I need to rebarrel a shot out 30-06 A-Bolt. Thinking about changing to .280 Ackley Improved, since no additional action work is needed.

What can I expect to pay for a good barrel (Hart, Douglas, Shillin, Etc) and the labor to mate it to my action? (Hart quoted me $542 to do the work -- seems a little steep to me)

GAHUNTER, for the work you describe including the barrel, with a Douglas standard barrel, I'd charge around $400. I think I'm about average but as you have found it just depends on who's doing the work and what barrel you use. Hart barrels for instance are about $115 or so more than Douglas. George

$450 with a Douglas XX premium SS barrel

GAHUNTER-

I have sent you an email offline with some info...

Pac-Nor will do it for $440. Includes barrel, action truing and lapping the lugs.

Jim

What's wrong with a 30-06?

Don

Don G.

Nothing at all. But I have two others that shoot pretty good, so this one is redundant. I also have two .270s, a .260, a .243, a .300 Win Mag., a .300 WSM. I have nothing in 7mm.

Besides, I need something new to do on the reloading bench.

The .280 AI is a very good cartridge. Definate velocity gain over the parent cartridge, extreme accuracy and good brass life.

You may have to count on a little rail work to get it to feed perfect. Not always though.

A Shilen match grade stainless barrel is 247.00 and labor to fit is (are you sitting down?) 325.00.

I want to rebarrel a 300 Win magnum, how good is stainless steel or should I use a normall barrel, the barrel I would use is a Walter, how good are they

Flip...the only time I wouldn't get a stainless barrel is if I normally hunted in extremely cold weather...below -10C etc. Any other circumstances the stainless has a lot more going for it...no difference in accuracy, resists wear internally better and fights rust and corrosion better.

GAHunter, the .280 is a great cartridge, in AI or just plain. But, looking at your list of calibers, it seems to me that a .280 (.284") cartridge of any type is just more of what you already have; ie, there's not much different about a .280 as compared with either .30's or .270's. You need something different, like a .338/'06, .35 Whelen, or a .375 of some persuasion.

GAHUNTER I agree with you I needing something new to do on the reloading bench. I have 15 deferent cartridges from .223 to 8x57 with many duplicates. I would love to try a new savage 12VSS but have at least two riffles in every caliber offered. I tried to email savage and tell them that i feel they need more cartridges and would buy a rifle in 22PPC,but they are not accepting email. What twist will you use with the 284?