How do you justify rebarreling a gun

I had a Schultz and Larsen Match 308 Barrel installed on a Cooper 54 that wouldn't group...$600 from start to finish for new barrel. Money well spent...it now shoots little bug sized groups. It's now my GO TO RIFLE....and a friend Rebarreled it...How good is that.
 
Phoned the gun smith today and asked if he had a 25 caliber barrel there or I would buy one and take it too him .. He told me he had no barrels there and it was best too just by a Weatherby Vanguard instead of rebarreling my gun ..Told me the Weatherby was Guaranteed a MOA and was less than a rebarrel job ..
 
Phoned the gun smith today and asked if he had a 25 caliber barrel there or I would buy one and take it too him .. He told me he had no barrels there and it was best too just by a Weatherby Vanguard instead of rebarreling my gun ..Told me the Weatherby was Guaranteed a MOA and was less than a rebarrel job ..

Sounds like a #### smith. Find another one.
 
Phoned the gun smith today and asked if he had a 25 caliber barrel there or I would buy one and take it too him .. He told me he had no barrels there and it was best too just by a Weatherby Vanguard instead of rebarreling my gun ..Told me the Weatherby was Guaranteed a MOA and was less than a rebarrel job ..

Sounds like your gunsmith is a realist.
 
A good bbl job on a rifle you like and will use a lot is not really that expensive over the long run.
 
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Sounds like your gunsmith is a realist.

But not much of a business man...

I rebarrel when I can't find what I want in a platform that I want to shoot... if it is a configuration available as a factory offering then I purchase new or watch the used market until one comes up... they always come up...
 
Sounds like he does not need the money... 500 dollars worth of work is 500 dollars worth of work

Did you ask him the same question as you asked us? There are plenty of reasons to rebarrel a rifle, but to justify it in dollars and cents is harder. Justifying a custom rifle is also pretty tough, if you want the pay-off to be in more dead critters. 500 bucks doesn't go very far in changing someone's opinion.
 
Gaillard, MacLennan, McPhee and Jury come to mind for Canadian barrel manufactures. Benchmark barrels out of Seattle? are good barrels and the wait time right now is about 4 months which is very short. I waited maybe over a year to get some barrels from Bartlien. Also, whoever quoted you a $1000 is gouging. Make sure you keep your old barrel because you never know when it may come in handy as a fire forming barrel one day.
you forgot Ron Smith- RKS barrels!
Cat
 
But not much of a business man...

I rebarrel when I can't find what I want in a platform that I want to shoot... if it is a configuration available as a factory offering then I purchase new or watch the used market until one comes up... they always come up...

I also buy rifles constantly, and build and modify them just as constantly. Most of it is just because I want to, or because I can. Very little of it can be justified from a dollar and cents point of view. Gunsmiths are constantly turning down work, or advising people that the piece isn't worth the work unless the sentimental value is high. Most of them are months behind anyway so advising against work doesn't cost them out of pocket.
 
I had one lined up at big horn for 541 shipped too my door .. But now I am on hold mode ...I have all the dies and brass and powder and bullets for 257 Roberts and I tryed too tell him Weatherby Vangaurd does not come in 257 Roberts.. You can get 25-06 ,, so the bullets and powder would be all you use ..

He thinks .. just keep the gun like it is and I can still use it for deer at closer range and buy another gun

TOO much work ... Or maybe he feels that the 500 quote he gave me is too low and now he does not want to do it ,
Once he told me a 1000.00 .. He probably thought I would just not bother with it ..
 
I fall under all three reasons ,, The action is a 33/40 Mauser; a very popular action to build guns off and it is chambered in 257 roberts .. I really like the gun but it does shoot 3 moa.... and the rest of the gun is in great shape ..
But I could still use the gun as is for deer hunting at closer ranges .. and buy another gun with the money I will spend on a rebarrel .

I already have a barrel lined up I think .. It is a number 4 contour though and the one I have on the gun now is a number 1 .. Should be accurate anyway .. Maybe even get away with a bit shorter barrel
A 33/40 in 257Rob would be a very nice project. I dont think you would regret getting the new bbl for a rifle that will be owned a long time.

The Roberts doesnt give up much to the 25/06 and considering the fact that we dont do much longer range shooting on game here in Eastern Canada you wont be disappointed with that chamber. Very very few Roberts owners have negativity towards it.

Go with original plan. Get the Roberts don by a smith who wants the work and will do it right. Do some asking around before commiting and be patient with waiting times. You might not get to use that rifle till next year. Sounds like a nice rifle that will be worth the wait anyways.
 
Gary at big horn says he knows a gun smith that will do the work ... May have too have it shipped .. there and back .. more money I guess . I do not drink or smoke so I guess I need too spend the money on something :::))))
See what he can come up with .
 
I was in the situation of having bought a worn out 257.
I did the mistake to re-barrel it,
and the re-barreling was about 750 all in (18 years ago),
done by a sponsor of this site.

The new barrel was shooting relatively good from a cold bore,
but it was overheating badly.
When the barrel was warm/hot it shot badly.
A 5 shot group in 5 minutes time was 3-4moa.
I sold it for peanuts, the new owner re-barreled it for 7mm Mauser,
he still has it and still shoots it.

I will NEVER buy a 257 again.
 
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I also buy rifles constantly, and build and modify them just as constantly. Most of it is just because I want to, or because I can. Very little of it can be justified from a dollar and cents point of view. Gunsmiths are constantly turning down work, or advising people that the piece isn't worth the work unless the sentimental value is high. Most of them are months behind anyway so advising against work doesn't cost them out of pocket.

That is a pure labour job... cash in his pocket... but there are other reasons for turning away work. I used to make custom golf clubs... if during a fitting, the customer was preoccupied with the "cost," I would refer them to Golf Town or Costco or Crappy Tire, but I turned down the work... IME 95% of unhappy customers come from the group that place price as their number one priority... their discontent is internal and they are preconditioned to disappointment... I didn't need that hassle... but loved working with those that want to see improvement in their games... to be honest, the swing tips during fitting probably helped more than the equipment tweaking... which is probably the same for shooting.
 
I was in the situation of having bought a worn out 257.
I did the mistake to re-barrel it,
and the re-barreling was about 750 all in (18 years ago),
done by a sponsor of this site.

The new barrel was shooting relatively good from a cold bore,
but it was overheating badly.
When the barrel was warm/hot it shot badly.
A 5 shot group in 5 minutes time was 3-4moa.
I sold it for peanuts, the new owner re-barreled it for 7mm Mauser,
he still has it and still shoots it.

I will NEVER buy a 257 again.
There could be any number of factors for that rifle not shooting well. Being a 257Roberts isnt one of them.

Too bad you got burned so bad on that one, it's a great round that most owners like a lot.
 
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