I plan on shooting the throat out of my Remington 700 SPS Varmint that is chambered in .223. Once I accomplish this task, would it be viable to have the barrel set back and rechambered to the Ackley Improved version? Since it came with a 26" barrel, I don't think I would miss the extra inches. Any estimate on costs? Or would it just be better to rebarrel? I just thought it might be cost effective to set back and rechamber vs. the cost of rebarreling. Appreciate any responses.

Depends on what you expect to gain performance wise. Throat errosion isn't uniform, nor does it magically end at a certain point in the barrel. The accuracy destroying effects of throat errosion can be seen way beyond the throat. If you are seriously considering using the same barrel, then I would recommend having it scoped by a competent gunsmith before throwing any serious money at it.

For instance, I charge in the neighborhood of $140 to set a 700 barrel back a few turns and rechamber. If the bore looks good otherwise and there is enough barrel to remove the existing tennon and re-do it completely then the charge is going to be more like $190. That's about the cost of a good entry level chrome moly blank.

My take would be that if you shoot out the throat you're gonna be sorta doing the same to the rest of the barrel. If you eventually want to go to the AI, buy a barrel now, shoot yours out, and when that happens rebarrel the rifle.

Yeah, I kind of wondered about the condition of the rest of the barrel. And at $200 or so to mess with the old one, I probably would be better served to track down a new barrel, maybe find a new take off or just swallow hard, and send it off to Pac Nor when the time comes. I have already installed a Timney trigger in it and am planning on using it for my primary varmint rig for the next 10 years or so. Eventually will probably replace the stock, too. But I don't mind the factory tupperware. Might try glass bedding it and free floating the barrel after this season. But for now it is shooting adequately for gophers and rock chucks so I will leave it for now. Thanks for the replies.

Planning on 10 years as a primary varmint rig is quite a goal. Don't get it hot! Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:
Planning on 10 years as a primary varmint rig is quite a goal. Don't get it hot! Good luck.

I didn't say 10 years with the same barrel.

I have never been able to shoot the throat out of a .223.

I have a 22-250 with a shot out throat.
Those are easy to find.

I just re-barreled a M70 that had a SS barrel of unknown lineage. The throat in that 223 barrel was firecracked as bad, or worse, than any barrel I've ever seen. You can shoot them all out if you, as Wespac says, get them too hot.

I can't see the logic in shooting the throat out of a perfectly good barrel just so you can punch it AI.

If you are going to punch it AI anyhow, do it up front. Then at the end of the exercise you have one hell of a pile of formed brass and a pretty good idea of how to start things on your new barrel.