Shot out rifles

C

Colorado Redneck

New member
The .204 Ruger (Ruger Hawkeye Predator) I am currently trying hard to wear out has 13-1400 rounds down the tube. Got it new and it has been mine for 15 months. These loads aren't loaded super hot, but are near the max book load. The only purpose for this gun is to shoot grass rats, and it does that very well. Just guessing, it may be half way through its useful life give or take a few hundred rounds.


My question is, what do you all do when you get to the end of a barrel life? Do you sell the gun? Trade it? Put a new barrel on?


I recently re- barreled a Savage with a Criterion. Bought an action wrench, barrel nut wrench and go-no go gages. The project was fairly straight forward and I would do it again in a New York Minute. Only problem is, the other guns aren't Savages. To re-barrel a Ruger Hawkeye it likely will cost $500. Sure, it will be a custom barrel, but the factory barrel is working fine, so that is almost a moot point.....I will admit the Savage is a better shooter than it was with the factory barrel, and a real pleasure to use.


So, this is probably going to become an issue unless I kick the old bucket fairly soon. :eek:


I would enjoy any comments and ideas and personal experiences.
 
At over 4200 fps, and 13,000 rounds the barrel must be made of kryptonite if it is going to go to 26,000.
 
1400 rounds doesn't sound like diddley to me. I've shot about that much in a couple of weekends with my 222 when our "squeaks" are really up. The throat looks like crap, and it still shoots sub MOA. I've had the thing since the seventies, and can't begin to calculate how many rounds it's burned.

I thought I maybe wanted a 204, but if they burn up that fast, maybe not. jd
 
If accuracy diminishes, clean it very well with a good copper remover. You can 'save' almost any "shot out" varmint cartridge barrel by doing so.

If it still fails to meet your standards, you can have the barrel set back and the chamber re-cut. This effectively pushes the chamber forward and cuts out the eroded throat, replacing it with nice, clean, freshly cut metal. Have the crown cleaned up, for good measure, while the 'smith is at it.

Once you're out of suitable material for setting back (it can usually be done more than once), feel free to sell it, re-barrel it... whatever floats your boat.

Personally, I think you should re-barrel any rifle that you actually like. A new barrel on a known-good action is worth far more than the risk of getting a lemon by buying a new one.

And, it often costs only $100-150 to have a 'smith toss a new barrel on. The rest of the cost is in the barrel. If you think $300-350 is too much for a decent barrel, then, in my opinion, you are overestimating the quality of factory barrels. :rolleyes:




Last week, I dropped a massive $200 on an ER Shaw .35 Whelen barrel kit. The way I see it, that's $125 for the barrel, $50 for the headspace gauges, and $25 for the barrel nut wrench. ...And my expectations are not high for a $125 barrel. It will probably be good, but it would almost definitely be great if it were a Shilen Match....
 
what do you all do when you get to the end of a barrel life? Do you sell the gun? Trade it? Put a new barrel on?
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I trade mine when their used up or I no longer have a need for it. By that point in time I'm in the mood for something new anyway.:)
 
Thanks for the comments!

Gman--all is well. :)

Having had a couple of barrels go bad after using them for a while, it crossed my mind the other day after a nice shoot that this Ruger Predator will be faced with the same fate---someday. Hate it when a favorite shooter reaches the "change of life" from dependable tool to a frustrating problem. Frankenmauser's suggestion of setting the barrel back is a good option.

I do see the value in higher quality aftermarket barrels. Just being a tight wad about paying a smith to do it.

Maybe the best option is to trade the Ruger for a Savage when that time comes. Then when that one needs a new tube it can be done in my garage.
 
Frankenmauser--I started using Sweets a few weeks back. I have a 222 Remington that maybe has 1500 rounds through it. Got lots of copper out. Made a world of difference! So yes, getting the tube really clean and free of copper fouling can help revive a "shot out barrel."
 
WELL

When you wear out the old one you get a new one only now it's not that plain old factory barrel it came with you can get one from a custom barrel maker that will shoot better than your old one ever did
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Yup, getting it set back will be cheaper than a new rifle, and when you can't do that anymore, a new barrel will be about the same as a new rifle, but better.

After years of buying expensive stuff, and for the most part not using most of it that much, I fully understand the need for economy. I try to get my gun fix on the cheap these days.
 
I went through a shot out barrel 8 years ago on a 700 VS in .25-06. I looked at the cost of a new barrel and went into shock. At the time I wanted Krieger to do the work and their prices were quite high.

I agonized over it for several weeks and looked at selling the gun. I don't know what made me do it but I called a place fairly close to me known for building benchrest rifles, Kelbly's. Called them and talked to one of the sales people. They were 1/2 the price I got from Krieger, and I had a choice of Krieger or Shilen for the new barrel.

This was 8 years ago but I ended up paying somewhere close to $500 for the finished rifle.

What I got back floored me. That rifle had never done much better than 1" groups. It now shoots less than 1/2", and I can't believe how easy it is to clean. On the down side I rarely shoot it anymore and have an honest 40 rounds though it in 8 years.

Since that experience I would rebarrel any rifle I own. It does beat buying a new one.
 
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I had my Rem 700 rebarreled, changing from .22-250 to .243 Win, about 4 years ago. The excellent Maine custom gunsmith charged only $150 for the job. I bought the barrel from PAC-NOR, at his suggestion and have been happy with the results.

It seems that it's rather unnecessary to buy a rifle that a person dislikes, just to be able to re-barrel it themselves, considering the cost of the kit at about $70 VS paying a gunsmith $150-200, who can true the action/bolt, if necessary, at no extra charge.

BTW, I've only had one rifle re-barreled in over 55 years of shooting various CF rifles, and the barrel was not even shot out, just wanted a combination deer/varmint cartridge.
 
We could help you out with a contoured, hand lapped blank if you decide to go that route. The cost of the blank and gunsmithing fees to get it threaded, crowned, and installed would likely come out to a little over $400 if the gunsmith fees are $150.
 
Criterion

That sounds very reasonable! Like I posted, the Criterion on my Savage is a very nice shooter. I will store that info and when the time comes contact you.
 
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