I concur that there's no advantage to the Dakota cartridge design. My friend's .300 Dakota performs about like my .308 Norma, and costs a helluva lot more to feed!!

Thanks all, thats what I thought. Gonna focus on reg mag size cases i.e. 30/338, 7mm Mashburn....or I guess a 375 Taylor for the things with the long teeth and claws..

I very seriously doubt that one can achieve 2850 fps from the Dakota case in a 23" bbl. I am not the ultimate expert on reloading, but, I have reloaded for 36+ yrs. and for about 100 different big game rifles, almost all of them my own.

I would refer those who think that the Dakota rounds are much faster than other short mags. to the latest Nosler Manual and the data contained therein on both cartridges. I know a number of people here in Canada who bought Dakota rifles in Dakota cartridges and were quite surprised to find that they do not chronograph to much higher levels than many standard mags.

I have the utmost respect for Dakota and this is not intended as a slight on them, however, I honestly think that Winchester got it right the first time with the .338 bore and it is, like the .270 Win., impossible to realisticly improve on.

I would also add that the Rem. U.M. cartridges originated here in Vancouver, I know the people who developed them quite well and the gunsmith who did the work has done work for me. They are NOT too long for the Pre-64, at least in the two factory modified H&H actions I tried them in, but,removing any more metal from these is not a good idea, according to many current gunsmiths. Simply because something is possible does not make it a sound practice, IMO.

A person who has a Pre-64 action in very nice condition is wiser to use it for a cartridge similiar to that it was designed for and purchase an appropriate action for other rounds; Waffen-fabric(sp) Hein, MCR and soon, Williams will be able to fill that need.