[J]

Asgen,

I see that MT are now offering replacement DBM for the factory plastic piece. They mention that LA, AI compatible version will follow. We may yet get to complete our respective .280 AI and .300 Win Mag builds?

[J]

I guess nobody knows about them.

I see that an aluminiuim (I'm British, so can't spell it incorrectly) anodized replacement is now for sale on this site, with a note that the LA, AI mag compatible DBM will follow. Progress.

[J]

Fair point on the Nosler cases. I use Nosler Custom cases for my .25-06 and like them. That rifle will become a .280 AI or a .284 when it needs a new barrel. From what I hear .280 loads for fire forming to AI shoot pretty well for hunting purposes. Have you tried that?

[J]

35 inch pounds is the correct setting unless pillar bedded.

[J]

Why 6.5 for elk when 7mm or .30 cal would be far more suitable? Let's offer advice based on the application, not what our favorite chambering happens to be. Straight .284, .270, .280, .308 or .30-06 would all do fine, don't need fire forming and barrels last more than 1000 rounds that a 6.5-284 would.

[J]

I use old 5.56mm brushes with small cleaning patches rolled around them on my 300 WM. Two patches gives a loose fit and three gives a tight fit. I strongly recommend a bore guide to align everything and prevent solvents getting into the action and mag well.

[J]

Should have mentioned that I am looking for a SS barrel please.

[J]

……….but  straight .284 if you want a 7mm. No need for fire forming like with Shehane or .260 AI and much more guts than a 6.5×55 SE.

[J]

The factory barrel was taken off my receiver so that I could have an after-market barrel fitted. The original barrel is ready to be fitted to a T3 receiver, but it would be wise to have a gunsmith do it and check the headspace.

[J]

Good advice. The .284 Win offers almost identical performance as the .280 AI and is well suited to a T3 action with the long action bolt stop. You will be able to load 180 VLDs as far out as you like without having mag length issues. Either chambering would be good, and I'm going with one of the two when my 25-06 barrel is shot.

[J]

No different to any other rifle with go/no go gauges. Steel is tough and can gall with less than new reamers.

[J]

SS barrel will be fine on your non-SS action. 6.5 Creed will give around 100 fps more velocity over 6.5×47 Lapua and would be my choice of the two. Nothing to chose between .260, 6.5 Creed and 6.5x55SE. Another great option would be .284 with your new barrel throated long for 168 VLDs or 162 A-Max/ELD. That way you could keep your long action bolt stop and mag and save on the ridiculous cost of both. Brass is easy to neck up from 6.5×284.

[J]

I mostly agree. Shehane gives around 3 grains more capacity than straight .284 and is a great option, but dies will cost more and cases need fire forming. 6.5 x 47 is slower than both .260 and 6.5 Creed, which is fine at 600 yards or less, but the extra 100 fish or so will be useful at 1000 yds.

[J]

The best way to remove a barrel is to have a gunsmith do it as they are screwed on extremely tightly. Chad at LRI who did mine said they are all torqued up to ridiculous levels. There don't seem to be too many gunsmiths who will work on T3s for some reason. I guess the rest like the comfort zone of Remingtons.

Don't know of any cheap screws, but is $20 really that bad to hold your $600+ rifle together?

[J]

Only a tiny difference between 6.5 Creedmoor and .260, so I question the need to get a new barrel. But it's your rifle, so if you go ahead, any short calibre will be fine – .260, 7mm-08, .308. The only difference in T3s is the bolt stop is shooter for long calibres to allow a longer bolt throw. Magnums obviously have a wider bolt face and wouldn't work. Essentially, all T3s are long action and the only difference is the bolt stop.