got lucky, my brother knew a guy...😳It turned out he was very accomplished and a genuine smith. I gave him an old small ring mauser and he rebarrelled it to a modern 7x57. 700$ later I was driving tacks downrange🤠 Support your local smith an referr him.
I’ve had 3 McMillan stocks within the past 2 years. One was delivered with numerous defects, and they refunded the entire stock. The other is on a custom rifle, and the stock is cracked in front of the rear pillar. Kinda ridiculous for what their stocks cost.
Excellent topic and impeccable timing too since yesterday I was once again thinking about doing something similar hopefully 🙏 in the near future. As a lefty shooter even in 2024 it’s tough to find a left handed rifle in cartridges outside of a few common ones. I have a right handed Savage M110 Long Range Hunter in 300 WSM and I like the gun and it shoots well but for me it is not super handy in the field and I can’t take the muzzle brake off to eventually put a suppressor on it. The only rifles that I can find left hand with a threaded barrel and in 300 WSM are the Savage 110 Ultralight which I like, the Savage M110 Timberline which would be similar in weight to my current rifle but with a cerakoted barrel action and threaded with a brake and a Christensen Arms Mesa in the sub $1500 category. I could go with either Savage, but part of me wants to try a different brand since all three of my rifles are Savage. I would love a Tikka but they still don’t offer a left handed 300 WSM with a threaded barrel. 300 Win Mag yes, but 300 WSM not so much. So I think that it would be cool to slowly get a part here and a part there and eventually I would be able to put together a semi custom Tikka rifle in 300 WSM that I actually want. Thanks for sharing this gentlemen 🤠🤠
Great content as allways, I personally would purchase a Browning xbolt mountain long range and maybe upgrade the trigger and would b a lot lower cost than a custom built rifle
For $500 including shipping Pac Nor Barrels will barrel a rifle with a SS super match barrel + muzzle break and fluted and to the chamber you want. I just had my Weatherby mark 5 that Weatherby refused to take responsibly for an off-center chamber then Pac Nor barreled for me back to 300 Wby with a SS super match 27 inch - 1-10 - Polygonal rifling barrel that has now been sighted in then shoots 1 single hole it is so accurate. I am now using 3 AR 10s and one bolt rifle with Pac Nor Barrels that shoot pretty close to single hole on center target holes
Plenty of pre-fit barrels out there for the Ruger 10/22. I've been thinking of building me a long range rifle. This way i can get it the way i want it (stock, barrel lenght, thickness, ect) hopefully without spending to much. I am a cnc machinest/ programmer and have total confidence in what to look for.
I agree, and other words like significant ( more than 50%, or 99.9%, which is it?). Used car salesman vernacular, diction and vocabulary instead of to the point with details and examples if necessary..
Backfire just did a video on 7prc velocities. 200 fps below advertised velocities. Not so sure on those numbers with a 20” barrel. Guessing lower by a lot
@@captaincripple7218 Backfire did a 6.5prc with 20" barrel and a 6.5cm with 24" barrel. 6.5cm was 30fps off the 6.5prc. the new trend of going 20" or even 18" with suppressor for 6.5, 7prc is more of a look at me cool guy thing than functional. just put standard lenght barrels on your rifle and practice with ear protection. or deal with a 30" barrel when hunting with a suppressor. I'll stick with standard length barrels for caliber and us softer recoiling cartridges, resulting in same velocities as the new PRC rounds or magnums with short barrels
My Savage is a left-hand action and as long as the cartridge is compatible with the action, it doesn't matter. Note, however, that the threads are different on the standard and magnum actions.
Are those steel or carbon fiber barrels. To bad U Tube wont let you show putting that gun together, I found that really interesting. You know show the vice the tools needed ext, the torque required . You no I want to build one now. But are the special tools going to make it out of reach.
The nice thing about a new barrel on an action is the end result payoff that can be better and cheaper than a new high-end rifle at the big box stores that is to your liking!
Even if it had a 22-24” barrel it wouldn’t have much if anything on the 7-08! There’s been a lot of chronograph testing being done by various different CZcams channels like backfire and reloading weatherby. 7prc is not performing anywhere near what hornady claimed it would.
Capacity is capacity. Yes, with a 20" bbl, a lot of potential velocity goes away, but you're still going to be at least a few hundred fps faster than a 7mm-08 with same length barrel and all bullet weights.
For Joseph…Did you get a weight and Chronograph data? Very curious. Also… was the recoil more or less than you expected from a light rifle? Thank you for this vid!
Looking to replace a barrel from a Remington 700 mountain rifle chambered in 30-06 with a 280 AI pre-fit barrel. What barrel would fit this action? I don't have a lot of knowledge on this matter so any input is greatly appreciated!
Replace my rem 700 barrel 30-06 with a Shilen barrel It uses a lock nut, 25.5 inch. Match grade 1-10 twist, Timney trigger, Boyds thumb hole stock, it shoots 1/4 moa at 200 yards. I am getting 3015 fps with a 165 grain Speer hunter bullet.
Im in florida. I have some leverguns ive always used vut never more than 200 yds. Im gettin old and went to a 300 bk ar for walkin around hunting and a 6.5 grendel ar for stands. More accurate, both 1/4" at 100 and so much lighter!
A 20” 7prc!?! That bullets gonna have less horsepower than if you had it chambered for 7-08! 😂 I’d love to see a follow up video with this set up shot though a chronograph or measured with radar.
A significantly smaller case is going to produce higher velocity at a lower pressure because 20" barrel? Did you get your understanding of physics from a gum wrapper?
@@jasonshults368 if you were trying to be insulting you failed! I wasn’t referring to the Sami spec pressure of either cartridge the point I was making is that 7prc is not performing as advertised so by shortening the barrel to 20” it will have even less performance. Without crunching the numbers I’d wager 7mm-08 would have similar if not better performance out of the same length barrel because it is a more efficient cartridge due to the time it takes to complete burn the powder before the bullet leaves the barrel. Educate yourself! As a wise man once said it is better to stay silent and be thought of as a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
Love your videos Ron! Is there any actual measurable difference in projectile power lose from a bolt action to a gas or blowback operated system? Obviously gas is escaping from more than just the bore soooooooo
@@RonSpomerOutdoors I ask because I have a 6.5 Grendel bolt with a 20inch barrel and an AR with the same and there's no variation. A friend of mine swore up and down there was actual data and that my AR was a better rifle is why they were the same.lol
To expand a bit on Ron's response, there are some minor variances such as port location, dwell time and adjustable gas block as examples. The reality is load variation and throat temps during a session likely add as much variance. I think a more interesting reality is that the AR platform has quite tight pressure spec whereas the bolt platform allows for more flexibility. For instance the 6 arc has separate load data for each platform.
@@leeka40 ok, I'm on board with that. The concept in theory did make sense to me but I tried to find info and couldn't come up with anything other than a lot of talk about the huge differences in pressure tolerance in m1 garand and basically any 30-06 bolt rifle. Which.... I totally understand but couldn't relate to the AR15 argument
I wish bolt gun prefits were as affordable as AR uppers. I'd love to try out different cartridges, especially safari magnums, before dropping $3000+ on a full custom build. Admittedly I'm a quantity over quality kind of guy.
It’s similar in that there is the initial cost of the action, but additional barrels can be had for $400, similar to AR uppers. Get an ARC Coup De Grace or a Tikka and the action cost won’t be more than $1k. With the ARC you can swap out bolt heads to change to different case head diameters.
Not really too impressed with those groups... I'm sure it'll get better as it settles in, but it's not as good as some savage, bergara, or tikkas ive shot straight out of the box....
Some may say “120 ft.lbs is ridiculous “, or it just sound-sounds ridiculous? Think about lug nuts on steel rims on trucks, brake calipers, diesel engine head bolts, etc., the 120 ft.lbs is a clamping force that can only unscrew if a force greater than 120 ft.lbs is applied. Now, just think about the 65,000 pounds per square inch SAAMI pressure? 120 / 65,000 = 3 /1625 = 0.001846153 = 0.1846153%. That is the purpose of the clamping force that is erroneously called “torque”, but everyone understands how the wrong word “torque” is applied in the context of the sentence. The Earth is not flat, anymore, or at least for those that take their meds. If everyone is wrong, does that make it right? Same as foot-pounds does not mean the same as pound-feet, but since almost everyone uses the wrong term; except for mechanical design engineers, does democracy apply? Do not go with gut feel, but go with the manufacturers instructions because they pay the PhDs a lot of money for their final signature approvals to avoid very costly liability lawsuits. Lastly, don’t go on a tourist submarine tour to look at the titanic because the plans are being redrawn, the owner of the submarine thought that the engineers recommendation was ridiculous and the most billionaires were lost in approximately 10 milliseconds. A rifle bullet isn’t even out of the barrel, so don’t play chicken by putting your finger on the muzzle and pull the trigger to see if you can move your finger out of the way in time. I’m not being fascicious because I tried it on my M-16 and got my third Purple Heart out of it, but mostly a lesson in speed, combat has a tendency to make you stupid; especially as an 18 year-old in Southeast Asia. Numbers do not lie, but you can lie with numbers, and the laws of physics are not just really good ideas. FJB Out!
I always say chassee. I heard Chassee when Joseph said it. Maybe we don't enunciate well. Or the mics weren't catching it. I did notice the sound seemed a bit muddy. Thanks for pointing this out.
I can really appreciate this video but i feel your pricing reflects what these companies sell the products to you for... not what they sell them to us for. I priced everything you have and it came to a grand total of $4,094 before taxes and before any shipping charges. So basically over 4k and you still don't have an optic, rail, rings, rails to mount a bipod... If you dont have the tools to build it that's an additional cost for the first build. If you build the rifle and screw it up... depending on what you did wrong... you wasted thousands of dollars and quite possibly injured yourself and/or someone else.
I absolutely despise this new fad w these metal chassis stocks . Light weight this n that. Puny rounds being chosen because all of a sudden nobody can take any recoil . Not sur why we always did before wo problems. Omg Wtf has happened to all the men out there? Yall gone so soft its ridiculous. I remember the days when men were men. And acted like it.
Well…huh….new vehicles are great. But using your tire metaphor..no matter the age the cars will someday need new tires..correct. But you’re pushing spending $3,500 to match a $7,000 custom rifle. Really? A good Savage top bolt release action…a new barrel whether take off or ordered can run around $300 from name brand to $200 from a hood gunsmith or $100 from a new rifle take off. You with me here? A Boyd’s Feather weight thumb hole stock runs about $175. A precision recoil lug runs $40 If the trigger is the accutrigger you’re good to go but if not a Basix trigger replacement (Fabulous trigger FYI) $125. A go gage $40 and if you want to check the no go just place a piece of scotch tape on the head of go gage and trim to fit the head. Works just like a no go gage. If you’ve a barrel vise and action wrench you’re set. If you already have a Savage top bolt release you’re ready to go. Throwing in a few bucks for bedding compound (NOTE!! Do not use Accuglass!! It’s a terrible bedding substance and shrinks when curing..bad!!!) and such $20 Okay..$500 for parts snd if a action is needed just go to a pawn shop like I use to do and picked up many Savage actions dirt cheap. $300. If you want a high quality barrel ho to Eabco. Excellent barrels $300 so adding up..Eabco barrel snd parts $700 and build. Here’s the thing. Boyd’s featherweight stocks are tough and strong. Thumbhole gives great handling. With very decent optics mounted “CORRECTLY “!! (I always use one piece HD scope mount bases from EGW snd their high quality rings) you’ve got a custom built rifle costing just for the rifle $700. $700! I bet two numbskulls years ago that my rebuilt Savage that I had around $1,200 in would out perform their $7,500 Gunwerks rifles. It did and they were arrogantly pissed off at me because I rubbed it in that they were ripped off. They were. Do what you want but if you’re looking to build a accurate hunting rifle that isn’t overly heavy and handles well and won’t make you having to eat Top Ramen for a couple of months of your life..go my route and smile at the shooting range.
Savage and other actions that use a barrel nut require a "go gage". The barrel is screwed into the action to the right depth and the barrel nut locks it in place.
Savage has the barrel nut for perfect head spacing. The floating bolt head keeps it from binding and with even pressure. That solves a lot of problems. 👍
Gunsmith here. You guys are painting a pretty simplistic picture of prefit barrels. I’m shocked that you never mentioned headspace gauges to verify that your prefit barrel is chambered correctly. The fact is that the difference between a “Go” and “No Go” gauge is only .006. You should ALWAYS check this and never assume. For the viewer who may be considering this, here’s what you’ll actually need to build one of these rifles yourself: 1.) proper barrel vise. If you’re doing a powerful magnum cartridge like a .300 Win Mag or 300 PRC, barrel torque needs to be 120 ft lbs and you’re not going to hold that in a conventional vise without completely ruining the finish on the barrel 2.) Ft lb and in lb torque wrenches. Barrel is ft lb and action to stock and other accessories are in lbs. 3.) “Go” and “No Go” gauges for the cartridge you plan to use to verify correct headspace4.) action wrench to fit your action and barrel nut wrench if required.
A couple of other notes: You can only choose a cartridge for your prefit barrel that matches your action and bolt face. If you have a standard short action, you couldn’t use a barrel chambered in 6.5 PRC for example because that cartridge uses a magnum bolt face. In the same way, If you have a long action with magnum bolt face, you couldn’t drop down to a .30-06 or .270 win because those cartridges use a standard bolt face and not a magnum. Finally, gunsmiths are as much to blame for prefits as anyone. Customers are tired of spending hard-earned money to be treated like a nuisance rather than a customer and waiting months for a simple rebarrel. Prefits are often “good enough” for most hunters and even PRS competitors who’s score depends on impacts and not group size like F-class or benchrest. If you still want the most accuracy possible from your rifle, that barrel needs to be fitted and chambered individually to that action. I personally don’t offer prefits simply because it puts the burden on the customer if something isn’t correct. I do offer prefits for rifles that I’ve built previously because I measure each action and create an actual blueprint with the measured headspace and barrel tenon dimensions. This is saved by rifle serial number.
And all of this is pretty much why I chose my local gunsmith to turn a 20" Proof blank to replace the original barrel on my XLR cha-cha-chassis'ed Savage 110 action in .308, last winter. The complete rig was 13+ lbs. and was built for the bench at the local gun range...too heavy for this 69 y.o. to schlepp to the high country for elk & deer.
Off to Boyd's to check for a light weight trad-style stock because it would be a HOOT to take this rifle to the field this fall. I still haven't shot in the new barrel & been able to get it zero'ed but now that a broken arm is completely healed, I'm anxious to get the rifle (affectionately called "Blew Budget") to the range very soon.
Thanks for your measured and well though out additions to the topic, Vette! Much appreciated.
120 ft;bs? Nonsense, hand tight is all you need.
@@StuninRub 😂 Lots of my customers hand load. With hand loads there’s always a possibility of overpressure at best or a complete case failure at worst. You REALLY want that barrel nice and tight if you’re running a large magnum cartridge. I torque to 80 ft lbs for short actions. Furthermore, my customers run suppressors and muzzle brakes and there’s nothing worse than trying to remove a brake or a suppressor and having the whole barrel unscrew. If the barrel unscrews, not only do you need the tools to reinstall, but you’ll need to re-zero also. My figures match those engraved on the side of the Zermatt Arms action wrench. “Hand tight” is not a torque spec I can use.
Quote "Finally, gunsmiths are as much to blame for prefits as anyone. Customers are tired of spending hard-earned money to be treated like a nuisance rather than a customer and waiting months for a simple rebarrel. " >>>> SO TRUE
I’ve had 4 prefit barrels for Bighorn actions and 1 for a Tikka action. 2/4 bighorn ones were barrel nut prefits and the other 2 were shouldered. All the proof prefits I’ve had shot lights out. The barrel nut prefits are kind of a pain comparatively, but functional once installed. I always check headspace with a no go gauge to be sure, and I haven’t had a shouldered barrel fail. Torquing is pretty easy with a barrel Vice and wrench.
Eye opening. I'm going to be building one.
Should have been in the 6.8 Western 😄🇦🇺
I love Savage rifles and have replaced barrels before on them. I purchased a 12FV in 308 from a friend that was moving but the existing barrel was damaged from neglect. Everything else seemed fine so I gave him a C note for it. I took the barrel off, with the barrel nut system it was a breeze. The rest of the rifle was in really good shape so I ordered a new 26" Palma contour barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor from EAB and screwed it on and set the headspace, it even came with a barrel nut wrench. The EAB barrel was one of the cheaper ones offered but with my handloads it shot to 1/2" first time out. With a short breakin and a little load development that rifle put 5 rounds into .330" at 100 yards and all that for half the price of a new Axis II.
I wasn't happy with the factory barrel on my Savage .308 Win., so I ordered a new barrel, go and no go gauges, and action wrench, and built a barrel vise. Then it was a simple matter of following the instructions. The end result was well worth it, as the new barrel is more accurate and easier to clean to boot.
I did the same. My factory Savage 10FP barrel in 308 Win was terrible. You could see tooling marks and pitting all the way down the bore and the crown had a bur around 1/3rd of it. Despite the terrible finished condition, it would shoot well under MOA at 100 yards for about 20 rounds. After that, it would open up significantly. The bore was so copper fouled after just a few shots that accuracy went to crap. It would take hours to clean that bore. I would use the Barnes CR10 copper remover, which is pretty aggressive, and would have to do 4-5 cycles of patching and brushing and waiting. After 2-3 hours of this, I would have enough and just call it good enough even though there was probably 20-25% of the copper still in there.
I replaced that barrel with a Shillen match grade pre fit and could not be happier. Running a patch down the bore feels like its sliding across glass. I can shoot 100+ rounds through it now and it maintains sub MOA groups all day. It cleans up in 30 minutes or less with far less materials. Definitely one of the best decisions I ever made.
If a rough Savage bore shoots great for about 20 rounds before you have to scrub…so??! If it’s a hunting rifle..and shoots less than a MOA…do what?? It’s a hunting rifle.
Most of my hunting rifles are Savage with Savage barrels..j just change the stock..j stall a precision recoil lug..bed the action and scope mount base..buy quality scope and rings…mount scope square snd straight using a high quality alignment bars and lapping tool…all my Savage rifles will shoot really well without costing ridiculous amounts of money.
Any hunting rifle that shoots a group 1” or under..is a keeper. And just learn to shoot that rifle.
Bench shooting a hunting rifles is great..to sight it in only!! Which is a huge mistake committed by most.
@@BusterBibb You are probably right about hunting rifles. However, the model 10FP is not a hunting rifle. It’s a heavy bull barrel “precision” rifle built for competitive and long range shooting. I put mine in a McMillan stock and with a scope and bipod, weighs over 14 lbs. definitely not a hunting rifle. I use it for different types of competitive long range shooting so accuracy for 20 rounds wasn’t going to cut it.
@BusterBibb
While you are right, in a way, I reload, trying to find the most accurate load for a given rifle. In the course of searching for that combination, I may fire dozens of rounds at a time, and fouling is a real concern. One rifle is inaccurate with ANY factory load I've fed it, but performs great with my handloads. Yes, I only fired two shots at deer last season, but those two shots put two deer on the ground. And no, I didn't get a fancy carbon barrel, and the rifle wears a Leupold scope in Leupold rings, and a glass-bedded factory stock, with an aftermarket precision recoil lug.
Sir you have expanded my knowledge and understanding over cartridges I didn’t even know existed. You are an amazing knowledgeable expert. I am extremely grateful and very thankful to have you’re informational videos at hand.
I am since 1978 a professional hunting guide with hunts in the Pacific NW and Alaska and a custom rifle builder and builder of AR 15s and AR 10 uppers in unusual chambers.
I caution you not to take anything Spomer and his knuckle head side kick as serous or true because I have found both tend to talk allot of other Bar room drunks' nonsense like telling the ignorant go hunt Alaska brown bears with handguns and deer guns.
They also push east coast deer guns for all Elk hunting and haven't a clue in the Pacific NW where massive canyons are a deer gun hunter is out of luck for most all shooting
Thanks for the video! Last year, I built a bolt action 22 Creedmoor based on the Aero Precision Solus platform. I specified a pre-fit and spun it on myself. Headspaced properly with no problems. The rifle shoots great!
With all you have in it a simple go/no go gauge be cheap insurance. Once again yall put together good show thank you
Nice show , but i love my 1950 winchester m70 in 270 shoots like a dream .and i love wood stocks and traditional barrels.
Good Glass is the top consideration. MOA is good enough for hunting sub 500 yards.
I burned out a barrel. Over heated.
Ive done a couple of barrel replacements.... neither of them shoot well.
Cheap barrel? Yeah, but is that why it doesn't shoot?
Its a long journey..... I'll let you know when I get there!
you can consider yourself lucky if you can swap the barrel yourself.
if you live in Germany for example, you aren't allowed to modify essential parts ot the weapon yourself, you need to be or hire a gunsmith.
Wow!
I thought wwii ended in 1945, and the Russians kicked out in 1989?
It’s all about control of the masses.
Buy a Savage 110 or 10 action and change barrels whenever you want....
Supporting your local gunsmith is worth it. Also he will guarantee his work and fix any problems that come up.
Oh, absolutely, Oafee. Great point. I didn't think about the negative impacts on gunsmiths while we were recording this. But, alas, such is the way of the world, new innovations creating new job opportunities and ruining other job opportunities. But by all means, support your local gunsmiths! We actually need more of them.
@@RonSpomerOutdoorsAll the smiths in my area have retired about 6 years ago.
Love to, got to find the guy first.
I don’t trust any of my local gunsmiths for anything beyond engraving.. If I have the tools to do it myself, then I prefer to do so. Anything that requires a lathe goes to a shop though. Sadly I need to ship things out for that to get to someone I trust though.
@@pb7087I agree. I wouldn’t trust any of my local gunsmiths as well. If a guy sticks with a prefit name brand they’ll guarantee their work before any no name local will.
I have three rifles with the prefit barrels on them 2 tikka and a Remington and all of I used a no/ go gauge to check heads spacing. The Remington I had to used a barrel. If ever replace that barrel I can reuse the barrel nut.
I have prefit barrels on two Origins. Love them both, but the barrel nut version is lighter than the shouldered version.
As a machinist I think it’s stupid to assume that you’re going to be “within a thousandths” with every action across the board. The only actions I think are actually designed for this are Savage rifles and the copies that use the Jam nut system. You still need a go gauge. no reason to ever buy the No-go because you’re screwing it down and touching the go gauge, then locking it down with the nut.
As a non machinist, I agree that it is foolish to assume. However, these shouldered prefits do work on the actions they are approved for. But it would be negligent to not check the headspace with go no go gauges.
Given the tolerances and machine repeatability of CNC mills being at the ten thousandths of an inch range, I think you're outside your expertise.
So your saying you’re not a very good machinist?
I bought a Marlin X7S because it has the Savage barrel nut and the floating bolt head. I glassed it and floated the barrel myself. I couldn't be happier.👍🤩
You are so correct on savage. Also how can factory loads shoot 1/2 when they are not fitted to rifle. Iam sure you no what i mean
This was a very cool video Ron, thanks
Great Content Ron and JVB. There has been good things said about go gauging and checking head space etc. if you are planning to do this. It would be natural to assume you do these safety things.
This is a great video! You fellers are having too much fun!!
I got 2 older sako 75's with heavy barrels one 223 and 22-250 and both will do under half inch love them but heavy
Well now the Wilson combat 4 pound .308 looks affordable!
Well that stock is not my cup of tea. I can see that its also were things are going. I bought my first synthetic stocked rifle back in 1976- I still have it. The other thing is precision manufacturing has gotten so good, that this sort of thing is now practical . I shoot a Blaser R-93 so I know all about switch barrels. If I was going to buy another rifle and I am not in the market, A John Rigby Highlander in 275 Rigby would be what I would want. In the mean time I will continue to hunt and put venison in the freezer with my old Steyr Mannlicer Model M Professional in 7 x 57 that have had since I bought it in 1976. Best 400 dollars I ever spent.
I got lucky, my brother knew a guy...😳It turned out he was very accomplished and a genuine smith.
I gave him an old small ring mauser and he rebarrelled it to a modern 7x57.
700$ later I was driving tacks downrange🤠 Support your local smith an referr him.
I’ve had 3 McMillan stocks within the past 2 years. One was delivered with numerous defects, and they refunded the entire stock. The other is on a custom rifle, and the stock is cracked in front of the rear pillar. Kinda ridiculous for what their stocks cost.
Ron should interview Caleb of Brownells.
Excellent topic and impeccable timing too since yesterday I was once again thinking about doing something similar hopefully 🙏 in the near future.
As a lefty shooter even in 2024 it’s tough to find a left handed rifle in cartridges outside of a few common ones. I have a right handed Savage M110 Long Range Hunter in 300 WSM and I like the gun and it shoots well but for me it is not super handy in the field and I can’t take the muzzle brake off to eventually put a suppressor on it. The only rifles that I can find left hand with a threaded barrel and in 300 WSM are the Savage 110 Ultralight which I like, the Savage M110 Timberline which would be similar in weight to my current rifle but with a cerakoted barrel action and threaded with a brake and a Christensen Arms Mesa in the sub $1500 category. I could go with either Savage, but part of me wants to try a different brand since all three of my rifles are Savage. I would love a Tikka but they still don’t offer a left handed 300 WSM with a threaded barrel. 300 Win Mag yes, but 300 WSM not so much.
So I think that it would be cool to slowly get a part here and a part there and eventually I would be able to put together a semi custom Tikka rifle in 300 WSM that I actually want.
Thanks for sharing this gentlemen 🤠🤠
Great content as allways, I personally would purchase a Browning xbolt mountain long range and maybe upgrade the trigger and would b a lot lower cost than a custom built rifle
For $500 including shipping Pac Nor Barrels will barrel a rifle with a SS super match barrel + muzzle break and fluted and to the chamber you want.
I just had my Weatherby mark 5 that Weatherby refused to take responsibly for an off-center chamber then Pac Nor barreled for me back to 300 Wby with a SS super match 27 inch - 1-10 - Polygonal rifling barrel that has now been sighted in then shoots 1 single hole it is so accurate.
I am now using 3 AR 10s and one bolt rifle with Pac Nor Barrels that shoot pretty close to single hole on center target holes
Awesome video really enjoyed you two guys
I really like this idea.
Plenty of pre-fit barrels out there for the Ruger 10/22. I've been thinking of building me a long range rifle. This way i can get it the way i want it (stock, barrel lenght, thickness, ect) hopefully without spending to much. I am a cnc machinest/ programmer and have total confidence in what to look for.
With that stock it will serve a duel purpose the magnesium can be shaved off for fire starting.
A ton of this and a ton of that is the new catch phrase for today's kids.
I agree, and other words like significant ( more than 50%, or 99.9%, which is it?).
Used car salesman vernacular, diction and vocabulary instead of to the point with details and examples if necessary..
Easy for you guys in the US. In my country the barrel is licensed.
Sucks that in Australia, we have to register barrels as if they are their own gun. The give reason for having 2 of the same caliber.
20 inch 7 prc? That might be breaking 2700fps with the hornady eldx loads then.
Backfire just did a video on 7prc velocities. 200 fps below advertised velocities. Not so sure on those numbers with a 20” barrel. Guessing lower by a lot
More like 2500. They would get better performance out of that rig if it was chambered for 7-08
@@captaincripple7218 Backfire did a 6.5prc with 20" barrel and a 6.5cm with 24" barrel. 6.5cm was 30fps off the 6.5prc. the new trend of going 20" or even 18" with suppressor for 6.5, 7prc is more of a look at me cool guy thing than functional. just put standard lenght barrels on your rifle and practice with ear protection. or deal with a 30" barrel when hunting with a suppressor. I'll stick with standard length barrels for caliber and us softer recoiling cartridges, resulting in same velocities as the new PRC rounds or magnums with short barrels
Yup.
@@mikemellon80yeah thats why I said 300fps below advertised
So I can buy a left hand action and buy a barrel for the caliber I want.
My Savage is a left-hand action and as long as the cartridge is compatible with the action, it doesn't matter. Note, however, that the threads are different on the standard and magnum actions.
Are those steel or carbon fiber barrels. To bad U Tube wont let you show putting that gun together, I found that really interesting. You know show the vice the tools needed ext, the torque required . You no I want to build one now. But are the special tools going to make it out of reach.
The nice thing about a new barrel on an action is the end result payoff that can be better and cheaper than a new high-end rifle at the big box stores that is to your liking!
7mm prc (AKA 7mm needsmore)😂
Thanks Ron & Joseph ,Definitely need info on where & how on these barrels!
So you gutted a 7mmPRC to a 7-08????
Even if it had a 22-24” barrel it wouldn’t have much if anything on the 7-08! There’s been a lot of chronograph testing being done by various different CZcams channels like backfire and reloading weatherby. 7prc is not performing anywhere near what hornady claimed it would.
Capacity is capacity. Yes, with a 20" bbl, a lot of potential velocity goes away, but you're still going to be at least a few hundred fps faster than a 7mm-08 with same length barrel and all bullet weights.
For Joseph…Did you get a weight and Chronograph data? Very curious.
Also… was the recoil more or less than you expected from a light rifle?
Thank you for this vid!
I'm building... Thx!
Looking to replace a barrel from a Remington 700 mountain rifle chambered in 30-06 with a 280 AI pre-fit barrel. What barrel would fit this action? I don't have a lot of knowledge on this matter so any input is greatly appreciated!
Replace my rem 700 barrel 30-06 with a Shilen barrel It uses a lock nut, 25.5 inch. Match grade 1-10 twist, Timney trigger, Boyds thumb hole stock, it shoots 1/4 moa at 200 yards. I am getting 3015 fps with a 165 grain Speer hunter bullet.
Im in florida. I have some leverguns ive always used vut never more than 200 yds. Im gettin old and went to a 300 bk ar for walkin around hunting and a 6.5 grendel ar for stands. More accurate, both 1/4" at 100 and so much lighter!
Another great informational video! Thanks Ron and Joseph!
31:24 Just because a gun shoots a single 3-shot group under 0.5 MOA doesn't make it a 0.5 MOA gun. Realistically this is more like a 1 MOA gun.
New Terminus Action, Proof Barrel Prefit > easy and accurate.
Carbon 6 barrels does Howa pre fits.
A 20” 7prc!?! That bullets gonna have less horsepower than if you had it chambered for 7-08! 😂 I’d love to see a follow up video with this set up shot though a chronograph or measured with radar.
Good idea, Captain. We'll try to do that.
A significantly smaller case is going to produce higher velocity at a lower pressure because 20" barrel? Did you get your understanding of physics from a gum wrapper?
2960 from my 20 inch prc running supressed with 180s lol
@@jasonshults368 if you were trying to be insulting you failed! I wasn’t referring to the Sami spec pressure of either cartridge the point I was making is that 7prc is not performing as advertised so by shortening the barrel to 20” it will have even less performance. Without crunching the numbers I’d wager 7mm-08 would have similar if not better performance out of the same length barrel because it is a more efficient cartridge due to the time it takes to complete burn the powder before the bullet leaves the barrel. Educate yourself! As a wise man once said it is better to stay silent and be thought of as a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
@@holdleftedgeandsendit9351 factory ammo or handloads?
Should make a video with parts list or links to these parts.
Love your videos Ron! Is there any actual measurable difference in projectile power lose from a bolt action to a gas or blowback operated system? Obviously gas is escaping from more than just the bore soooooooo
Not appreciable, sir.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors I ask because I have a 6.5 Grendel bolt with a 20inch barrel and an AR with the same and there's no variation. A friend of mine swore up and down there was actual data and that my AR was a better rifle is why they were the same.lol
To expand a bit on Ron's response, there are some minor variances such as port location, dwell time and adjustable gas block as examples. The reality is load variation and throat temps during a session likely add as much variance.
I think a more interesting reality is that the AR platform has quite tight pressure spec whereas the bolt platform allows for more flexibility. For instance the 6 arc has separate load data for each platform.
@@leeka40 ok, I'm on board with that. The concept in theory did make sense to me but I tried to find info and couldn't come up with anything other than a lot of talk about the huge differences in pressure tolerance in m1 garand and basically any 30-06 bolt rifle. Which.... I totally understand but couldn't relate to the AR15 argument
I love it. Do I got any blue light specials?
I wish bolt gun prefits were as affordable as AR uppers. I'd love to try out different cartridges, especially safari magnums, before dropping $3000+ on a full custom build. Admittedly I'm a quantity over quality kind of guy.
It’s similar in that there is the initial cost of the action, but additional barrels can be had for $400, similar to AR uppers. Get an ARC Coup De Grace or a Tikka and the action cost won’t be more than $1k. With the ARC you can swap out bolt heads to change to different case head diameters.
For the love of God! Why is he calling it a shasie?? lol
I never thought I would feel so disappointed to see a trucker hat. 😶
But not a Remington 700.......one of the most popular and cloned actions ever made.
Thats because a genuine remington 700 action is hot trash as far as manufacturing specs go.
Not really too impressed with those groups... I'm sure it'll get better as it settles in, but it's not as good as some savage, bergara, or tikkas ive shot straight out of the box....
Some may say “120 ft.lbs is ridiculous “, or it just sound-sounds ridiculous?
Think about lug nuts on steel rims on trucks, brake calipers, diesel engine head bolts, etc., the 120 ft.lbs is a clamping force that can only unscrew if a force greater than 120 ft.lbs is applied. Now, just think about the 65,000 pounds per square inch SAAMI pressure?
120 / 65,000 = 3 /1625 = 0.001846153 = 0.1846153%.
That is the purpose of the clamping force that is erroneously called “torque”, but everyone understands how the wrong word “torque” is applied in the context of the sentence.
The Earth is not flat, anymore, or at least for those that take their meds.
If everyone is wrong, does that make it right?
Same as foot-pounds does not mean the same as pound-feet, but since almost everyone uses the wrong term; except for mechanical design engineers, does democracy apply?
Do not go with gut feel, but go with the manufacturers instructions because they pay the PhDs a lot of money for their final signature approvals to avoid very costly liability lawsuits.
Lastly, don’t go on a tourist submarine tour to look at the titanic because the plans are being redrawn, the owner of the submarine thought that the engineers recommendation was ridiculous and the most billionaires were lost in approximately 10 milliseconds. A rifle bullet isn’t even out of the barrel, so don’t play chicken by putting your finger on the muzzle and pull the trigger to see if you can move your finger out of the way in time. I’m not being fascicious because I tried it on my M-16 and got my third Purple Heart out of it, but mostly a lesson in speed, combat has a tendency to make you stupid; especially as an 18 year-old in Southeast Asia.
Numbers do not lie, but you can lie with numbers, and the laws of physics are not just really good ideas.
FJB Out!
This is one I need!!!
Chassis = ch ch, like cheese. Not sh sh like sheep.
I always say chassee. I heard Chassee when Joseph said it. Maybe we don't enunciate well. Or the mics weren't catching it. I did notice the sound seemed a bit muddy. Thanks for pointing this out.
I can really appreciate this video but i feel your pricing reflects what these companies sell the products to you for... not what they sell them to us for. I priced everything you have and it came to a grand total of $4,094 before taxes and before any shipping charges. So basically over 4k and you still don't have an optic, rail, rings, rails to mount a bipod... If you dont have the tools to build it that's an additional cost for the first build. If you build the rifle and screw it up... depending on what you did wrong... you wasted thousands of dollars and quite possibly injured yourself and/or someone else.
Shassy? Ch-ass-eee
Headspace gauges? Dangerous and irresponsible to recommend swapping barrels without gauges.
That’s a nice gun to be sure. Mr JVB has expensive taste in rifles. 😂
Savage or ramage
I absolutely despise this new fad w these metal chassis stocks . Light weight this n that. Puny rounds being chosen because all of a sudden nobody can take any recoil . Not sur why we always did before wo problems. Omg Wtf has happened to all the men out there? Yall gone so soft its ridiculous. I remember the days when men were men. And acted like it.
Woah,that's smaller then a half dollor.
Don’t do it, barrel nuts are ugly and it’s unlikely a perfect fit.
Tbh i think this vdo is bull 1/2 in with factory loads let see it bet you cant
Well…huh….new vehicles are great. But using your tire metaphor..no matter the age the cars will someday need new tires..correct. But you’re pushing spending $3,500 to match a $7,000 custom rifle. Really?
A good Savage top bolt release action…a new barrel whether take off or ordered can run around $300 from name brand to $200 from a hood gunsmith or $100 from a new rifle take off. You with me here?
A Boyd’s Feather weight thumb hole stock runs about $175. A precision recoil lug runs $40 If the trigger is the accutrigger you’re good to go but if not a Basix trigger replacement (Fabulous trigger FYI) $125. A go gage $40 and if you want to check the no go just place a piece of scotch tape on the head of go gage and trim to fit the head. Works just like a no go gage.
If you’ve a barrel vise and action wrench you’re set. If you already have a Savage top bolt release you’re ready to go.
Throwing in a few bucks for bedding compound (NOTE!! Do not use Accuglass!! It’s a terrible bedding substance and shrinks when curing..bad!!!) and such $20
Okay..$500 for parts snd if a action is needed just go to a pawn shop like I use to do and picked up many Savage actions dirt cheap. $300. If you want a high quality barrel ho to Eabco. Excellent barrels $300 so adding up..Eabco barrel snd parts $700 and build.
Here’s the thing. Boyd’s featherweight stocks are tough and strong. Thumbhole gives great handling. With very decent optics mounted “CORRECTLY “!! (I always use one piece HD scope mount bases from EGW snd their high quality rings) you’ve got a custom built rifle costing just for the rifle $700. $700!
I bet two numbskulls years ago that my rebuilt Savage that I had around $1,200 in would out perform their $7,500 Gunwerks rifles. It did and they were arrogantly pissed off at me because I rubbed it in that they were ripped off. They were.
Do what you want but if you’re looking to build a accurate hunting rifle that isn’t overly heavy and handles well and won’t make you having to eat Top Ramen for a couple of months of your life..go my route and smile at the shooting range.