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Old June 11, 2018, 08:16 PM   #1
MountainMan83
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Mauser Rebarreling Project...Need Advice

Hi all, I’ve recently purchased a beautiful looking custom rifle, built on an early 70’s Interarms Mark X action. I bought it knowing it would need a good bit of work and a rebarreling to a flatter shooter than the 30-06 it’s chambered in now. This is my first time ever purchasing a new barrel for anything. I’m on a semi-tight budget, meaning I would like to spend the least for good quality. I would like to chamber it maybe in .270 Win. or .280 Rem. Either way anybody have recommendations or advice as to how to go about getting a barrel for this action? I would prefer getting a short chambered barrel and getting it put on by the local smith and blued by a friend. Thanks
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Old June 12, 2018, 12:36 AM   #2
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You got a good start on a project gun, Mark X actions are strong and reliable. You can rebarrel to either of your choices pretty easy by buying a profiled, short-chambered barrel from a barrel maker. After finish reaming, your rifle will be an excellent rifle. If you decide to keep the thumb-hole stock, it looks like it need to go on a weight loss program. Or just remove it and drop it into something more to your liking.
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Old June 12, 2018, 01:46 AM   #3
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With our rifle thing,your preference is reason enough. You do things any way you want.
I'll agree a MK 10 is a good receiver.

If I may ask,how does it shoot? If it does not shoot.proceed!

But since you mention a slim budget,there are good hunting bullets between 165 and 180 gr that have darn good ballistic coefficients.(Example,a long range Accu-bond.) I can generally find what I need at Nosler.I like their loaddata with their bullets.

You might notice with IMR or H-4350,or RE-19,you can get some pretty respectable velocity.

Both the 270 and 280 are great hunting cartridges..you can't go wrong with either...

If you go to the Hornady website,they have a ballistic calculator you can use.

Look in the load manuals and come up with achievable BC's and velocities for 270,280,and 30-06.

Plug in a 250 or 300 yd sight in,and run the numbers to as far as you want to shoot.

I'm not saying the 30-06 is flatter. But see how much you gain.

If you are going to use the Max Point Blank system,you might find the actual increase in "MPBR" is not that much.

These days,folks are relying less on MPBR,and more on ranging and correcting,either via knobs like the Leupold CDS,or reticles like the Boone and Crockett.

Once again,do it your way,but if that rifle is accurate,and you are on a budget,consider the barrel dollars could be premium scope dollars.

Good,precise optics will out perform "flat shooting" at longer ranges.

And the 30-06 with efficient bullets is no slouch.

There are a number of choices for barrels. Considering gunsmith labor costs,Lothar Walther has some practice at making a pretty darn sweet pre-threaded,short chambered Mauser barrels of mid range cost.This will give you an idea.http://www.lothar-walther.com/drop-i...oly-steel?c=66

Update: ! went to Nosler's site. For the 30-06,the 168 gr LR Accubond has a BC of about .525,and the 270 will shoot a150 gr LR Accubond with a BC of about .590. Muzzle velocity (max) is a nearly identical 2900 fps.

Yes,the .270 has the advantage.If you sight in a 300 yd zero for both cartridges,the .270will drop about 3 inches less at 600 yds.(51 vs 54 in or 1/2 MOA) Whether that is worth the price of a barrel is your decision

Last edited by HiBC; June 13, 2018 at 09:04 AM.
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Old June 12, 2018, 01:29 PM   #4
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Before you pick your caliber, check the bottom metal to be sure the mag will hold a max COL cartridge. I had an '06 that had to be loaded a little short to cycle. Nice looking rifle!
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Old June 12, 2018, 01:58 PM   #5
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"...on a semi-tight budget..." Decide on how much money you want/can spend first. A good barrel starts at about $300 and go way up. It must be installed by a smithy. Good smithies are very busy people too. So just having a barrel installed takes time.
An Interarms Mark X action is just a large ring Mauser. Easy to find barrels for those. Just not necessarily cheap. And it must be a 'long action' chambering.
How flat a particular cartridge shoots wouldn't be a consideration in my house. Hard to beat the .30-06 as an all purpose cartridge as well.
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Old June 13, 2018, 06:43 AM   #6
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To get to a significantly "flatter shooting" rifle, you need to look at the 25/06. Although I'm a fan of the 280, the 25/06 provides ample energy delivery for most medium game, flatter long range trajectory than the others mentioned, and considerably less recoil than any of the others.
I've killed a bunch of deer, more than a few coyotes, and a couple of elk with a properly loaded 25/06. In fact, due to a shoulder injury, I'm taking a 25/06 to New Mexico this fall as my primary elk killer.
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Old June 13, 2018, 07:09 AM   #7
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I think you should take the NRA Summer School Machine Shop I & II at TSJC. You will have to barrel an action in the class. This includes reaming the chamber.
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Old June 14, 2018, 12:13 AM   #8
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Quote:
Before you pick your caliber, check the bottom metal to be sure the mag will hold a max COL cartridge.
That may apply to military Mausers, but the OP is talking about an Interarms Mark X commercial Mauser that came from the factory in 30-06, as well as 300 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag. The magazine box is plenty long.
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Old June 16, 2018, 06:26 AM   #9
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I did the re-barrel and B&C stock on my Interarms Whitworth Mark X.
Mine was chambered in 270 Win. If you'd like that barrel we can talk.

I bought an E.R. Shaw barrel.
1.5 contour
24" long
Polished
Blued
11 degree recessed crown
Short chambered in 284 Win.
Cost shipped to door $272

So far i'm really enjoying it.

What i'm not enjoying is a 10lb finished rifle.
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Old June 16, 2018, 08:30 AM   #10
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Bingo, the darn things need wheels!

I hear ya. I have a Sears Model 50 in .270. It is the finest rifle I own, not the most expensive, just the best.
Scoped with a 3X9 it is right about 9.5 Lbs.

That's the downside to the beloved Mauser bolt action, they are heavy suckers.
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Old June 16, 2018, 11:58 AM   #11
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30-06 with a 130 grain bullet will shoot nice and flat.
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Old June 16, 2018, 05:30 PM   #12
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Yes. "Flat shooting" cartridges often gain much less than people expect. The problem is they look only at total bullet drop as it would be fired from a horizontal rest and don't realize that with sight height above the bore considered and a 200 yard zero considered and the fact the bullet climbs first and then begins to drop about 55-60% of the way to the 200 yard zero, the practical increase in point-blank range is often only ten yards or so, say from 230 to 240 yards for the flatter gun.

The further advantage to the 30-06 is it burns up barrels more slowly than the other chamberings mentioned (usually around 5000 rounds in match rifles), so if budget is a consideration, I would just work up loads for what you have, first. Perhaps have your gunsmith lap the bolt and receiver lugs, if they need it, and recrown the barrel before giving up on it. (The lapping will help with the next barrel, too, so it's not waste.) You can always change things later.
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Old June 17, 2018, 07:25 PM   #13
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I think folks have different ideas about what is "flat shooting". I'll agree velocity helps to a point,but so does ballistic coefficient.

Someone mentioned the 25-06.Very nice cartridge.I've been using a 257 AI for many years.Its my "go to" pronghorn rifle.I have not tried Berger VLD's,but among the commonly available bullets I prefer the 115 gr Ballistic Tip.I started with 100 gr Sierra Boat tails.I'm not even going to tell you what they chrono'd. Zippy. The 115 gr Ballistic tips were a far better long range pronghorn bullet.
I personally limit my "long ranging" but the 115 Ballistic tip has a BC of .435.

That's not bad,but the bullet companies just don't work as hard on developing new,more efficient bullets for the 25's.
Not like they do 22's,6mm,6.5,7mm,.30,and 338.

A 30-06 certainly can scream a 130 gr bullet out at high velocity, But it won't retain velocity well.It really depends what ranges you want to "shoot flat" over.
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Old June 22, 2018, 01:59 AM   #14
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Well, the end of the discussion arrived as soon as you posted that "you're on a tight budget, yet you expect a quality barrel". If that's the case, give it up and buy a NEW quality rifle in the caliber you desire!
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Old June 22, 2018, 12:45 PM   #15
MountainMan83
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I didn’t actually specify I was on a tight budget, I said “semi-tight budget, meaning I would like to spend the least for good quality.” What I meant by that was getting the most bang for my buck and not overspending for a good barrel. I do appreciate all of the advice everyone has given me on here! I do think I’m going to go with HiBC’s idea and keep it a 30-06. Mainly because it appears as though Stevie Wonder inletted the stock, by hogging everything out and bedding it too high in the stock. I already have a lot of work to do on the stock to do anyway.
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Old June 22, 2018, 06:42 PM   #16
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I have 3 more years of experience then SGW (according to his profile)
I have to disagree, -------or I think I do. Unless I misunderstand his statement, it seems he's saying you can't get a good barrel for less then............... a lot of money.

Or did I misunderstand?


I have a LOT of rifles in my safe and a WHOLE LOT more I have owned since I was in my early teens that had inexpensive barrels on them and many of the shoot sub MOA with about 6-7 shooting 3/8" to 1/4" groups and they have barrels that range from free to about $40 in them.

Spending more is NOT an indication that your new barrel is going to be better.

In some cases, if you get a high prices barrel and it "only" shoots about 1 MOA the makers will replace it (no labor/machine time/ or cost of fitting that barrel is covered as a rule) but not often.

I use what ever barrel or barrel blank my customer asks for, and some of them are in the $500 to $600 range.

But for my own use I often use lower priced barrels and my least accurate rifle that has a barrel in it that cost less then $140 shoot under MOA. I have an 8X57 with a FREE barrel in it that shoots 1/2" to 5/8 with hunting loads. I have a 25-06 that has an Adams and Bennet Close Out Special barrel I got from Miday USA for $38, that shoos 3 shots into a roundish hole that looks like a single 8MM bullet made it. And I have done that several times, so it was not a fluke.

My reason for using the lower priced barrel on my one rifles is simple:

If I ever get a bummer barrel at a low price, the company may replace it too, but if they don't, I can buy 3-4 more for the same price of one of the expensive ones, and the odds have proven to me that I will not get 4 bummers in a row. And with 3-4 barrels to use up I will fire a LOT more rounds, and shooting a lot is a much better way to become skilled at marksmanship then thinking about how accurate you barrel should be.

I mean no offense and I do not wish to "pick a fight" but I am just informing the readers here that cost is not a guarantee of accuracy----ever.

And a low cost is not an indication of poor quality either.

Attention to detail, about the concentricity of the bore, evenness of the bore and rifling, and quality of the shank and chambering job, as well as the way the action is stocked are ALL more important then the cost of the barrel blank. Skill of making the rifle is FAR more important then bragging about the price of the parts.

And shooting a rifle a lot is a better way to increase your skills then spending 4X money and hoping your cash bought you something that's super accurate. Spending that money probably will get you an excellent barrel, but it's NOT guaranteed.

300% to 400% more rounds fired in dedicated practice IS a guarantee that your skill level will increase.

4 barrels at the cost of one is a better way to achieve that goal.


My opinion anyway.
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Old June 22, 2018, 08:44 PM   #17
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I really appreciate you taking the time to write it out and put it into perspective, because SGW’s comment was not needed and needed a rebuttal!
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Old June 24, 2018, 01:09 PM   #18
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Quote:
30-06 with a 130-grain bullet will shoot nice and flat.
However, it is my understanding the 130 grain .30 caliber bullets have thinner jackets (lighter construction intended for varmint shooting as opposed to big game) than 150 grain .30 caliber bullets and may not penetrate well on big game. I found that to be true years ago when I shot a buck with a 130 grain Hornady bullet out of my .308 Winchester...big wound, ruined meat. So much for going to lighter bullets to get flatter shooting.
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Old June 24, 2018, 11:50 PM   #19
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That's a nice rifle to start with for any build. However, I wouldn't change a thing but the stock. If you're on a budget I'd spend the money that I'd use to rebarrel and buy a reloading kit. As other people have hit on already you're not going to see a huge difference between an 06 and any of the other cartridges you mentioned.

The 06 with 150 grain bullets shoots nearly as flat as a .270 with 130 grains when you look at the maximum point blank range (MPBR). The .280 Rem in factory form is pretty wimpy and the 06 will shoot flatter with similar weight bullets out to MPBR. The .280 AI is a different story and will slightly edge out the 06 in MPBR range.

If you reload the .30-06 is far more versatile than the .270 or .280. If you go light with a .308 diameter bullet you have to pick the right one. I'd take the 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip or Accubond over Hornady SST or SP in 130 grain, the Nosler has a thicker jacket and its expansion is more controlled than the Hornady. The Hornady 125 grain GMX or 135 grain Barnes TTSX is a great choice as well and much tougher since they are mono metal designs. I get very close to 3100 FPS out of the 125 Nosler bullets in my daughter's .300 Savage, so I'd expect close to 3300 FPS from an 06.

If you go the rebarrel route I'd just send the barreled action off to ER Shaw, Douglas, or whomever the barrel maker is to have them install the barrel. Most will offer that service and it's usually the most affordable way to get a new barrel. As far as the stock it'll be expensive to get a light weight composite stock, so I'd probably just get a Boyd's JRS Classic in walnut and skip the laminate to save on weight.
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Old June 25, 2018, 04:18 AM   #20
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Keeping it a 30-06, or changing to something else will not matter one bit with the inletting issue you may have.
It's all in the barrel contour. Aka shape of the outside of the barrel.

A #1 contour has the same shape( from that manufacturer) in 223 as it does in 35 Whelen.

Where it may change is from manufacturer to manufacturer.
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Old June 25, 2018, 06:38 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by std7mag
Keeping it a 30-06, or changing to something else will not matter one bit with the inletting issue you may have.
It's all in the barrel contour. Aka shape of the outside of the barrel.
He shouldn't have any issues with the barrel contour if he orders a stock inlet for a Mark X with a factory sporter contour. If you look at the pictures you can tell it is just a sporter contour barrel, nothing fancy. Same thing if the OP replaces the barrel and keeps the stock, just order the factory sporter contour and there won't be any issues.
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Old June 26, 2018, 03:01 PM   #22
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Taylorce,
Please refer to post #20.
" keep it 30-06. As it appearsStevie Wonder inletted the stock" .

Just trying to help a brother out. You and i know of contours, but not everybody does.
Or rather thinks of it that way.
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Old June 26, 2018, 11:25 PM   #23
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I figured if he was wanting to lighten the rifle up. To lighten it the fastest way is to ditch the stock. So my suggestion was just to make sure he orders a the proper inlet for his rifle. I guess I just missunderstood your post.
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