Swap Savage Elite Precision 6.5 CM to PRC

yo-yo · Aug 7, 2024

Hi Everyone -
I'm new to the group. I am looking at picking up a Savage Elite Precision 6.5CM and I want to "convert" it to a 6.5 PRC.
I wondered if anyone has any experience with changing calibers on the Savage 110 Elite Precision series rifles. I want the features of the Elite Precision, but Savage does not make it in the 6.5 PRC (for some weird reason - and they can't tell me why). I want to swap the barrel and the bolt/face from a PRC to an existing elite Precision with a 6.5 Creedmoor. Anyone ever do something like this? It seems to be the most cost effective way to accomplish what I want to do, rather than go to the Impulse action version they do sell in 6.5 PRC.

Thanks for any thoughts you may have!

Thump_rrr · Aug 7, 2024

I believe that Savage only makes the 6.5PRC in large shank.
Measure the length of the barrel nut on both rifles.
Small shank barrels have a 7/8" long barrel nut while large shank barrels have a 5/8" long barrel nut.
There are aftermarket barrels for 6.5PRC made with small shanks.

Pacific Tool and Gauge makes a magnum bolt head for the Savage.

yo-yo · Aug 8, 2024

Thanks. Ah, Gotcha. I called Savage to talk to them about it, and they said something about the size of the shank. 1-1/8" vs. 1-1/16". I didn't understand that information was connected to the fact the only size 6.5 PRC barrel was a large shank. Thanks for clearing that up. I could tell from the images it appeared to be a large shank (I could tell by the length of the barrel nut). I called Savage with the serial number, and they confirmed it was a large shank. Savage also said they would not sell me a barrel, but I found a company called JA Outdoors they appears to buy guns and break them down to sell the parts. They sell Savage actions there, but I'm wondering if I need the entire action, or can I just get another bolt and bolt face for the PRC? I was thinking that might be the easiest if I didn't have to separate the action from the chassis, but just swap the barrel and bolt. Is it that easy?

yo-yo · Aug 8, 2024

I also just realized Savage may not even make a heavy duty barrel in the 6.5 PRC. Savage markets the barrel for the Precision 6.5 PRC differently than the 6.5 Creedmoor. They suggest the Precision 6.5 PRC barrel is "Matte black carbon steel heavy barrel" and the Elite Precision Creedmoor barrel is the Modified Palma contour barrel. Savage also has the Impulse Elite Precision barrel in 6.5 PRC, and market it as..."Precision button rifled, stainless steel, modified Palma contour barrel. I wonder if the Impulse Elite Precision 6.5 PRC barrel is the same heavy duty barrel as the Elite Precision 6.5 Creedmoor and could simply be swapped?

Bandit320 · Aug 8, 2024

Northland Shooter Supplies sells replacement barrels and has very good service and pricing.

Northland Shooters Supply – Providing top-quality affordable shooting components to the shooting industry since the 1990s

northlandshooterssupply.com

As mentioned above Pacific Tool and Guage sells bolt heads.

yo-yo · Aug 8, 2024

Thanks for the reply. Ok, I can give them both a call. Thank you!

tacoman69 · Aug 8, 2024

why would you switch from 6.5 cm to 6.5 prc

yo-yo · Aug 8, 2024

tacoman69 said:
why would you switch from 6.5 cm to 6.5 prc

So I can get a little more distance from the round. I'd like to be able to consider shooting up to about a mile, and I understand the CM becomes subsonic in the range of 1000-1200 yards or so, so I thought the extra velocity on the PRC round would help me stay more stable up to a mile.

fdkay · Aug 8, 2024

You can buy an aftermarket barrel in PRC with a small shank.
Might as well get two. Barrel life is very short.
You can buy the bolthead and barrel from northland

https://northlandshooterssupply.com/prefit-barrels-2/shilen-savage-prefit-barrels/

yo-yo · Aug 9, 2024

fdkay said:
You can buy an aftermarket barrel in PRC with a small shank.
Might as well get two. Barrel life is very short.
You can buy the bolthead and barrel from northland

https://northlandshooterssupply.com/prefit-barrels-2/shilen-savage-prefit-barrels/

Ok. I might have to try an aftermarket barrel. I'm not sure I can actually get a Savage barrel. They won't sell me one, so I was looking at these places like JA Outdoor that appear to get their hands on components taken off new Savage guns. I just thought I'd stay with a Savage barrels to keep things simple.

I will also have a large shank on the Savage action. Appears that Savage made their Elite Precision 6.5CM with two different actions (not sure why or what is happening there). One for small shank, and one for large shank. I figured since they also make the 6.5 PRC in their Impulse Elite Precision line, those barrels may be obtainable and swappable onto the 6.5CM action I will have.

I don't know a lot about the various barrel contours yet either, so I thought I would stick to the Modified Palma Contour they issue with the Elite Precision series. I don't know yet how to choose a different contour.

In regard to the bolts...I'll have to call and talk to NSS. I don't see just bolts or a combo bolt/head on their site, but hopefully one can simply obtain one with a magnum bolt face and just swap into the current action I will have.

tacoman69 · Aug 9, 2024

yo-yo said:
So I can get a little more distance from the round. I'd like to be able to consider shooting up to about a mile, and I understand the CM becomes subsonic in the range of 1000-1200 yards or so, so I thought the extra velocity on the PRC round would help me stay more stable up to a mile.

gotcha. that situation makes sense. i'd probably just get a new rifle though tbh

Thump_rrr · Aug 9, 2024

yo-yo said:
Ok. I might have to try an aftermarket barrel. I'm not sure I can actually get a Savage barrel. They won't sell me one, so I was looking at these places like JA Outdoor that appear to get their hands on components taken off new Savage guns. I just thought I'd stay with a Savage barrels to keep things simple.

I will also have a large shank on the Savage action. Appears that Savage made their Elite Precision 6.5CM with two different actions (not sure why or what is happening there). One for small shank, and one for large shank. I figured since they also make the 6.5 PRC in their Impulse Elite Precision line, those barrels may be obtainable and swappable onto the 6.5CM action I will have.

I don't know a lot about the various barrel contours yet either, so I thought I would stick to the Modified Palma Contour they issue with the Elite Precision series. I don't know yet how to choose a different contour.

In regard to the bolts...I'll have to call and talk to NSS. I don't see just bolts or a combo bolt/head on their site, but hopefully one can simply obtain one with a magnum bolt face and just swap into the current action I will have.

The Savage elite precision with a large shank is for 338 Lapua which is a long action.
I don’t believe they make an elite precision in short action with a large shank.

yo-yo · Aug 9, 2024

Thump_rrr said:
The Savage elite precision with a large shank is for 338 Lapua which is a long action.
I don’t believe they make an elite precision in short action with a large shank.

That's what I would have thought too. I called Savage with the serial number and they confirmed the large shank. When looking at the barrel nut on it, I can also see it is the shorter length nut, in this image, so it must also be a large shank. Interesting.

yo-yo · Aug 9, 2024

tacoman69 said:
gotcha. that situation makes sense. i'd probably just get a new rifle though tbh

Savage doesn't make the PRC in an Elite Precision, so this was the only way to do it. And for the cost...there isn't an affordable way to by another similar gun. Savage seems to have done a reasonable job getting their guns equipped with the MDT chassis fairly affordable. I'm still new to all this, so perhaps people with custom build experience could get the same build for similar cost.

Zorn · Sep 11, 2024

I have the same 65 CM Elite Precision rifle and it has a large lug nut also. I though about changing it to a PRC also.
I was thinking about just having the chamber reamed for the PRC and changing the bolt face which is easy. Actually still thinking about doing it. One thing holding me back is all the reloading bass and dies I have for the CM and this is my only 65 CM rifle.

yo-yo · Sep 12, 2024

Zorn said:
I have the same 65 CM Elite Precision rifle and it has a large lug nut also. I though about changing it to a PRC also.
I was thinking about just having the chamber reamed for the PRC and changing the bolt face which is easy. Actually still thinking about doing it. One thing holding me back is all the reloading bass and dies I have for the CM and this is my only 65 CM rifle.

Nice! Yeah, it’s a pretty cool gun! Yeah, I hear ya about reloading dies and such. I just bought the Forster Ultra Die Set. I decided to shoot this one the rest of this year before I convert. One good thing might be to buy a new barrel, and keep your CM barrel. In theory, you should be able to swap back and forth, so you could keep all the CM reloading stuff too, and use it again if you wanted to switch back. It’s supposed to be quick and easy to swap the bolt face, so if it’s true that one can swap barrels, and the Precision machining is good enough to do this without adjustment needed by a gunsmith, then you could swap calibers back and forth and take advantage of lower shooting costs with the CM.

joelpend · Sep 13, 2024

Converting from 308 to Magnum may not be as simple as replacing the bolt head. I purchased 2 SEP rifles in 223. It was a few months between the purchases. They had 2 totally different firing pin mechanisms which surprised me. They have apparently transitioned to a new design to save cost. I do not care for the new design personally. I converted one rifle to a magnum BF. The bolt head (lugs) length was different between a 223 and a magnum which required a different length firing pin assembly. I had a heck of a time getting the parts to build a new firing pin assembly. Finally got them from Savage but I had a FFL at the time. One would not be able to get them without a FFL. You need to check the length of your 308 bolt head lugs vs a magnum bolt head for firing pin compatibility.

yo-yo · Sep 13, 2024

joelpend said:
Converting from 308 to Magnum may not be as simple as replacing the bolt head. I purchased 2 SEP rifles in 223. It was a few months between the purchases. They had 2 totally different firing pin mechanisms which surprised me. They have apparently transitioned to a new design to save cost. I do not care for the new design personally. I converted one rifle to a magnum BF. The bolt head (lugs) length was different between a 223 and a magnum which required a different length firing pin assembly. I had a heck of a time getting the parts to build a new firing pin assembly. Finally got them from Savage but I had a FFL at the time. One would not be able to get them without a FFL. You need to check the length of your 308 bolt head lugs vs a magnum bolt head for firing pin compatibility.

Interesting. I wouldn't have expected that kind of issue. I wonder if I'll run into that as well. I know Savage had two different styles of barrel nut, securing the same size barrel to (apparently) different style actions on the Elite Precision guns. I wonder if I'll run into other issues like this when I do the swap.
This might be a dumb question, but couldn't I engage any entity that has an FFL license to buy something from Savage, where an FFL is required? That's always puzzled me. Why doesn't Savage suggest they can sell the parts I want, to an FFL, rather than just tell me they can't sell them to me?

spife7980 · Sep 13, 2024

yo-yo said:
This might be a dumb question, but couldn't I engage any entity that has an FFL license to buy something from Savage, where an FFL is required? That's always puzzled me. Why doesn't Savage suggest they can sell the parts I want, to an FFL, rather than just tell me they can't sell them to me?

You could. And because their lawyers have em scared.
Stay consistent and offer actual measurements and usually they’ll wear down and mail the parts out once you’ve proved your competency from what I’ve read

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Swap Savage Elite Precision 6.5 CM to PRC

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