Show & Tell your Ruger Zytel/Skeleton Rifle Upgrades

[USADPT]

I’m considering some updates to my Ruger .270 SS All-Weather Zytel/Skeleton stock rifle. Currently have added a Limbsaver pad and local smith lightened the trigger.

My primary concern is threading the barrel. This will mean either machining an adapter with more shoulder and/or cutting the barrel back a bit.

Alternatively, I could dive into barrel swap and possibly bump up to .280ai.

Has anyone opened up the Zytel forend for a larger profile barrel? Anyone running a Proof Carbon sendero specifically?

Any other suggestions? Pics of your upgraded rifle would be great.

 

[USADPT]

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Saw these in an older thread. Seems he will make a non-QD version upon request. Thoughts there?

I’m planning to run my S&B 8x56, but it is awful big and heavy. Might cause some lateral unbalance…top-heavy.

 

[Te Hopo]

I look forward to seeing what you might come up with.

I recently was given a boat paddle .243 with a 17" barrel in average condition.

It needs a new barrel so I'm thinking of keeping the same contour in stainless, maybe 6.5 or 6 Creedmoor for a little added performance.
Will keep running the Nielsen Sonic 35 suppressor as well

 

[Cantshoot]

The only thing I’ve ever done to mine is file the magazine box down a bit so its not binding against the action. I had to this to all of mine. I’ve got a 7mag, 270, 30-06, and .308 zytel.

 

[bigunit]

I love those boat paddles. My father in law has one in 280rem that shoots really well. Wish they made them in left hand.

 

[Chet707]

I have a mid 80s m77 mkii in .243. My dad gave it to me and it sat in the safe for a couple years until I was thinking of buying a new rifle for my wife. The recoil in the factory zytel stock was ridiculous for being a .243. It was completely stock with ruger rings and a barska 6-20 scope.

The best I could get was about 2.5 to 3 inch groups.

I started with a weigand machine pic rail, warne mountain tech rings and a leupold vx3 hd 3.5-10x40. Still wouldn't shoot good groups. Replaced the stock with a boyds platinum with a limbsaver and pillar bedding. Once I had the new stock, I fully bedded it and opened up the barrel channel for a free float. Finally figured out it needed a new crown.

Took it to a local smith and had him cut it to 20" and threaded 1/2x28 for $160. Replaced the trigger spring with a mcarbo and polished it. Got it down to a crisp 2.5ish lbs. Shoots factory 95 gr fusions just under an inch and is a joy to shoot.

Sorry for the long post, not much original anymore except for the barreled action.

 

[Te Hopo]

Dropped mine into my gunsmith the other day, his opinion of the inside of the carbon barrel was pretty grim.
It doesn't appear to have been shot a lot but it also hasn't been looked after.

So, new barrel in 6mm Creedmoor is coming up.

 

[Chet707]

Dropped mine into my gunsmith the other day, his opinion of the inside of the carbon barrel was pretty grim.
It doesn't appear to have been shot a lot but it also hasn't been looked after.

So, new barrel in 6mm Creedmoor is coming up.

What barrel manufacturer are you going with? I'm probably gonna try to shoot the barrel out of mine and then turn it into a 6 creed.