What does it take to convert a 270 to a 280?

FrankenMauser, If someone has a custom and it turns out to be a a giant **** as you call it was it return to the gunsmith to fix? I've had couple builds with issues working up loads and last one was stock problem and that was replaced and gunsmith handle the problem.
 
Most reputable gunsmiths will fix a problem with any rifle they build because they rely heavily on word of mouth for business. With the internet, one upset customer can really destroy a guys hard earned reputation. I recently returned a custom to a smith to repair a faulty follower, that would actually come out of the magazine through the action. It was a mini-mauser action that had been opened up to handle a .250 Savage cartridge, fixed it for me for free.

FrankenMauser said:
Expecting a guarantee of 1/2 MoA out of a $400 rifle build
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When someone says there building a rifle for $400, I figure they're doing it themselves. Since a good barrel cost you usually over $300. A guy usually can't rebarrel for $400 using a gunsmith.
 
From what I have read, the .280 Remington has a longer head space compared to the rest of the -06 family. The .25-06, .270, & .30-06 have a chamber head space of 2.0587" Max (2.0487" Min), while the .280 has a headspace 2.110" Max (2.100" Min). I got this off of SAAMI. If I recall the reason for this was for safety reasons when Remington was developing the cartridge. This prohibited it from accidently being loaded into rifles chamber in .270.
 
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When someone says there building a rifle for $400, I figure they're doing it themselves. Since a good barrel cost you usually over $300. A guy usually can't rebarrel for $400 using a gunsmith.
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I've been waiting to see if Reynolds357 would clarify what he meant by the $400 quote.


Generally, I would agree with you. But, there are exceptions.
My last build (~2010), a wildcat even, came in at $397. That included the barrel (purchased by me), reamer, chambering, threading, a custom crown, squaring the action, lapping the lugs, polishing, bluing, custom engraving for the chamber stamp, return of the factory barrel, and more...
...from a gunsmith that was not doing me any favors. He charged me his normal rate for everything but the engraving (threw that in for free).
I cleaned up the factory barrel really well, and managed to get $90 out of it - bringing the build cost down to $307.

But, I will admit, that I chose to use a gunsmith that was 3 hours away. So, I burned 12 hours of my time and 380 miles worth of fuel (~$52) for travel.
That gunsmith saved me some money, though, by being one of the most skilled machinists in the state. He is extremely efficient, knows exactly how to achieve the desired results, and just cuts/builds new tools (and reamers) if he doesn't have what he needs. (He doesn't have to wait around for 3-12 weeks for the tool, like every other gunsmith I've dealt with.)
 
Franken Mauser, if you are seeing custom rifles that will not shoot good groups, you are seeing rifles built by a poor builder. Either I build my own or send them to a smith who does my match rifles. Either way the hunting rifles are going to shoot 1/2" or less, assuming its a cartridge capable of such. I dont care if its a heavy bull .22-250 or a .30-06 mountain rifle, its going to shoot 1/2 moa or its getting torn back down till I find out why.
 
What I meant Franken Mauser. Match grade Shillen is about $400 threaded and reamed. If I dont have the reamer, thats the way I am going. If I have the reamer, I will get out a lot cheaper than that. More than likely you can get 1/2" out of a Douglas and get out cheaper than that. I just dont trust Douglass good enough to use anymore. I have heard their quality has gone way up, but not confirmed that for myself yet.
 
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