I currently own a Remington model 721 30-06, i am not a huge fan of the caliber, but i do not want to get rid of the rifle since it is from my grand father and i would like to keep it. i am thinking about turning it into a 280 Ackley Improved, but i am not quite sure what steps i would need to take in order to do this, i know i would need a new barrel, but i am not quite sure after that. I would appreciate some help if anyone knows what i would need to do. Thanks: Mick
Re-chambering or Re-barreling a rifle???
- Thread starter dezmick
- Start date
A
Anonymous
Guest
Yes- rebarreling and potentially a magazine box.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,863
- 6,435
Love the original .30-06 caliber myself, but I can understand swapping it out, especially for something as useful as the .280 AI.
The 721 is a neat old rifle and well worth keeping, particularly with the family connection.
Any competent rifle smith can install the new barrel, or you can send it to one of the barrel makers, like Pac Nor or Krieger. Be forewarned that the lead time on a new barrel can be significant. Some places keep some barrels on hand, ready to be chambered, threaded, cut & crowned and installed.
Those are the things your gunsmith is going to need to do, once the new barrel is in hand:
Chamber it to the cartridge of your choice.
Thread it to fit the action threads.
Cut the barrel to the length you specify, and then crown the muzzle.
He'll install it - and a lot of smiths won't do a re-barrel job without truing or squaring the action.
If you look at the different barrel-makers web sites, you'll find an almost bewildering array of choices:
Chrome moly or stainless
Contour - a lot of custom rifles have heavier contour barrels for the accuracy advantage, but that makes a rifle heavy and cumbersome in the field. Also a #4 contour from one maker may not match a #4 contour from another maker. I just specify cutting the barrel to match the factory contour of the rifle I'm working with, so it fits the stock perfectly. Major barrel makers already have the contours of various rifles available, even if they don't list them as options.
Then you get into stuff like rate of twist and numbers of lands and grooves. Ask for their input if you want, but there is often a "standard" for a particular cartridge. For instance almost all .30-06 rifles use a 1:10 twist barrel as it stabilizes pretty much any bullet anyone would want to shoot from a .30-06 hunting rifle. For your proposed .280 AI, I'd think a 1:9 would likely be great, but am sure the .280 AI fanatics will be chiming in soon with their suggestions.
Barrel length is pretty simple. Shorter is handier, and possibly will have less barrel whip. Longer provides more muzzle velocity and a longer sight radius if iron sights are important to you. I find a longer barrel helps me a bit by moving the muzzle blast a couple of inches farther away from my beat up old ears. It seems to make a slight difference to me - though admittedly, that could be all in my head. Short barrels tend to have obnoxious muzzle blast.
You'll get all kinds of other options like fluted or not, etc... Take your time and figure out what you want. It's expensive to re-barrel by the way. Figure on several hundred dollars for a high quality aftermarket barrel and installation by a competent smith.
A few of the guys on this forum re-barrel their own rifles and will likely have some good tips.
Regards, Guy
The 721 is a neat old rifle and well worth keeping, particularly with the family connection.
Any competent rifle smith can install the new barrel, or you can send it to one of the barrel makers, like Pac Nor or Krieger. Be forewarned that the lead time on a new barrel can be significant. Some places keep some barrels on hand, ready to be chambered, threaded, cut & crowned and installed.
Those are the things your gunsmith is going to need to do, once the new barrel is in hand:
Chamber it to the cartridge of your choice.
Thread it to fit the action threads.
Cut the barrel to the length you specify, and then crown the muzzle.
He'll install it - and a lot of smiths won't do a re-barrel job without truing or squaring the action.
If you look at the different barrel-makers web sites, you'll find an almost bewildering array of choices:
Chrome moly or stainless
Contour - a lot of custom rifles have heavier contour barrels for the accuracy advantage, but that makes a rifle heavy and cumbersome in the field. Also a #4 contour from one maker may not match a #4 contour from another maker. I just specify cutting the barrel to match the factory contour of the rifle I'm working with, so it fits the stock perfectly. Major barrel makers already have the contours of various rifles available, even if they don't list them as options.
Then you get into stuff like rate of twist and numbers of lands and grooves. Ask for their input if you want, but there is often a "standard" for a particular cartridge. For instance almost all .30-06 rifles use a 1:10 twist barrel as it stabilizes pretty much any bullet anyone would want to shoot from a .30-06 hunting rifle. For your proposed .280 AI, I'd think a 1:9 would likely be great, but am sure the .280 AI fanatics will be chiming in soon with their suggestions.
Barrel length is pretty simple. Shorter is handier, and possibly will have less barrel whip. Longer provides more muzzle velocity and a longer sight radius if iron sights are important to you. I find a longer barrel helps me a bit by moving the muzzle blast a couple of inches farther away from my beat up old ears. It seems to make a slight difference to me - though admittedly, that could be all in my head. Short barrels tend to have obnoxious muzzle blast.
You'll get all kinds of other options like fluted or not, etc... Take your time and figure out what you want. It's expensive to re-barrel by the way. Figure on several hundred dollars for a high quality aftermarket barrel and installation by a competent smith.
A few of the guys on this forum re-barrel their own rifles and will likely have some good tips.
Regards, Guy
You won't need a mag box. It would just be a matter of rebarreling and weather or not your going to true the action while it's getting a new tube. You'll have to choose between chromoly so it can be blued like the action or stainless for the barrel material. A Remington sporter is usually about like a #3 to #4 contour depending on the barrel maker.
If you need help with specifics on contours, twist rates, etc. just ask.
If you need help with specifics on contours, twist rates, etc. just ask.
I have two 721 Remingtons, one was my first rifle. It is a 56 Model, I had it rebarreled to a 35 Whelen several years ago. As has already been said, nothing other than a barrel change is necessary for your converson. The 280AI is a great choice, and as its based on the 06 case so no other modifications are necessary. The barrel channel on the stock may need a little attention depending on how much different the barrel dimensions are. Enjoy the experience. !!
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,444
- 3,479
All you need is a re barrel. Everything else on your gun will work as is.
.300winmag
Handloader
- Oct 17, 2011
- 660
- 1
Guy nailed it on the head as far as I'm concerned. Get it rebarreled and make it what you want.
- Thread starter
- #11
Well i sent an email to PacNor Barreling, and this is what i got back in return.
let me know what you think. Thanks: Mick P.S. the only other thing is, that i will be needing to get a new stock for the rifle, since it has been shortened down, can anyone tell me where i could get a nice but not to expensive stock for a Rem Mdl 721 30-06.
Mickey: We can make you a new bbl in Chrome Moly or SS in .280 Ack,
contoured, chambered, threaded, crowned, headspaced and installed, with all
action truing work, for $560.00 (CM) and $590.00 (SS), both plus shipping.
A 50% deposit is required to start the order, and current turn around time
is running 20 weeks. Thanks for your interest, Penny
let me know what you think. Thanks: Mick P.S. the only other thing is, that i will be needing to get a new stock for the rifle, since it has been shortened down, can anyone tell me where i could get a nice but not to expensive stock for a Rem Mdl 721 30-06.
Mickey: We can make you a new bbl in Chrome Moly or SS in .280 Ack,
contoured, chambered, threaded, crowned, headspaced and installed, with all
action truing work, for $560.00 (CM) and $590.00 (SS), both plus shipping.
A 50% deposit is required to start the order, and current turn around time
is running 20 weeks. Thanks for your interest, Penny
I don't believe that you can get a 721 stock. The 700 stock fits but sometimes the bolt needs to be bent at a slightly different angle. As I said I have two, Whelen (with a different bolt handle) using a Brown Precision Stock, (not cheap). The other sports a Bell and Carlson (older model) with no alteration to the bolt. There are lots of used, or new composit stocks around on the web.
