25-06 punched out to 257 Weatherby - Page 2

Scorch · January 27, 2013, 02:20 AM

Jim
I put the cost of a barrel in that, mistakenly.

HiBC · January 27, 2013, 02:48 AM

Scorch,I've never done exactly this job.Would you expect the reamer pilot would be long enough to find the bore to ride on?

Does it seem like a good idea to just start the reamer in without the pilot finding a hole to ride on?

Seems like,maybe,to do it right you might have to pull the barrel out,and indicate both ends running true to a pin gage in the bore.

I suppose then a guy could use a boring bar to just take enough out let the reamer enter far enough to engage the pilot in the bore.

That way the chamber would end up concentric to the bore,huh?

I was thinking starting it in unpiloted might let it walk off a bit,then when the pilot did find the bore..well it might mangle the lands,or commence to wobbling and dig a flute in the side of the chamber and bust the reamer...

But,I don't know for sure,because I never did just that job myself...it could take more than two hours ...maybe.

Do you think so?

Mike / Tx · January 27, 2013, 08:24 AM

Like has been mentioned, it's your rifle, your dime, GIT-R-DONE which ever way you feel is best.

Yes it can be done, and it can be exciting to work with a new caliber. Also like has been mentioned you may or may not end up with what you set out to from the beginning.

In my case I LOVE the 25-06. I got mine expressly to reach out and touch things with the higher velocity and a touch heavier bullets than what the .243 I grew up shooting could produce, but with about he same recoil.

That said, my daughter and I fought over that rifle every deer season, and she usually won. Go figure. So I decided to get me one of my own. This time around however I wanted to go custom and build it to preform better with the heavier bullets. I went with the AI version and a 28" 1-9" Broughton 5C barrel. I purchased a donor 30-06 in a new Remington BDL for less than I could have gotten the action alone. Then added the Broughton, a HS Precision stock, Jewell trigger, Callahan firing pin, and a .250" recoil lug for good measure. I had it all put together by a local BR competitor/gunsmith, and ended up with a rifle capable of running 120gr bullets at 3250fps comfortably and consistently grouping around an inch at 300yds, and less if me and the conditions are both in tune.

Yep I spend a chunk of change, but I got just what I wanted out of the deal. I also spent the better part of a couple fo years picking up the pieces a little at a time so it didn't break the bank all at once. To date I haven't even run a lighter bullet through the thing to see how they shoot, or to what insane velocity they might get. The 120's are fast, flat, and accurate beyond my expectations, and the load is two full grains off what I worked up to as a max for this rifle. The best part of it all is they aren't the so called "premium" bullets I am shooting just some Remington CL's I picked up in bulk. The sad part is there aren't any "premium" bullets other than the Partitions in this weight, as most 25's are a 1-10 twist. The bullet manufacturers simply won't build a bullet that they figure won't stabilize in the standard twist available in a particular caliber. When Nosler first came out with their BT in a 100gr I immediately contacted the fellow I dealt with a lot back then and asked about a 115gr version. They said it was impossible to get them to stabilize in a 1-10, and now look at them. I also have some 125 and 130gr custom bullets which shoot just as well and am looking into picking up some others from another manufacturer to try out this spring. I'm hoping they will shoot as well as the CL's and if so, whoa be it on the hogs.

Why I went this way verses the WBY was due to the fact I have a ton of standard 25-06 and 30-06 cases already to work with. I can also use Lapua 30-06 necked down and fire formed as well. I don't have to spend a buck and a half each for cases that I might dump into the tall grass while chambering a second, third, or more rounds and end up loosing it. Speaking of that I can still get a full 5 rounds in my magazine, with one in the chamber. Can't go there with the WBY in a standard magazine.

Mine was setup for reaching out across my back pasture or my friends pastures, where shots might hit 3-700yds on feral hogs or coyotes, and even a nice buck if within a reasonable range with proper conditions. I have no illusions that it can easily do the job if I do my part. Am I satisfied, you betya, and then some.

So pick your poison, just be sure to factor in how much you will be shooting, what the available components will run you to do so, and what your intended goal is when done. Once you have that in mind, go for it.

taylorce1 · January 27, 2013, 08:32 AM

Scorch is a gunsmith, he gave a pretty good breakdown of the cost using a new barrel. Most commercial .25-06 rifles use a 22-24" barrel, which is a little short for the .257 Bee to produce the high velocities it is famous for and why it was around $700. Plus a gunsmith may not want to do that kind of work since it is more involved than simply cuttting a new chamber.

Here is a pretty good basement price for the work being done taken from this website. Most the local gunsmiths are more expensive than I quoted for the same work.

Rechamber customer's barreled action to a different cartridge-must be same bore diameter. Price:$100.00 and up
Open magazine&bottom of*action for Mag calibers $70+up
Open bolt face for Mag calibers $30+up (time req'd)
Shop Rate per hour for all work not priced $40.00

So you're already in for a minimum of $200 if everything is the minimum price. However you now have to reblue the action after you take a mill and files to it open it up. So now you have added another $100 to the price. So now you will have spent a minimum of $300 and you could probably sell the rifle for at least that as a .25-06, go buy the Vanguard in .257 for around $200 more. So you'll have saved $100 to buy ammunition or reloading components vs. the conversion of the old rifle.

In the end it is the OP's rifle and he'll have to decide what he is willing to spend to get the rifle he wants.

steveNChunter · January 27, 2013, 08:40 AM

Mike that sounds like a nice rig you have. 120 grain bullets @ 3250 fps is moving on. Thats right there with the weatherby. Is the 28" barrel length where the .25-06 "peaks out" in velocity?

jim in anchorage · January 27, 2013, 11:54 AM

taylorce1-
Why would you need to reblue the action after a feed rail modification? It's the bottom of the rail. I have done them myself with a drill and a grinding stone.

dgludwig · January 27, 2013, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Buy a Vanguard 2 .257 Wby. I paid $425 for mine with one of the decent stocks on it.

I paid $299.99 for a nib Vanguard, chambered in .257 Wby, @ my lgs last year. True, it wasn't the latest "2" version and it came with a synthetic stock and a 24" barrel (I would have preferred a barrel a trifle longer to take full advantage of the Weatherby cartridge but I think the same can be said for the 25-06 cartridge) but, like some others who have posted previously, I think getting a new rifle, chambered in the .257 Weatherby Magnum, makes more sense (at least economically), than it does to rechamber and modify your present rifle to take the same cartridge.

jim in anchorage · January 27, 2013, 03:25 PM

I think this thread will wander forever till the now missing OP tells us what he has and what he wants to do with it.

taylorce1 · January 27, 2013, 04:56 PM

Quote:

taylorce1-
Why would you need to reblue the action after a feed rail modification? It's the bottom of the rail. I have done them myself with a drill and a grinding stone.

Why reblue, because if I'm paying someone to do this kind of work on my rifle I want it to come back looking like a new rifle. I don't like pulling my action out of the stock all the time (especially if if the rifle is shooing very well) when I clean to make sure rust hasn't started on the metal I exposed. Bluing protects metal and it doesn't take long for rust to get started even in a dry climate let alone a wet and humid one on metal in the white.

BIG P · January 28, 2013, 02:04 AM

No I havent & wouldnt,Not enought gain for the trouble,might do a AI.

Scorch · January 28, 2013, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Scorch,I've never done exactly this job.Would you expect the reamer pilot would be long enough to find the bore to ride on?

No, the pilot would not reach the throat, the 257 WBY shoulder is larger than the 25-06 base, so until you get about 1.5"-2" into the chamber, you are hoping it doesn't wander.

Quote:

Shop Rate per hour for all work not priced $40.00

That's a pretty low shop rate in most areas of the country, many are twice that.

Quote:

Compare that to trading and buying a new Weatherby ($1200 for the Weatherby and maybe $300ish trade-in).

Quote:

I paid $299.99 for a nib Vanguard, chambered in .257 Wby, @ my lgs last year.

Quote:

Buy a Vanguard 2 .257 Wby. I paid $425 for mine

This is the reason why it is unfeasible IMO. But hey, it's a free country, go for it.

GeauxTide · January 28, 2013, 09:54 PM

If your barrel is 24", have it chambered and bored for 6.5-06. It'll do everything a 25-06 and a 270 will. Blasts 100gr Noslers to 3400, 120s to 3100, and 129s to 3050. Mine is throated for 140 SMK, so I'm pushing 140 Hornadys 2935. Much easier on barrels than both of the 25s. Oh, and you can use your 25-06 cases.

steveNChunter · January 28, 2013, 09:59 PM

^^^^^^AGREED^^^^^

jim in anchorage · January 29, 2013, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Why reblue, because if I'm paying someone to do this kind of work on my rifle I want it to come back looking like a new rifle. I don't like pulling my action out of the stock all the time (especially if if the rifle is shooing very well) when I clean to make sure rust hasn't started on the metal I exposed. Bluing protects metal and it doesn't take long for rust to get started even in a dry climate let alone a wet and humid one on metal in the white.

Or you could push the follower down and wipe the bottom of the rail with a oily rag.

taylorce1 · January 29, 2013, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Or you could push the follower down and wipe the bottom of the rail with a oily rag.

Yes I can and do push the follower down to clean and wipe down. However, my personal preference is to have it reblued. I live in a much drier environment than you and I don't like or need to use a lot of oil on the outside of my rifle unless I get caught in the rain or snow while hunting.

Scorch · January 31, 2013, 05:26 AM

Quote:

If your barrel is 24", have it chambered and bored for 6.5-06.

I love the 6.5-06, I think it is one of the great cartridges for all-around hunting, but you would have to rebarrel to do that. I have spent some time on the reboring lathe, and I am not quite good enough to clean up a .257" groove diameter of a 25 caliber barrel to the .256" bore diameter of the 6.5mm/.264".

January 27, 2013, 02:20 AM	#26
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Jim I put the cost of a barrel in that, mistakenly. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

January 27, 2013, 08:24 AM	#28
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	Like has been mentioned, it's your rifle, your dime, GIT-R-DONE which ever way you feel is best. Yes it can be done, and it can be exciting to work with a new caliber. Also like has been mentioned you may or may not end up with what you set out to from the beginning. In my case I LOVE the 25-06. I got mine expressly to reach out and touch things with the higher velocity and a touch heavier bullets than what the .243 I grew up shooting could produce, but with about he same recoil. That said, my daughter and I fought over that rifle every deer season, and she usually won. Go figure. So I decided to get me one of my own. This time around however I wanted to go custom and build it to preform better with the heavier bullets. I went with the AI version and a 28" 1-9" Broughton 5C barrel. I purchased a donor 30-06 in a new Remington BDL for less than I could have gotten the action alone. Then added the Broughton, a HS Precision stock, Jewell trigger, Callahan firing pin, and a .250" recoil lug for good measure. I had it all put together by a local BR competitor/gunsmith, and ended up with a rifle capable of running 120gr bullets at 3250fps comfortably and consistently grouping around an inch at 300yds, and less if me and the conditions are both in tune. Yep I spend a chunk of change, but I got just what I wanted out of the deal. I also spent the better part of a couple fo years picking up the pieces a little at a time so it didn't break the bank all at once. To date I haven't even run a lighter bullet through the thing to see how they shoot, or to what insane velocity they might get. The 120's are fast, flat, and accurate beyond my expectations, and the load is two full grains off what I worked up to as a max for this rifle. The best part of it all is they aren't the so called "premium" bullets I am shooting just some Remington CL's I picked up in bulk. The sad part is there aren't any "premium" bullets other than the Partitions in this weight, as most 25's are a 1-10 twist. The bullet manufacturers simply won't build a bullet that they figure won't stabilize in the standard twist available in a particular caliber. When Nosler first came out with their BT in a 100gr I immediately contacted the fellow I dealt with a lot back then and asked about a 115gr version. They said it was impossible to get them to stabilize in a 1-10, and now look at them. I also have some 125 and 130gr custom bullets which shoot just as well and am looking into picking up some others from another manufacturer to try out this spring. I'm hoping they will shoot as well as the CL's and if so, whoa be it on the hogs. Why I went this way verses the WBY was due to the fact I have a ton of standard 25-06 and 30-06 cases already to work with. I can also use Lapua 30-06 necked down and fire formed as well. I don't have to spend a buck and a half each for cases that I might dump into the tall grass while chambering a second, third, or more rounds and end up loosing it. Speaking of that I can still get a full 5 rounds in my magazine, with one in the chamber. Can't go there with the WBY in a standard magazine. Mine was setup for reaching out across my back pasture or my friends pastures, where shots might hit 3-700yds on feral hogs or coyotes, and even a nice buck if within a reasonable range with proper conditions. I have no illusions that it can easily do the job if I do my part. Am I satisfied, you betya, and then some. So pick your poison, just be sure to factor in how much you will be shooting, what the available components will run you to do so, and what your intended goal is when done. Once you have that in mind, go for it. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX Last edited by Mike / Tx; January 27, 2013 at 08:32 AM.

January 27, 2013, 08:32 AM	#29
taylorce1 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2005 Location: On the Santa Fe Trail Posts: 8,242	Scorch is a gunsmith, he gave a pretty good breakdown of the cost using a new barrel. Most commercial .25-06 rifles use a 22-24" barrel, which is a little short for the .257 Bee to produce the high velocities it is famous for and why it was around $700. Plus a gunsmith may not want to do that kind of work since it is more involved than simply cuttting a new chamber. Here is a pretty good basement price for the work being done taken from this website. Most the local gunsmiths are more expensive than I quoted for the same work. Rechamber customer's barreled action to a different cartridge-must be same bore diameter. Price:$100.00 and up Open magazine&bottom of*action for Mag calibers $70+up Open bolt face for Mag calibers $30+up (time req'd) Shop Rate per hour for all work not priced $40.00 So you're already in for a minimum of $200 if everything is the minimum price. However you now have to reblue the action after you take a mill and files to it open it up. So now you have added another $100 to the price. So now you will have spent a minimum of $300 and you could probably sell the rifle for at least that as a .25-06, go buy the Vanguard in .257 for around $200 more. So you'll have saved $100 to buy ammunition or reloading components vs. the conversion of the old rifle. In the end it is the OP's rifle and he'll have to decide what he is willing to spend to get the rifle he wants. __________________ NRA Life Member

January 27, 2013, 08:40 AM	#30
steveNChunter Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns Posts: 1,520	Mike that sounds like a nice rig you have. 120 grain bullets @ 3250 fps is moving on. Thats right there with the weatherby. Is the 28" barrel length where the .25-06 "peaks out" in velocity? __________________ DEO VINDICE

January 28, 2013, 09:59 PM	#38
steveNChunter Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns Posts: 1,520	^^^^^^AGREED^^^^^ __________________ DEO VINDICE

January 27, 2013, 02:48 AM	#27
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	Scorch,I've never done exactly this job.Would you expect the reamer pilot would be long enough to find the bore to ride on? Does it seem like a good idea to just start the reamer in without the pilot finding a hole to ride on? Seems like,maybe,to do it right you might have to pull the barrel out,and indicate both ends running true to a pin gage in the bore. I suppose then a guy could use a boring bar to just take enough out let the reamer enter far enough to engage the pilot in the bore. That way the chamber would end up concentric to the bore,huh? I was thinking starting it in unpiloted might let it walk off a bit,then when the pilot did find the bore..well it might mangle the lands,or commence to wobbling and dig a flute in the side of the chamber and bust the reamer... But,I don't know for sure,because I never did just that job myself...it could take more than two hours ...maybe. Do you think so?

January 27, 2013, 11:54 AM	#31
jim in anchorage Member Join Date: January 14, 2013 Posts: 19	taylorce1- Why would you need to reblue the action after a feed rail modification? It's the bottom of the rail. I have done them myself with a drill and a grinding stone.

January 27, 2013, 03:25 PM	#33
jim in anchorage Member Join Date: January 14, 2013 Posts: 19	I think this thread will wander forever till the now missing OP tells us what he has and what he wants to do with it.

January 28, 2013, 02:04 AM	#35
BIG P Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2010 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,679	No I havent & wouldnt,Not enought gain for the trouble,might do a AI.

January 28, 2013, 09:54 PM	#37
GeauxTide Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Helena, AL Posts: 4,424	If your barrel is 24", have it chambered and bored for 6.5-06. It'll do everything a 25-06 and a 270 will. Blasts 100gr Noslers to 3400, 120s to 3100, and 129s to 3050. Mine is throated for 140 SMK, so I'm pushing 140 Hornadys 2935. Much easier on barrels than both of the 25s. Oh, and you can use your 25-06 cases.