Okay, I have finally decided that a Ruger 77 Mk 2 Sporter has had the barrel finally go past acceptable varmint accuracy...

So I have decided to try a project instead of trading it off for another new 223....

This is ordering an ER Shaw Barrel in 223 for $135.00 in Chrome Moly, 26 inch heavy magnum contour ( not quite a varmint contour, more like a 338 or 458 barrel contour)... I am going to just paint the barrel matt black using spray paint you get at WalMart for touching up the grills at home.... the rifle is also going to have its stock replaced by a Hogue Rubber Stock which I have a couple around for Ruger Short Actions.....

It has lived a life as a Walk around 223 for me, but that was superceded the past January when locally they had a blow out on Rem ADLs, so I bought one in 223....I also have a Winchester Featherweight in 223, that I babysit that one,

So now the Ruger will live a life as a walking and standing varmint rifle, that with the Hogue Stock should be pretty impervious to getting banged up....

The twist I ordered was the Standard one in 12... I am doing this as an option as opposed to just picking up a Stevens and replacing the stock...This rifle will probably see 6 to 8,000 rounds down the barrel in the next 18 to 24 months...

8,000 plus is what the factory tube has seen...

Just hoping the Shaw barrel has the accuracy at least that the factory Ruger barrel had.. wasn't benchrest material, but was plenty good for Sage Rats at 200 to 250 yds, pretty consistently...

thanks for the comebacks..
seafire

seafire, I just recently ordered an ER Shaw barrell myself. Mine will go on a 10-22. I am like you, hoping it shoots well. best of luck.

Fallowed your paint quiry on the gunsmith forum. Will fallow your results with bated breath. Surprised little was said about metal prep and priming. roger

Seafire sounds like it will be a nice little carry gun. Post some pictures when you have it done. Most of what I have heard about the E R Shaw barrels has been of a positive nature.

I have a stainless 338-06 E R Shaw barrel on a Mauser action. I have been extremely happy with its performance. It averages just over 1 MOA with pretty much anything I shoot through it. I have plans to get another barrel from them to make a Savage switch barrel setup. They seem to be great barrels for a good price. At least as good as a standard facotry barrel.

how long a wait on the barrel...
keep us posted...

Seems that every ER Shaw barrel in .338-06 has been a good shooter. My buddy got one and talked me into it. Now have a third for a grandson, All three are as good as most factory barrels if not better. Also have a .22-250 bbl that does very well on distant prairie dogs.

I also have a 338-06 barrel on a O3 Springfield. It is my main hunting rifle here in Wyoming.. have had four or five,, never a bad one. and all better than what they replaced. Your barrel should be about 12 weeks out.. I talked to them a couple of months ago and thats the wait at that time.. Les

quote:

Originally posted by Jon D:
how long a wait on the barrel...
keep us posted...

yeah they quoted 12 weeks out... that is kinda why I waited until the end of the summer here...

The action can spend time being parked.. I have to have the bolt worked on anyway, since I screwed something up on it...I can substitute the bolt off of one of my other 223s in a the VT series I have....

Now I am getting a little crash course in Bubba Gunsmithing... but I know a few guys who are actually pretty good smiths that will teach me a thing or two...just want to be able to expand what I do, and do it with fewer firearms..

It is becoming an eye opening experience....which I am enjoying...

cheers
seafire

PS and thanks for the feedback.. good to hear it is positive except with that wait time, which appears to be pretty normal out there, regardless of manufacturer...

Ordered my Replacement ER Shaw barrel for a Ruger 77 Mk 2, today.... $147.00 delivered on the Door step...

Specs:

26 inch Heavy Magnum contour
1 in 12 twist

it will get painted flat black with paint from Wally World for BBQ grills...

The factory stock will also be replaced by both a Boyd's Grey Laminate... and also a Hogue Rubber stock.. both of which I have... depending on my mood when I take it to the field...

I also have new 4.5 x 14 Nikon Buckmaster scope with a mil dot reticle...ready to go on it when it gets finished...

Since VG is slapping me around for not liking a 204 Ruger, I may end up ordering a barrel with the same specs from Shaw in the near future to go on the same rifle on a switch barrel...

Then I will play with the 204, be able to rag on it like I do the 17 HMR from direct experience and sell it to another shooter over at my local range...or have a friend bore it out to a 20 BR...( using a bolt off of one of my other Rugers with an 06 bolt face, like one of my 243s)

A 19/223 Calhoon barrel will probably be in the mix for this rifle also...

Now that I am set up to do switch barrels in my shop at home...I'm gonna cut down on the number of rifles that seafire jr owns and add some more versatility to the ones he is going to keep...

I like the idea of switch barrels, fewer rifles, more calibers and spending the money saved on rifle, putting it toward better optics for my vamint rifles...

cheers
seafire

I have a Shaw barreled .308; with it I have shot the best group of my life at 200 yards - 3/8 of an inch, from the sitting position. Obviously, it was a lot of luck, but the barrel does shoot some tight groups.

I have a Shaw on my 300 Win mag and so far it only shoots so-so. Not real impressed. I have tried several loads and nothing is very accurate thus far.

I have one of their 16" lightweight AR15 barrels and it shoots awesome. I did not even break it in, just went out and rattled off some factory ammo and I am getting around .5-.7" groups at 100. And that is with a retractable stock and 7x scope.

I had them rebarrel a Rem 700 in 222 a couple years back. Shoots great, very accurate, but then again most 222's are. I'm toying with the idea of having them rebarrel another 700 that I have in 204. Results with factory barrel have been less than impressive.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcatcher223:
I have one of their 16" lightweight AR15 barrels and it shoots awesome. I did not even break it in, just went out and rattled off some factory ammo and I am getting around .5-.7" groups at 100. And that is with a retractable stock and 7x scope.

Is it one from Model 1 Sales?
I have been looking at the 16" and 20" Bull Barrel Varminter uppers and I think I'm going to get one.
I have a friend that has one of the Model 1 Sales uppers with an ER Shaw barrle in 16" and it is a shooter, one ragged hole at 100 yards with handloads.

Seafire, I have a 260 rem. and a 308 and they both go under moa.

quote:

Originally posted by muzzle:
Seafire, I have a 260 rem. and a 308 and they both go under moa.

Muz,

thanks...If this works out, I have a Model 70 in 243 with Awesome wood and a 243 barrel that has been finicky since day one....

But it is a candidate if this works out of having another 243 barrel ordered for it, but also a 250 Savage, a 260 and a 7/08 barrel....I have never warmed up to a 308, but have always liked their smaller offspring...

Did you go with Chrome Moly or with Stainless???

Flippy, yep...it is from Model 1. Their barrels are inexpensive, but they plain shoot! I have a few buddies with barrels from them and theirs are all shooters too. I own two of their 16" lightweight barrels and they have been great. The latest one I got is wearing an A2 flashider on the front and it didn't seem to affect anything. That gun shoots with my bolt guns.

Seafire-have you got that Shaw tube yet and if so how did it work out?

Many thanks

Mark D

Seafire,

I think I posted this once, but I purchased a
E.R. Shaw Stainless barrel, for a Model 16
Savage, in a heavy magnum contour, chambered
for 6mm Rem. I put the action, and this new
barrel in a B&C DuraMax stock.

I have maybe 50 rounds down it, shot for scope
zero, and load development. The best development
groups have been in the .3 MOA range. I have
a VV N160 load, pushing a 65 gr. VMax bullet,
at, I think 3700 fps(I have to check this in
my data log). I don't think I have ever had
any of the development groups go over 1 MOA.
Almost everything has been .5 MOA or better.
Needless to say, I am a happy first E.R. Shaw
barrel owner, and they will get another chance
to make me another barrel. And this barrel
cleans up really fast.

Squeeze

I put a Shaw 260 Rem barrel on a 6.5 Jap Ariska with a Boyd stock and am very pleased with it. It shoots under an inch. I did throat the chamber out further so I could load the bullets out farther and also load heavier bullets then 120 gr. I have enough room in that Arisaka action. They did a very nice job on the action and barreling, as I had them do it. I got the bead blasting blue job. Can't beat it for the price.

Joe

I have a 700 with 26 inch heavy magnum in 25-06 that shoots fast and tight,with RL 22 and the 100 NBT it goes over 3400 and averages under.5

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Dobrenski:
Seafire-have you got that Shaw tube yet and if so how did it work out?

Many thanks

Mark D

Mark,

I have still been watching the mail box to see UPS come in with it, but still waiting...

From the time I originally posted this, I had them switch the barrel order from a Ruger Action to a Win Model 70 action... they indicated that at the time, it would only add a week to the order....

It should be here, as they promised it the first week of January here... I need to call them tomorrow...

Instead of just painting the barrel flat black, I have decided to have it parkerized instead...

I am supposed to be getting two scopes with Side Focus this month from Simmons also... for replacements for two scopes that failed... but I have been waiting for those since last MAY!!!!!

Squeeze...
thanks for the update on your 6mm Rem barrel...
once this pans out, that is on my list in life...

I am going to try to chamber one on a Model 70 pushfeed action first, with a faster twist, for the 75/80 grain bullets and under on a short action... with larger bullets, I think the 6mm Rem belongs on a long action....

it will be on the same action as this 223 barrel is going on... ( and for those who are ready to point out the differences in bolt face sizes.... the 223 bolt is being borrowed when needed from a 223 model 70 featherweight....so I have access to 2 different bolts for this action... the 223 barrel will be chamber fitted to the borrowed bolt from the featherweight...as someone gave me a lot of crap about this on the gunsmithing forum...