Question for Multi-Caliber Rifle Owners

[powerspc]

I’ve been shooting a Cadex Kraken in three different calibers (.338LM, .300WM, .308) for a little over a year now and really loving it. I’ve been toying with the idea of expanding my horizons into 6.5CM so I started to build out a Masterpiece Arms when it suddenly occurred to me, “Hey knucklehead, you already have the chasis, bolt and magazines, all you need is a barrel for the Cadex”. That got me thinking; for the folks that are shooting multi-caliber rifles are you just running the table on barrels or are there calibers that you want to have a dedicated platform for? If it matters these are what I consider range rifles only, i.e., I don't hunt or work with them. Curious what others are doing.

 

[matleez]

Price wise I'd do just another barrel. I just recently bought into a desert tech so I'll be running 2 guns for a while until I decide to sell it.

 

[BurnOut]

In my case, I tend to spec rifles for a given use case... so if I am always going to be using the rifle (in whatever chambering) shooting from a bench (or position that I can easily approach with a vehicle), I'm much more likely to get an additional barrel in the chambering that I want for my multi-caliber setup. However, if it's something where I'm going to have a more specific use for the rifle (carrying it for long distances, etc...), I am more likely to build a dedicated rifle (to include matching the optic to the intended use of the gun).

So, for instance, I have multiple barrels to shoot .308, .260 Rem, and 6.5 Creedmoor from a multi-caliber setup with a 4.5-27x56 optic on it... nothing that I want to carry very far (I'm fat and lazy). However, I put together a dedicated ~10 lb rifle in 6mm Creedmoor (with a 4.5-18x44 optic) as kind of a walking varmint/whitetail rig.

It's all about what kind of shooting you want to do with the cartridge in question, IMO.

 

[mcfred]

I've got a lathe, reamers, and vice/wrench. I just buy separate barrels for the various calibers I want to shoot and swap them around as necessary.

 

[theLBC]

i'd want a different rifle just because i might want to shoot more than one caliber without swapping barrels, or i might want to let another shooter use one of them.

 

[Nik H]

I bought my AI for a reason and that was to take advantage of a single chassis platform/optic to get used to. I change barrels when I want a new caliber that way I never have to learn different positions for a different chassis and optic. I find that muscle memory for me is a difficult thing to unlearn so I want to be shooting one platform....YMMV

 

[powerspc]

I ordered a barrel, I think I would have probably ended up getting the 6.5 barrel at some point anyway so made sense to start there. As always, I really appreciate the feedback!

 

[blbennett1288]

AI AX owner here. I currently run .308 and 6.5CM. I am about to add a 6BR. I really enjoy the setup.

I initially tried a switch barrel system in 6.5CM and .223 with a TL3 and BarLoc. It didn’t work as well as I thought in theory it would.

Biggest thing is finding a scope that can adjust easily for the caliber changes. Tangent Theta with the tool-less turrets is excellent. The ATACR’s are nice because you can set the zero stop where you want; so you can have 1mil below zero if need be.

 

[powerspc]

AI AX owner here. I currently run .308 and 6.5CM. I am about to add a 6BR. I really enjoy the setup.

I initially tried a switch barrel system in 6.5CM and .223 with a TL3 and BarLoc. It didn’t work as well as I thought in theory it would.

Biggest thing is finding a scope that can adjust easily for the caliber changes. Tangent Theta with the tool-less turrets is excellent. The ATACR’s are nice because you can set the zero stop where you want; so you can have 1mil below zero if need be.

Yup, I'm using a TT525P, works great, holds zero.

 

[blbennett1288]

Yup, I'm using a TT525P, works great, holds zero.

Right now I am using a TT525 also. I am going to give ZCO a try for a bit, see how it works out.

 

[Fig]

I don't know anyone who switches back and forth a lot on the range between different short action calibers on rifle that has field capable barrel swaps. I have an MPA switch-lug (I can change a barrel in the field in 5min), and I just use it to change barrels so my comp rifle is never down when a barrel lets go.

I have way too much 6X47 stuff to change on a whim or chase the new shiny. The only time I even pay attention or think about another caliber is when 500 pieces of Lapua brass start letting go and it's time to buy another batch. It's a long way to the cost of a whole new rifle when you think about brass, dies, bullets, and a barrel. Then there's the whole process of figuring it out and burning barrel life on a brand new barrel getting the load to shoot under a minute for a 250 round match. If it's not an easy one to tune that can be significant, or at lease it feels significant to me if I don't have a shot out barrel to at least form brass and find the nodes. I always feel like I'm wasting money developing a load for a new cartridge with a new barrel....

 

[Grog11]

I’ve been shooting a Cadex Kraken in three different calibers (.338LM, .300WM, .308) for a little over a year now and really loving it. I’ve been toying with the idea of expanding my horizons into 6.5CM so I started to build out a Masterpiece Arms when it suddenly occurred to me, “Hey knucklehead, you already have the chasis, bolt and magazines, all you need is a barrel for the Cadex”. That got me thinking; for the folks that are shooting multi-caliber rifles are you just running the table on barrels or are there calibers that you want to have a dedicated platform for? If it matters these are what I consider range rifles only, i.e., I don't hunt or work with them. Curious what others are doing.

I’m doing exactly what you are doing with a lite strike with the same scope and a Vector. I’ve changed at the range before and it’s convenient to just have one rifle I’m comfortable with. I have 6 BR for match and .223 and .308 for practice. With that set up, it makes $ sense and practical sense to use the same set-up.

 

[Fig]

I get the .223 for practice. Why the .308? Just for barrel life?

 

[matleez]

I get the .223 for practice. Why the .308? Just for barrel life?

Probably because recoil management ?‍ that's what I'd use one for and reading wind

 

[Fig]

Maybe it's wasteful, but I feel like if I'm not dry-firing that practicing with what I shoot in the match gives me the best practice. I figure in a normal year I probably burn an extra barrel at least because of it, but...oh well.

 

[Farmerbrown32]

Ive got the DT bug bad now. I just do another barrel when i feel the itch for a new caliber. That way you dont have to get used to a new platform.

 

[trophyhunter]

AI AX owner here, I swap barrels often for just testing and tryin weird shit. I shoot 6BRA for comps, shorty suppressed 308 for hunting or bored and cheap ammo and recently started switching to 223 in my rifle for ultra cheap ammo and cheap trigger time. Goofing around with 223 is just plain fun. Have been running ZCO for a bit and just recently jumped in a TT H59 so gonna give that a try. Swapping zero is super fast, knowing what my barrel do makes zeroing easy.

So I usually switch between 2 calibers in a range session.

In the next few days I’ll be toying with a 300wsm in my AX and most likely make that my dedicated hunting barrel.

1 rifle, 1 scope, 1 trigger, almost any caliber known to man ?

 

[Dthomas3523]

Same as above.

Running an AI-AT and shortly will have .223, .308, 6cm, 6.5cm, and 6 dasher barrels.

Prefer zco, but the tooless theta turrets make life much easier.

I’ve found that over time, continually messing with turret screws allows for a lot of user error that makes it easy to strip screws when you’re in a hurry or don’t have the hex key in at the perfect angle.