I am considering a new project to be built on a push feed M-70 . (please , no extremely cruel comments on that choice! )

I am considering everything from .340 Weatherby up to the .375 Ultra. (if I think you will be able to get the Ultra cases to feed.) Possible choices would include .338 Ultra ,.358 Norma , .358 STA , 375 H&H , .375 improved or Weatherby , up to the .375 Ultra . I am not considering the .338 Win because I already have a good .35 Whelen and it is very close to .338 ballistics .

Aside from just plain shooting fun , the gun could possibly be used for elk , black bear , or moose . I'll never get to Africa , so proper case markings are not a consideration . I only shoot reloads , so neither is availablity of factory ammo . My main concern would be future brass supply without any real big forming headaches . And I probably won't use balls to the wall maximum loads , with these calibers , moderate loads will have plenty of oomph....

I'd also like to hear some comments on a barrel contour to select . I'd like a 24 inch tube with a scoped weight of about 9 lbs , with the original wood stock .........

I would build a 358 Norma. A nice cartridge, cases available from Norma. If I hadn't had Africa in my mind when I bought my latest gun (375 H&H) I would have chosen a 358 NM or a 9,3x62, both are perfect for moose!

Those cartridges are kind of long! What is it's bolt face and magazine length now?

I would stay with something within the actions present ability.

Don--- it's a magnum action originally a .264 . There is a spacer spot welded in the magazine for the 06 length cartridges . Take that out and you have about 3.6 inches. Grind back the bolt stop and you will have enough bolt travel . The rear bridge may or may not need to be opened some to reliably eject loaded rounds .......

Sdgunslinger,
I had just this same question except w/CZ action, it is a little farther down the page.

Gunslinger,
I would make a .338 Winchester "Maximum". This is really nothing more than a long throated .338 Win. I use 250 Nosler Partitions, 275 gr Speer "Hot-Cor" and 300 Winchester Power Points. (The 300s are long discontinued but I have a couple hundred). The 300 wins can be replaced with 300 gr Woodleighs. I seat these bullets to the base of the neck. The COL is 3.575", hence the need for a mag length action. I am getting nearly 150fps over a standard .338 Win.
You can also make this cartridge with a long neck. (Brass lenght is 2.600"). With the chamber neck cut to this length, one can make brass out of .300 Win Mag. This makes a nice looking cartridge with a nice looking and loading longer neck.
I have one of the long necked .338 Win Mags. The beauty of this one is nearly .340 Wby Mag ballistics and one can still shoot standard .338 Win Mag in it.
Just another idea to consider.
Good Shooting.
The Bearman

Since you already have a 35 whelen, whatcha need is a hot 35. My preference would be something on the 404 case, but I don't know of one that wouldn't require some outrageously exspensive dies. So, the 358 STA would be tough to beat, and with 225's @ 3100+ ought to be plenty flat shooting.

I'd vote for the 358 Norma or maybe even the 358 STW--even though I do have a soft spot for the 340 Wby. Pays your money, takes your choice!
Good luck and Good hunting,

------------------
Andy Cooper

This one is "too easy" for me. Cany you say 340 Wby.
I'm on my 3rd barrel now. Two have been on a Win and one on a 700. All of them with 4.5 weight Schneider tubes (put on by Dowling). All of them have shot like varmint rifles and I've used them a ton for chucks and Yotes as well as big game. To me I could ask for no finer round. I top it off with a 4-14 Leo or a 3-10 Leo and get to running. Oh yeah I also put Premier dots into the rifle to 700 yards.
Just my humble and unprejudiced thoughtss

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Hi Mark . Which M-70 did you use for your .340 , classic or push feed ? Did you use a .375 length action or re-do a short mag action ? Did you have your chambers cut with the typical Weatherby freebore ?

Lots of details to consider !

sd - I don't mean to crowd in here. I also have a Win Mod 70 340 Wby that Dan Dowling re-chambered from a new 338 Win with a 24" barrel. It is a push feed model with the standard length action. I trimmed the bolt stop and installed a long magazine box and follower that allows a maximum col of 3.600". It functions well with both spent cases and loaded rounds. I've had no problems with it. I also had the Weatherby freebore chambered in it. I did that in hopes of keeping the velocity as high as possible with less pressure. In hindsight, I would have a shorter throat cut if I were to do it over. With the long-throat I can safely achieve 3100 fps with the 210 Nosler Partition with accuracy of 1 1/2 moa.
Another choice of caliber would be the 338/300 RUM. My 338 RUM easily pushes 210's to 3350 fps, 250's above 3000 fps and the 300 MKHP to 2650 fps. The 300 RUM case could push these velocities a little more.

Just some more ideas for you.

Guy

Guy---feel free to crowd in all you like . The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned .

I take it then you have had no trouble ejecting loaded rounds from your conversion ?

[This message has been edited by sdgunslinger (edited 03-12-2002).]

I have had no problems ejecting loaded rounds. The neck and bullet drag on the forward edge of receiver while moving back to be ejected, but no problems getting them in or out. BTW, I bought one of the factory stocks that D'Arcy Echols had for sale. I replaced a very old Brown Precision stock with it. The stock is the last model, before the David Miller style, and it is very slim making it fit and handle extremely well. Everyone that I show the rifle to thinks it's a 243 or 270 because it's so small and nimble. They get a strange look on their face when they realize what caliber it really is. Good luck and have fun with your new project.

Guy

Fred Zeglin built my .340 Wby on a M700 with a standard throat and its extremely accurate. My best group was a one-holer at 100 yards. The rifle will probably shoot waaaaaay better than I can usually hold. I just got lucky and noticed once! You can launch 250 grain bullets at velocities in excess of 2900 fps with this cartridge. I can't see any justification for something like a .338/378 Wby or one of the other monsters out there. The gain in useful trajectory is too slight and the inconvenience is significant. There are more really good choices for bullets in the .338 caliber than in any other medium bore and that will likely never change (in the US). The only reason that I would go with something else is if the Weatherby case becomes to expensive to feed. Right now I buy inexpensive Remington brass in .300 Wby from Midway and just a quick pass through the resizing die opens it up perfectly to .340 specs. Should Remington drop the cartridge and my stocks be depleted I might rechamber to a .404 base design. Till then, I am sold on the .340 Wby as the perfect fast medium. The only contender in my mind is the .300 Dakota, but if you want heavier bullets than the .308 can deliver then the .340 is the answer.

I would look into a .330 Dakota. Alter the bolt face & rails a bit & you are running w/ the .430 Wby. on a std. action.

sdgunslinger-sorry it took a bit to get back to you, been working too much and not to the hill enough!
Now on to your questions:
*CRF
*pre-64 that was a 338
*no free/bore---None of the 3 barrels I've had any free/bore and all three have shot justincredibly well!! First barrel was on my 700 and it would shoot 5 250 Hornady's into 3/4". Yeah hard to believe eh! But after having 3 340 tubes and working with about another 3x that many I am convinced that this is a very accurate round!
Oh yeah I also have M70 post-64 push feed in a McMIllan general purpose stock with a 4-14 Leo on it. It also has a 4.5 weight Schneider on it cut to 25". This rifle is also a drill! I am gonna have Premier put dots into it to 700 this spring and then I'll be ready for long range chucks and Elk.
Can't wait to give the new 250 Sierra match a try. The 300 Sierra's shoot great, a while back I shot a group that went into .136 near as I could measure with 3 of the 300's out of my Pre-64/70.

D'Arcy E did some work on it (the pre) feeding and action length wise and it is one fine fine hunting rifle.

I know you can't go wrong with the 340.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

by the way use the push if you like and don't worry one bit-just my thoughts

[This message has been edited by Mark R Dobrenski (edited 03-16-2002).]

I agree, Mark. The 340 is a great medium cartrdge. I built mine on a 700. I used a Ron Smith gain twist barrel, and this one does have the Wby freebore. 2950 fps with 250 gr bullets and the absolute best groups I've ever gotten from a medium bore. 26.5" barrel, no brake. Bausch & Lomb 1.5-6 4000 on top, in a synthetic stock. I built it for chasing elk in the mountains. (Oh and Mark, regarding an earlier post, EMD is Electro Motive Division, part of GM. Obviously, you aren't the Mark from there) Anyway, I have quite a few medium rifles and there are no flies on the 340 Wby. - Dan

We don't know what the rest of your battery is besides the .35 Whelan. Since you live in the plains and not that far from the Rockies you may want another long range caliber like the mentioned .340 Weatherby.

However if you already have a long range rifle then a .375 H&H might be just right. It has long range ability and will be legal for Africa where the others are not for dangerous game.

I think every riflemans battery should include a .375 H&H.

I vote for the .375/404. You already have a 35Whelen so really what is the point of a .338, or even .30 ? If not a .375 then the .340 Weatherby or .338 Ultra.

Really depends on what side of the pond you will be hanging out in. I bet a .375/404 would be a real spanker on Elk/Bear on this side tho.

Don , I have 6mm , 25/06 , 7mm mag , .308 , and the Whelen . And likely a .264 mag shortly . So I am well covered on the light fast end .

I really like the way the STA splits the difference between the .33 s and the .375 s and could do most of the work of either. I wish they had designed the case with a simple neck up job of the 8mm instead of blowing out and sharpening the shoulder . I think it would have had ample powder capacity without all that fooling around .......

I guess I am leaning at this time to either the .340 or .338 Ultra . I'm going to pick up a few Ultra cases , make a couple of dummies , and see if it looks like they would feed in my action . The .340 has many good points too . Lots more options on the brass supply , and the ballistics are ample....

On the other hand , the old H&H can really do anything the others will , and can be loaded with light bullets to deliver the same sort of ballistics......decisions , decisions ,

[This message has been edited by sdgunslinger (edited 03-17-2002).]