Remington 541T rebarrel/stock options

[OldDawg]

Sorry about the long post…..
So I have this 541T that I’ve had for 30 years or so. Until I moved to my current location, I’ve always shot it occasionally at the range, but now I can take pot shots at ground squirrels and I’m certainly having more fun with it.
I always end up in this circular thinking that when things are good with a gun, I want better, when they’re better I want great. Maybe that’s just what we do?
Question, has anyone ever rebarreled a 541T and been satisfied with the improvement vs the investment? I wrestle with the `journey’ of chasing accuracy with this gun because the 541T’s doesn’t have a match grade action, and often wonder if I set my sights on investing in upgrades( limited stock options) if I would be better saving that money towards a V22 for instance? Not the same animal, I know. Thanks for your input.

 

[kl3309]

Leave the 541 alone, it is what it is and throwing money at it will just ruin it. If you're looking for a project, go with a CZ 457 (or 455) and build that up. If the goal is to have a no-compromise turn-key match rifle, get a Vudoo.

 

[Merlin O]

I'm with 3309. My 541 shot well with decent ammo and spending 700.00 for a tenth in anything less that a full on competition rifle is, IMHO, not worth doing. Also you now have a rifle that has value other than just being a shooter. A re-barrel will gain little in accuracy and lose a lot in collector value. If your rifle is a visual POS, beat up or cut on and is not factory the value of the rifle as a collector is not something to worry about but if its nice, leave it be.

Just my .02.

 

[OldDawg]

Leave the 541 alone, it is what it is and throwing money at it will just ruin it. If you're looking for a project, go with a CZ 457 (or 455) and build that up. If the goal is to have a no-compromise turn-key match rifle, get a Vudoo.

Exactly why I was having second thoughts about modifying it. It almost felt sacrilegious to mess with it. It isn’t a bad shooter, it’s just easy to get caught up in that whole accuracy thang ! Thanks for your input.

 

[OldDawg]

I'm with 3309. My 541 shot well with decent ammo and spending 700.00 for a tenth in anything less that a full on competition rifle is, IMHO, not worth doing. Also you now have a rifle that has value other than just being a shooter. A re-barrel will gain little in accuracy and lose a lot in collector value. If your rifle is a visual POS, beat up or cut on and is not factory the value of the rifle as a collector is not something to worry about but if its nice, leave it be.

Just my .02.

It’s in pretty awesome shape for an old gal. Other than a scope upgrade, she’s staying stock. Thanks for your input.

 

[flatland1]

I was kind of hoping that someone who'd re-barreled his or her Rem 541T would reply, as I'm in the same boat as the OP. My 541T was purchased with the winnings from one of our club's matches almost 30yrs ago, so has some sentimental value. It shot great with a case of Win Super-X that I bought in '92, but I never really did any lot testing with SK, Lapua, or Eley or any other match grade ammo in it. The last time I checked with my Hawkeye, the bore looks to have some very slight pitting, and since I have the ability to fit & chamber a new barrel for it - and the experience, having done barrels for a couple of Rem 40X/XB repeaters, a Stiller 2500XR, several CZ 455 & 457s, several Vudoo V-22s, and a Zermatt Rim-X, it's still something I think about from time to time. But since putting Shilen select match ratchet rifled bbls on two of my CZ457s (including a 457 American which has a nice stock that's far more attractive than the one on my 541T), I've now got a very attractive & very accurate sporter, so the desire to mess with the 541T has slipped a bit...

 

[Merlin O]

A friend has a restocked 541 with an Anschutz barrel on it ( changed for Silhouette shooting) and it "might" shoot a little better than the factory barrel but it is really a nice gun for it's new intended usage. I believe he has it for sale right now on Steel Chickens. A quality smith installing a quality barrel on a quality action will nearly always shoot better than any factory rifle. I personally would rather find a decent donor action to build from than to cut up a nice "collectable."

 

[oldiephrt]

Doesn't the 541 have a pressed fit barrel? I was thinking how hard it would be to go full anal if this is so.

 

[Merlin O]

Two pins on the bottom at the tenon with a press fit I believe. I little locktite would probably do it by itself with a good press-fit. Or there is always thread the barrel and receiver. I have an Anschutz take off barrel glued into my CZ 457 receiver and no cuts or pins and it works perfectly.
Just my .02.

 

[flatland1]

Two pins on the bottom at the tenon with a press fit I believe. I little locktite would probably do it by itself with a good press-fit. Or there is always thread the barrel and receiver. I have an Anschutz take off barrel glued into my CZ 457 receiver and no cuts or pins and it works perfectly.
Just my .02.

Merlin,
That's what I did while fitting the two Shilen bbls to my CZ457s - cut the shanks to be a good fit, then used LocTite #609 retaining compound to secure them in place. No ugly grub screw cuts right over the chamber area.

 

[oldiephrt]

flatland1,Merlin O That is good info right Thar.

 

[Rider47]

Resurrecting a thread from last year . . .

Among other options I'm considering building a PRS rifle using my 541-T as a base. (I would also consider shooting some BR matches with it in the PRS/MARS off season.) I've had this rifle for several decades and it was "accurized" a long time ago by Brian Voelker, so the original barrel has been threaded to the action. For the record, I would NOT use or alter my original wood stock, and would pillar/epoxy bed the action into some other stock (NOT a chassis). I have NO INTEREST in buying a RimX or Vodoo. I want 1) something different (but still competitive in PRS) and 2) to build (assemble) it myself.

Has anyone re-barrelled a 541 with a heavy SS match barrel? Can the 541 action support a 1.200" barrel?

 

[flatland1]

Just got my 541-T out to measure the action diameter - it's 1.011". Seems a bit counterproductive to try to fit a 1.200" dia bbl to such a small action...
It's been a long time since I've seen or handled a 541-TH with the factory heavy bbl - have you seen or handled one yourself? Might give you an idea as to how heavy you really want to go on your 541-T.

 

[nockhunter]

The problem I have had with my 541T is the magazines. I have factory 5 round mags that work well, I just can't find any good 10 rounders. Someone on the 6mm BR forums makes steel 10 round mags, but I have never used them. The accuracy is there, just not the other support stuff. stocks/chassis, magazine, etc.

Mike

 

[Rider47]

I have a 541-T, accurized as stated previously. I note that B.Voelker beds only the action, with the barrel completely free floated (but the T barrel is not nearly the diameter I am considering). I have five of the dreaded plastic 10 round mags, but have fixed these so that they function well.

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/threads/got-my-first-541.1239699/page-2#post-12606163

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/threads/got-my-first-541.1239699/page-3#post-12745579

While the 541 feeds well from the fixed 10 round mags, it is not the smoothest action (like some CZ's I've shot), and the mags are somewhat stiff to insert, but good enough for PRS.

 

[flatland1]

I bought a couple of stainless steel 5-rd mags for my 541-T after having no luck with the Rem poly 10-rd mags. The guy who built the SS mags sent a sheet of instructions for fine-tuning the feeding of these nice mags; I wasn't aware that Mr. Reed was making 10rd mags for the 541-T.

 

[Rider47]

I have restocked my 541- T with the trigger, action and barrel into a Boyd's Varmint stock. Made my own pillars (3/4" and 3/8" diameter) and epoxy/pillar bedded the action with the barrel free floated. (Side note: My bedding, even with custom pillars, pales in comparison to the Voelker bedding job.) A short arca rail was added and the 20MOA base was fitted with a Vortex Strike Eagle 6-25X. Shoots great. (Won $20 in one part of a "fun" BR match last week. - Shooting NRL22 later this morning.) The modified plastic mags (see my posts above) work great with no failures, and I've taped two mags together for stages with more than 10 shots (will test this today). The magazines are still somewhat klitchy to insert and remove and and I may acquire another magazine latch assembly and modify it slightly to make mag removal faster and easier.

I contacted Brian Voelker and he does rebarrel 541's, but indicates a nominal 1.000" is the maximum diameter. I will consider rebarrelling in the future, but the gun shoots very well with the Voelker accurized Remington barrel. (He will thread your barrel to the action.) The downside of Voelker accurizing, which includes rechambering and recrowning, is that the rifle no longer qualifies for the Factory or Production classes and must be shot against serious custom rifles.

FYI - my original stock, in excellent condition, is bubble wrapped and in my gunsafe.