Interchanging barrels regularly

[ELR LVR]

I'm simply trying to explain why I don't swap barrels. There's one thought that never ever crosses my mind :

"I finally got a rifle set up so that it is capable of winning matches, functioning perfectly, With a load that perfectly matches the chamber and the distance to lands with a scope mounted Securely, The bedding of the rifle working well with the action, hand loaded a couple hundred rounds that are tailored to those specifics And now that i've finally gotten to this point , let me tear it all apart and risk any of 2 dozen different factors making my rifle not function well, not shoot accurately, be less capable of winning matches, not work well with my loaded ammo and worse... put a bunch of noise in my head right in the middle of a match as to the reasons the rifle isn't shooting well anymore .... all because I had to mess around and did not leave a rifle that was shooting well as it was."

I have never and will never go there. Variables are the enemy, and equipment consistency and personal confidence are the best tools to have in the tool bag When you go to the line. That's what forms my thinking on this issue. Thats just me. If others come to a different conclusion, that's cool.

I Am blessed enough to be able to afford different rifles, So that's what I do.

A final example... right now , i'm getting ready to purchase another vehicle. The Jeep Wrangler looks like a lot of fun.But I know a fourth toyota tacoma will be reliable and not give me a bunch of grief. Guess which one i'm buying.

I understand what you're suggesting
I will admit I have 2 rifles that are such good shooters I always tell myself
"Dont change ANYTHING!"
I wont even swap rings or bases on those rifles
but it's more of a superstition thing
----
however,
once you do "Go There"
you will find
the barrel can practically be hand tight, and shoot accurate out to a Mile
many of us are just saying, our experiences show, it's not a factor to worry about
we're not suggesting you do it
but if you happen to have an extra good shooter one day, you can try it and see
it may surprise you, especially if you're thinking about rebarreling it soon anyway.
think about the what you're doing here
in effect unscrewing and screwing back on a bolt, indexed to the same spot, or torqued the same
which is not a variable but a constant.

 

[JLittle]

I don’t do “ switch” barrels as my shooting discipline prone with a sling involves iron sights. A little more aggravation leveling and plumbing sights. Once level I do take them off the bases and may switch between iron and scope when allowed. Very little if any change in zero. Not enough to worry about. When it’s time to replace the barrel, the zeros are often extremely close to where they were previously. Not changing calibers or barrel profiles. Loads are also about the same. I’m not changing anything much but the barrel.

 

[GetReal]

I understand what you're suggesting
I will admit I have 2 rifles that are such good shooters I always tell myself
"Dont change ANYTHING!"
I wont even swap rings or bases on those rifles
but it's more of a superstition thing
----
however,
...

I'm a simple man
With a simple life
I work from 9- 5
Heyhell I pay the price ....

 

[69mach]

Hi

In order to cut down on costs, I've been thinking about getting a barrel chambered in another caliber while keep the same action, scope etc.
The idea is to switch barrels on my own when I want to switch the calibers (usually twice a month). From what I have discussed with people, the scope zero will be very close everytime I switch barrels and can verify the zero on the day of the match (F-Class).

Is it a decent enough idea/plan or am I overlooking something?

i’ve got a couple rifles that i can switch shouldered barrels out on and i’ve found that i don’t swap them much anymore. between rechecking my zeros, the little bit of extra barrel wear and the cost of reloading components over the life of your set up, the gas and time to go to the range to double check everything before a shoot, you might just as well buy another action. plus i’m more confident if i haven’t just recently swapped barrels on a set up.