https://thegreatmodel8.net/

First post, but I've been lurking awhile.
I have a reasonably good model 81 in 300 sav. Nothing fancy.
The barrel isn't the best and neither is the accuracy. I've been looking for a new barrel for a long time and as others here have noted they aren't real common.
So I'm wondering if the barrel could be rebored to .35 Rem?
I understand the action and springs are the same.
How hard would this be? What problems would I run into? Will the magazine still work?
Anyone know how much it costs to rebore a barrel?

Hey Nemo,

Have you thought about getting a different barrel assembly? I would guess you could get a different barrel assembly for what it would cost to have the barrel rebored. The fellows from the S and S Huntclub often have barrel assemblies that they are willing to sell. The last one that I purchased from them was in excellent condition and the cost was $250 plus shipping. You can find their contact information on Gun Broker as they sell on the site quite often. If you can not get in touch with them, send me an email at jack1653@att.net and I will give you their contact information. While I do not want to part with the one I have, I could make it available to you if you can not find one. I also have a barrel for the .35.

Good Luck.

Regards,

jack1653

Welcome Nemo! Glad you are not still lurking. I second Jack`s ideas. When considering a rebore the cost is a factor but also what will be gained? If it is not a step up in range or power then I wouldn`t be for it. As much as I love the 35`s a 300Sav to 35Rem is not a step up.
I had a rebore done on a Sedgley in 30-06 to 35 Whelen several years back .The Sedgley was picked up for a song as it had a badly corroded bore probably due to an unaware owner using old surplus ammo with corrosive primers. In that case it made sense because I didn`t have much invested and the change to 35 Whelen was a definite step up.
You asked how much a rebore would cost.Figure about the same as the barrel assembly Jack spoke of for $250. A few questions for you. What are the accuracy problems? What range? What ammo and weight bullet? What degree of accuracy would you be satisfied with?
Also ,is there a possibility that the problems with your present barrel could be corrected? Fouling removal? Lapping the bore manually with JB paste ? Using a set of lapping bullets to smooth it out? Close inspection of the crown for damage and recrown if needed?
Again glad you joined us and as Imfuncity always says "We want pictures". Joe

At the local gun show yesterday, I ran across a M81 in nearly the Roach Gun category in .300 Savage. Bore looked decent and it seemed to function. Price on it was $350. I might have offered $200 for it, but the seller wasn't at the table, out walking around, I guess. I decided not to go back.

Anyway, I think I would look for a parts gun or another barrel with a better bore before considering re-boring. I considered re-boring and re-rifling about 20 years ago for a Winchester M1873 (.38-40 to .44-40). I don't remember the price, but it was a LOT more than what I would have paid. I don't think prices have come down for that kind of work.

Thanks for all the input.

I've used 150 gr and 180 gr, factory and reloads. It seems to like 150's better but I'm having a hard time grouping less than 4" at 50 yds.

I checked with S and S Huntclub but they don't have any. In 300 or in 35.

Crown looks OK.

It sounds to me like reboring isn't such a good idea, which is what I wanted to know.

Actually, 4" at 50 yards is not that terrible. My M81 in .30 Rem has a pristine bore, and I have yet to find a handload using the 170 gr RN bullet that will do much better than that (5 shot group). Lighter bullets seem do better.

That's fine for deer out to maybe 75 yards. To my way of thinking, that's about as far as you should use an M81 for hunting deer anyway. Were I expecting significantly longer shots, I have much more accurate rifles with scopes more suitable for that.

I probably will end up just accepting it until maybe a new barrel shows up on GB.
As it is, it"s fun to shoot and very reliable; hard to beat that in a 70+ year old gun!

One other thought. If you are really sold on swapping the barrel, another idea would be to find a good .30 Rem barrel and have it rechambered in .300 Savage if you can't find a good one in that caliber. That shouldn't cost too much. Am not sure there is any reason that it could not be done, maybe someone here does.

But again, there may not actually be anything wrong with the barrel you have. As I said, my .30 Rem M81 barrel seems to have a perfect bore, but 3.5"-4" 5-shot groups at 50 Yards are the norm. You might want to really thoroughly clean it with a brush, use copper solvent (Shooter's Choice copper remover is good), and otherwise thoroughly scrub it. Some guns respond well to that treatment. I had an original 1903 Springfield some years ago that shot much better after I thoroughly cleaned it. .220 Swift rifles are reputed to require occasional very thorough scrubbings to maintain accuracy.