223 rebarrel?

[tdhanses]

I have a Howa 1500 SA in 223rem that I picked up used for dirt cheap a while ago but the barrel is walking bad and not knowing the shot count I’m thinking I’ll just rebarrel it.

What will it take to rebarrel from 223rem to 6.5creed other then getting new mag boxes and a bolt from ptg? This should be a pretty easy change over correct?

What am I not thinking about? Or should I just rebarrel it as a 223AI to keep ammo costs down and shoot the crap out of it? Is 6.5creed pretty cheap to reload for?

I’m going to give CarbonSix a try since the threading and chambering are included in the price of the barrel and I’ll have them fit it as well.

 

[Rob5589]

Depends on what you are doing with it.

 

[tdhanses]

Depends on what you are doing with it.

That’s just it, I doubt I’d use it for hunting so mainly target practice. I’m also thinking maybe a 223ai would be better as ammo is cheap.

But I do have an AR already in 223 so wouldn’t mind a different caliber. Looked at 6.5gren but it would take more work then 6.5creed from what I understand.

 

[Wrench]

You're looking at a bolt, box, follower, barrel and possible stock work to clear the box.

So....around 500 bux on the cheap after selling your parts.

I'd go 8 twist 223ai and love it. I have killed yotes with mine into the deep 700's. A side benefit is that it's the ballistic twin to my 260ai so I can work very similar dope on both.

If you do it, consider the nosler rdf 70gr....it's fantastic.

 

[tdhanses]

You're looking at a bolt, box, follower, barrel and possible stock work to clear the box.

So....around 500 bux on the cheap after selling your parts.

I'd go 8 twist 223ai and love it. I have killed yotes with mine into the deep 700's. A side benefit is that it's the ballistic twin to my 260ai so I can work very similar dope on both.

If you do it, consider the nosler rdf 70gr....it's fantastic.

Already have a mag box for short action, only difference between the 223 and 6.5 mag is a reducer. Yeah I was thinking $160 for the bolt and then the cost of a few mags. The carbon6 barrel chambered and fitted is just under $800, so closer to $1000 overall but the barrel cost and fitting is the same either way. I’ll have to do some inletting for the barrel for sure, currently it sits in a McMillian Game Scout with the Mag/Varmint Howa barrel contour.

So I’m thinking cost diff will be around $300 between the two, 223ai is probably the better route for what I’ll be doing plus I have plenty of brass.

Are you recommending the 1:8 Incase I want to shot 55gr bullets? CarbonSix offers a 1:7, 1:7.7 and 1:8 up.

Would the 1:7 not be worth it?

 

[Rob5589]

If purely for paper, a 6.5 twist tube throated for 70-80 grain bullets would be cool. Plenty of load info available as well. AI would give you some extra juice but it isn't mandatory.

 

[tdhanses]

If purely for paper, a 6.5 twist tube throated for 70-80 grain bullets would be cool. Plenty of load info available as well. AI would give you some extra juice but it isn't mandatory.

Funny CarbonSix will chamber the AI for no extra charge as they have the reamer on hand, for 223rem it’s a $75 reamer rental charge.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Is it stainless?

I'd be tempted to run some detachable bottom metal, and run a 6x45 or 6tcu for something spicy.

There a plethora of good killing bullets, I'd imagine the 95gr tmk is king on bc to velocity ratio.. and if it's ballistics match a 308 I'm sure barrel life would be similar.

There's a guy in Michigan that will revbore a 223 to 6x46 for about 250 bucks.. he's an old fart now, turnaround isn't uber fast.. but I'm sure howa steel is as good as it gets and you'll be in a new shooter for the lowest scratch.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

85gr Speer spbt are about 14$ for a hundred, you'll get about 2200 shots for a jug of powder, and if you go 1-8 twist 105 hornady hpbt ar 20$ for 100, .53bc and should be a 2600fps load out of a 21" barrel.

Not sure I'd run 105hpbt for hunting. Guys like them a lot in 243win, but never found any figures for minimum velocity expansion whereas the 95gr tmk is for sure 1800fps

 

[Wrench]

Already have a mag box for short action, only difference between the 223 and 6.5 mag is a reducer. Yeah I was thinking $160 for the bolt and then the cost of a few mags. The carbon6 barrel chambered and fitted is just under $800, so closer to $1000 overall but the barrel cost and fitting is the same either way. I’ll have to do some inletting for the barrel for sure, currently it sits in a McMillian Game Scout with the Mag/Varmint Howa barrel contour.

So I’m thinking cost diff will be around $300 between the two, 223ai is probably the better route for what I’ll be doing plus I have plenty of brass.

Are you recommending the 1:8 Incase I want to shot 55gr bullets? CarbonSix offers a 1:7, 1:7.7 and 1:8 up.

Would the 1:7 not be worth it?

I have them in 1:8" and they will shoot 55's without blowing up to at least 5k feet asl.

The 70rdf is slick and cheap...and has been hell on yotes here. I'm using 8208 and shoot it more than any other.

Plus.....brass is nearly free.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

2900 and change should be doable as a 223 with 75gr bullets in a 21"

I'd assume ackley one and you'll gain another 100 to 150 on top.

75gr eld-m bc at .467 is no slouch at that speed.

1-8 will stabilize 80gr amax at 30 below in nodak.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Would a 6.5x47L fit? I don’t know why, but I’ve always been intrigued by that cartridge.

 

[tdhanses]

Would a 6.5x47L fit? I don’t know why, but I’ve always been intrigued by that cartridge.

I think it would but more I think on this staying with 223rem AI or not probably is best just for trigger time, and I can get ammo for cheap/anywhere if I need to.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I think it would but more I think on this staying with 223rem AI or not probably is best just for trigger time, and I can get ammo for cheap/anywhere if I need to.

No doubt. It's hard to beat the price of factory 223 ammo.