i have a nef .308 (bull barrel) I was wondering if this barrel can be rechambered to .308 norma mag. .....just thaught I would ask. thanks

is the NEF chambered to any magnums at all?

If so then the answer is probably yes....if not....you're on your own...good luck.

Yes, it can. Or to .30/378 WBY, for that matter.

The question is, is it wise? At similar pressures, the larger diameter base of the larger cartridge places more thrust on the face of the action (and therefore on the action pin and locking mechanism) than does a smaller case head. You can calculate the theoretical difference by calculating the area of a .470" inch head vs. a .530" head (about 27% larger).

Now, does a 27% increase in bolt thrust (in the case of the NEF action, thrust against the action pin and the torsional forces due to the pin being below the centerline of the bore) translate into an unsafe condition? HellifIknow, but my best guess is that the action, which is based on a single-shot shotgun, is marginal for high-intensity rifle cartridges to begin with, and you would likely find that a steady diet of .530" base ammunition loaded to 55K or so would start setting back the under lug and the action would both open stiffly and start to loosen.

Talk about a bad idea. I doubt you could find a gunsmith worth his blueing salts that would touch this with a ten foot pole.

Physically possible yes, safely NO! As was stated the NEF action isn't strong enough for the increased thrust from a belted magnum. The .308 is at that design limits of the action.

You could have it re-chambered to a 30-06 ackley improved, the biggest case you can get in there while maintaining the same stresses on the action. Well, there are some -06 based cats with the shoulder pushed forward and a shorter neck you could consider as well, though moving the shoulder forward on a rimless case is a PITA, and reloading dies for the wilder wildcats are pretty spendy. -06 ackley is pretty plain jain, lots of reloading data and dies are easy to come by and affordable. Most smiths will also have a chambering reamer.