I'm looking for such a gun and had narrowed my choices to a Rem 700 Ti, stainless Kimber Montana or a stainless tikka T3...but, I can't get the Rem. in 6.5x55, and the other guns heavier, and the Model 7's brl is two inches too short et nauseum. ...And I haven't even been able to find a shop who had the 3 rifles I like best to compare...in any caliber.

Then it occurred to me that I might have my stainless A-Bolt or a used Model 7 rebarreled to 6.5x55, or 7mm08 and be done with it. I've never had a gun rebarreled. but I can't see why I shouldn't if the cost is anywhere near buying a factory gun I almost want. It strikes me that either action with a good 22-23" brl. and an ultra light stock in 6.5x55 might be exactly what I want.
Any experience with the question?
What does anybody think?

Do you think maybe you could be happy with the Mod 7 in .260 Rem? It is the ballistic equivalent of the 6.5X55. Of course it is a young cartridge, has no character or pedigree. It is, well...never mind, sorry I brought it up.

Yes, find the used one and make what you want. What a rebarrel job is going to cost is a matter of what you buy(run of the mill vs. air-gauged), who installs it(good vs. bad). The one thing you need to be sure of is that the action/magazine you choose will accomodate the cartridge you want the gun chambered in. In comparison, the 6.5 Swede case is about 1/10" longer than the .308 variants according to my Hornady manual, the Max COL about 2/10" longer, or 3"+ for the Swede. It was originally loaded with things that looked like torpedos, and would kill elephants I'm sure, but YOU don't HAVE to do that. Anyway, these are the little things to examine and consider before your 'smith starts using heroic measures to put something together you won't like. And running up the bill. Maybe $400.00 will cover it, maybe you'll have change left over. Good luck.

You need to just order up a Remington Mountain Rifle LSS in .260 Rem and be done with it ($800 MSRP). I solved a similar problem by rebarreling a Model 7 with a Mountain Rifle take-off barrel in .260 Rem. I'll post a photo of it later.

The Ruger stainless synthetic in the short action is very light and handy and would also fill the bill for what you want .

Just buy the Ti in .260rem.

I'd cast my vote for the Rem Ti, only in a 260 remington. If'n I had the dough, I'd have one already. Kimbers are nice, too, though. Hmmm, Quandry.

Coot

I just wish I could find a shop that had one for me to hold. Paying that much to order a gun you haven't fondled is like marrying a woman you haven't kissed.

Hey holzauge, Completely agree. I won't buy one I've not had in my hands either. And "new" ones can have defects too. I was looking at a full stocked M7 one time and noticed a rather deep dent in the wood up near the muzzle. It was located on top of the stock. Had to of happened at the factory or as the GunShop guys were taking it out of the box(I suspect the latter).

If you will flip open your latest NRA "American Hunter" or "American Rifleman" there is a section which contains Gun Shows for your area of the country. You can go to one of them and generally be able to "handle" every type of rifle you are interested in. Caliber might be different, but you can at least get an idea of how well the rifle fits you.

If you have any C&E Gun Shows in your area, they are generally one of the best in the Carolinas. www.cegunshows.com I believe Steve Elliott lives in Virginia, so surely they would have one relatively close to you.

From the guns I have seen and used the Kimber Montana is the class of the group. I don't see why one would not just spend a little more and get something that's has more features and in my opinion is a much better design than the Remington. The latest Kimber 84M Montana's have a three position safety. Order one and specify that it have this safety.



Not to disparage the Remington design as I have them but it's just not as interesting, safe or functional as a Kimber. This is my opinion and to each his own.



The comb's on the Kimbers are rather high. If you have not seen one then you should handle one. They fit me very well with high mounts and mediums are ok too.



Here is a link to gun shows but there may not be any particular gun you want there either.



www.shotgunnews.com/gunshow/



I would go to the Kimber site and call their local dealers and see who has a 84 Montana in stock.



http://www.kimberamerica.com/index2.php

I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with my gunsmith, Mercersburg PA Don Horowitz, a good guy gunsmith of the first magnitude. He's got 49 yr.s experience and he made some suggestions that sounded darn sound to me and way cheaper than what I was suggesting to him. Don't you just love it when an expert tells you how to better meet your need while spending less money. He's about talked me out the Ti 700 as being too light to shoot off hand. He says I ought to consider adding a Gentry muzzle-brake to the end of a Model 7 or Kimber in .260, or even Tikka in 6.5x55. That would give the little gun some muzzle heft and the recoil reduction couldn't hurt. I'd still have a handy gun out to well beyond the 200 yrd.s I consider adequate for this purpose. If I want it more muzzle heavy I can put on an extra light stock. If I want more centered weight I can put on heavier scope. I think I can still hold the rig to under 7 lb.s. I also like the idea that I can probably find a model 7 and possibly the Kimber in .260 easily.

Thanks DigitalDan. A slight twist on your suggestion might just fill the bill.

Halzauge,

I live about 20 miles Mercersburg. I know where Don's shop is. I have talked to him many times, very nice man. I have been planning a 280AI for about 2 years, I think I got everything just trying to decide who name is going to be on the barrel. I just had a Browning Mirco Hunter built by one of the top ranked Bench rilfesmiths in the business. Barrel cost me $265, buddy had the reamer. He made me a headspace gauge from the drop, beadblasted the bolt and barrel resprung the trigger, threaded, chambered and crowned the barrel, trued the action and lapped the lugs. I had it back in 8 days. for a whopping $265 dollars. He even gave me a 1000BR primers for the rifle. Ifen I was building a light weight on a short action Rem. I would pick up a model 7 youth in 260 with the birch stock. $425.00 or less in these parts. Pac-Nor Barrel for 220.00, 50 bucks to get rid of that stupid J lock. Get a High Tech synthetic blank for $210, $290 for an HS. Finish the bedding and stock on my own and figure another 200-300 for a smith to throw it together. $1100.00 out the door. About what a Ti will run you or a few bucks more than a Kimber. Run a 23 or 24 inch barrel and forget the break. (IMO the calibers you speak of are not violent kickers and it will be a hunting gun, so it will be shot with out ear protection)A totally custom rig, way better than anything factory, if the right person put her together. A few phone calls and all of your questions will be answered. Pac-Nor will install and new barrel and true the action for $420 (barrel included), turn around is about 12weeks. They chamber the 6.5x55, they are awesome to deal with. Just my 2 cents. Cry once, do it your way the 1st time. I am done with factory guns, I will wait spend extra money but it will be right the first time.

" or even Tikka in 6.5x55."
Forget that short necked .260 and go with the 6.5X55 and be able to handle the heavier bullets when you need to without eating up powder space. The performance of the Swede edges out the .308 mini clone every time.It was an inferior design at conception and it still is. roger

I think a Ruger lite rifle in 257 Roberts would be about ideal. Or if a Kimber 84 in 7-08 were in a gun shop it also would be good. I personally like the 257. With 115gr nosler BT's it is a deer slayer bar none. Loasd it up with 85-87gr bullets, and you have a great varmit gun and walking groundhog gun that will knock them into the next time zone. I know the 7-08 and 260 will do the same, but like the 243, they seem to bark louder than the bob. At least to me, this is so. When hunting, I seldom wear hearing protection, and this means a lot to me now that my hearing is not so good. Also, a good 250 savage would be a great gu to have. It would be more limmited to 100gr bullets, but I think it is still better than the 243. Again because of the noise factor. And of course, you don't see these chamberings in every camp, so there is the cool factor to think of also.

That's easy ,Wally; don't use the 6.5X55 in any actions it wasn't intended for.I know there are a lot of people locked onto this inadequately designed cartridge (.260) and not willing to admitt there blunder but why argue physics when you should be looking at enimas or preperation H??. roger

You gotta just love it when the whole world is wrong except for one know-it-all who is in fact clueless.

I picked up a Tikka T3 Lite afew weeks ago in 300wsm groups are great and recoil isn't bad for a 6.6 lb rifle. I got mine out the door for $485. I do have to use a past pad after afew rds on the bench and I was thinking about a muzzle break but not now after shooting it. The recoil is less than my model 70fwt in 300wsm. I look at the Kimber 8400 in 300wsm but saw one a guy had at the range groups were about 1 1/2" on three shoot. As I said in another post my groups are 5/8" for 3 shot and 3/4" for 5. I just right at about 8lbs with a 4x12 leupold scope included sling. Well good luck.

One of my first recommendations for this situation is always the .257 Roberts.

There are other good ones, the .260 comes to mind, the 6.5 Swede is good, the .25-06. It's fun to pick a new gun.

Major Caliber: I have a factory stock Remington 700 in caliber 260 Remington that I will shoot side by side with any 260 Mauser you have for the stakes that YOU name!

Lets get it on!

You are denouncing an excellent Rifle making company with your broad and incorrect statement!

If you were as smart as YOU THINK YOU ARE! You would retract that ridiculous and erroneous statement ASAP!

Hold into the wind

VarmintGuy

You Rem guys are so funny! You think groups sizes make a hunting rifle, it doesn't!!

I see you sidestepped that challenge pretty quickly.......don't blame you.

You should at least tell us how these Rem rifles are failing everyone......surely you owe us that.

HogWild

"I don't have a .260 rem.

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"

Looking at your flashing sign you don't have much of a life either. roger