Gunsmithing Barrel/caliber conversion from .260 to 6.5 CM

[Dad_Bod]

I’m putting my first bolt action together and found a good deal on a Remington 700 in .260 remington. If I wanted to switch it to a 6.5 creedmoor, would it be as simple as a barrel swap for a gun smith? Am I over simplifying this in my mind or would it require a more?

 

[TxWelder35]

Yes all it needs is a barrel swap. Not sure why you want to get rid of that 260 barrel though

 

[GBMaryland]

Due to a certain ethnic heritage I must refrain from saying the “260 is the master race” of 6.5 calibers.... ahem.

however, the way I see it is that for only an extea 50 ft./s difference it’s probably easier just to get a 6.5 CM.

(there’s a lot more options for 6.5 CM then there is for 260 Remington from a factory ammo perspective.)

that’s not to say that when I had benchmark barrels make me a whole bunch of barrels for my SSG 3000 I didn’t get a couple of 260 barrels, It’s just that you have to be shooting a really far distance before 50 ft./s really makes that much of a difference.

 

[hafejd30]

Yes just a barrel swap. As stated above tho no reason to unless you have a legit reason to switch, like your guns shoots better with rounds to long to Mag load or your running factory ammo and do it to justify the cost/availability difference.

Both will do the same thing. Properly set up the 260 will do it better.

A smith may be able to rechamber the current barrel. But you could remage it with a prefit as well for decent $

 

[TxWelder35]

Due to a certain ethnic heritage I must refrain from saying the “260 is the master race” of 6.5 calibers.... ahem.

however, the way I see it is that for only an extea 50 ft./s difference it’s probably easier just to get a 6.5 CM.

(there’s a lot more options for 6.5 CM then there is for 260 Remington from a factory ammo perspective.)

that’s not to say that when I had benchmark barrels make me a whole bunch of barrels for my SSG 3000 I didn’t get a couple of 260 barrels, It’s just that you have to be shooting a really far distance before 50 ft./s really makes that much of a difference.

Plenty of good factory ammo for 260. Berger and prime both come to mind

 

[Dad_Bod]

Thanks for the help.
The original plan was to go semi custom with a 700 base and build from there. I wanted to get a proof carbon barrel, fancy hunting stock, blah blah blah.
The rifle I found is basically just a hundred dollars more than the stand alone action so I have a few extra bucks to build it out. I figure if I’m going to upgrade the barrel and it’s not too much effort, I’ll switch to 6.5 CM. I don’t reload so off the shelf options would be nice.
Master race aside, I could be persuaded into any caliber that would be a relatively easy change. This will be a deer/plinking gun.

 

[TxWelder35]

Thanks for the help.
The original plan was to go semi custom with a 700 base and build from there. I wanted to get a proof carbon barrel, fancy hunting stock, blah blah blah.
The rifle I found is basically just a hundred dollars more than the stand alone action so I have a few extra bucks to build it out. I figure if I’m going to upgrade the barrel and it’s not too much effort, I’ll switch to 6.5 CM. I don’t reload so off the shelf options would be nice.
Master race aside, I could be persuaded into any caliber that would be a relatively easy change. This will be a deer/plinking gun.

if you are pulling the barrel regardless to put a carbon on, you won’t regret 6.5cm.

i love my 260, but you can’t find factory ammo many places. Usually have to order it. 6.5 is the easy button.

 

[hafejd30]

Thanks for the help.
The original plan was to go semi custom with a 700 base and build from there. I wanted to get a proof carbon barrel, fancy hunting stock, blah blah blah.
The rifle I found is basically just a hundred dollars more than the stand alone action so I have a few extra bucks to build it out. I figure if I’m going to upgrade the barrel and it’s not too much effort, I’ll switch to 6.5 CM. I don’t reload so off the shelf options would be nice.
Master race aside, I could be persuaded into any caliber that would be a relatively easy change. This will be a deer/plinking gun.

In your case just go 6.5. You won’t likely see the advantage of the 260 unless your really stretching the platform out. 6.5 ammo will be cheaper and more readily available

If you ever decide to reload the 6.5 will be less likely to give you overall length issues. With 260 you can run into issues trying to mag feed longer high bc bullets when you set close to lands

If your pulling the barrel just go 6.5. Ive shot and reload for both. In your case that’s the route I would go

 

[Dad_Bod]

When you build rifles, do you prefer to start with a stand alone action and build from there or do you like to have a complete rifle that is then stripped for parts like a donor car for a vintage car build?

 

[hafejd30]

When you build rifles, do you prefer to start with a stand alone action and build from there or do you like to have a complete rifle that is then stripped for parts like a donor car for a vintage car build?

Most people will tell you to go with a stand alone action. But it will be a defiance or Origin

I’d say the answer to your question on a Rem
700 complete vs action would depend on price. Most takeoff parts won’t yield much for return in the $$ aspect.

Either way the action will need work to bring close to same level as the 2 actions mentioned above. If the price of your action/donor and cost of work to be done are high enough it makes more sense to go with a better action from the start.

Also keep in mind the return investment if you sell the action will be better on the aftermarket vs a worked over factory 700

 

[bradthemarine]

If you’re already set on taking taking the rifle straight to the gunsmith, I’d just start with the action. That being said, factory takeoff barrels are listed on eBay right now from $139 (260Rem) to the $220s (6.5Creed). You might make a little money back but may not be worth the hassle.

If you’re looking to save a bit of money or spread out the cost of the build, you could get the 260 now and invest in a stock, trigger and scope. Shoot the 260 for a season and see how it meets your requirements. You can find 260 ammunition for whatever your shooting purpose but you’ll probably need to get it online instead of Walmart. This will also give you a season to figure out what you like and don’t like in a bolt gun.

If you do rebarrel, go with the 6.5 Creedmoor just for the ammunition availability. I love my 260 but if you don’t reload I think the 6.5 is a better choice.

Last thing, you didn’t mention the exact price of the 260 but Dicks sells a 700 ADL Tactical (24 inch threaded barrel) in 6.5 Creedmoor for $479 right now. That strikes me as about the cost of an action plus ~$120ish. Bass Pro and Cabelas also have a 700 ADL Varmint (26 inch unthreaded barrel) for $499. That may be a little bit more than your 260 but if you’re gonna shoot the barreled action at all, it might be worth the extra $20-50 for cheaper and more available ammunition with the 6.5.

Good luck, please let us know how it goes.

 

[Dad_Bod]

So what I picked up was an essentially new (50rounds fired) 700 magpul. I’m thinking I’ll sell the barrel, upgrade to the proof barrel, upgrade to a Timney, throw on some decent optics, and see how I feel about the stock for a season or so. Not buying a new stock out of the gate saves me 400-600 and the donor rifle was half the price of origin or defiance.

What do you all think about barrel length and twist rate on the 6.5? Hunting shots will be inside of 300-400 and plinking will rarely be our much further but it would be fun to push the limit occasionally.

 

[bradthemarine]

I shoot 140-143 grain bullets around 2800fps in a 1-8 twist. You might find a factory round that likes a faster twist but I think 1-8 is pretty standard for 6.5 Creedmoor.

IMHO, barrel length is completely up to your wants and needs. If you’re gonna target shoot out to 1200 yards or take elk from 400 yards, I’d go with a 24-26 inch barrel to carry all the velocity and energy I can get. If elk aren’t on the menu and your range doesn’t go past 600 yards, you can get away with a shorter barrel. Do you want to run a can in the future?

Here’s a little data to nerd out on while making that decision.

6.5 Creedmoor- Effects of Barrel Length on Velocity 2019

“We do it right because we do it twice!”Greg Wagner, Wildlife Photographer Background The 6.5 Creedmoor has become one of the most popular center-fire cartridges in the precision rifle …

rifleshooter.com

6.5 Creedmoor Barrel Speed: Can shorter barrels shoot faster?

Barrel Speed: 6.5 Creedmoor Bartlein vs. Factory barrel muzzle velocities In addition to gunsmithing and reloading content, rifleshooter.com is well known for the barrel length vs muzzle velocity e…

rifleshooter.com

 

[flatland1]

Unless I'm mistaken, Remington never got the message on twist rates for their 260 Rem bbls; unless they finally started selling 260s with 1-8tw bbls, any of the older ones have slower twist rates that aren't really well-suited for use with 140gr bullets. That's a good enough reason to replace the bbl and go with a custom with correct twist rate...

 

[Dad_Bod]

is there a chart of some kind that indicates which rounds are easy to swap like this .260 and 6.5Cm. Could I have done the same thing with a .308? I couldn’t do a 6.5 RPM though because it would need to have a magnum. What about .270?

still wrapping my head around all of the details that make for an easy(ish) change.

Are there some actions that are easier to work on than others? I like to tinker and often change things up after a season. Tikka, Remington, Howa (weatherby vanguard) seem to be the favorites of the non custom space.
I’ve seen Remington actions sold stand alone but I’ve never seen a Tikka or Howa.

 

[Unknown]

Many years ago, before the 6.5 Creedmoor was really popular, Hornady was the only ammo maker who produced 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, so I built a 260 Remington because ammo availability was the same, but making brass out for the 260 was far easier than making or buying brass for the Creedmoor. Things have changed, and now the Creedmoor is more readily available, but my 260 still works, so there is no incentive for me to change until the barrel goes. Even when it does go, as long as I have lots of Lapua 260 brass, I may still stay with the 260.

Ballistically, there isn't enough difference between the 260 or the Creedmoor to make any selection based on ballistics. Other factors such as ammo availability, ease of loading, what components and dies do I have on hand, would be more important in my decision.

 

[Steel head]

Plenty of good factory ammo for 260. Berger and prime both come to mind

Federal GMM 142 is excellent as well.

 

[microsuck]

Also, technically any .308 size bolt face short action receiver will work also. You can usually find .243 donor guns pretty cheap. You might consider selling the .260 take off barrel also. Some guy might like to upgrade his .308.