Never had a custom rifle made or a conversion. Be nice, I know next to nothing about it. Have a Ruger 77 in 30-06 that is begging to be something else. Is there a .416 or .458 cartridge that I can convert it to. Could the bolt be reworked and is the box long enough to make a .416 Ruger?

.400 Whelen

9.3x62 Mauser.

Thought about both and will probably build a 9.3. Thanks guys.

quote:

Originally posted by publius:
Never had a custom rifle made or a conversion. Be nice, I know next to nothing about it. Have a Ruger 77 in 30-06 that is begging to be something else. Is there a .416 or .458 cartridge that I can convert it to. Could the bolt be reworked and is the box long enough to make a .416 Ruger?

My thoughts are unless you have no other way.

Just go out and buy a rifle in the caliber you want.

Easier and cheaper for the most part.

35 whelen would be a no brainer.

I converted a stainless M77 MKII from 300win to 375H&H. Simple to do, so I'd imagine several of the 416s would work as well. Didn't even have to relocate the bolt stop and feeds 3.600" bullets fine.

IIRC, I opened the mag well in the stock for a longer RSM box, follower, and spring from Brownells, took .05" off of the feed ramp and recontoured it, and filed out the two small vertical ribs at the back of the action in the mag well (another .100" I think). Rebarrelled and done, and way less work than I'd anticipated.

Bob

yes .. i have done 500 Accrel on them -- , as well as 470, 458, 416 Accrel - and others have done 3.65" length rounds on them

Yes, all those things can be done..but probably more economical and faster to just sell your 30-06 and buy a new Ruger in 458, 416 Ruger or 375 Ruger or even trade in the 06 and pay the difference, being about the same as the work you would have to pay for...

Damn it Ray, stop it with all of that practical and realistic advice! We're talking gunz here! Buying what works off of the rack just isn't the same as tinkering, paying, and waiting.

Bob

Jes will rebore and chamber it to 9.3x62 for ~$275 and does great work.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnly:
Jes will rebore and chamber it to 9.3x62 for ~$275 and does great work.

I’ve used JES in the past with good success, but lately I’m of the mind to just rebarrel.

As O'Bob says "we're talking gunz here"
But turn it into a 458 African

The 9.3x62 and all that other stuff is NOT a 416 Ruger??? and that was the question, its a fairly simple conversion btw, open the bolt face, do the rail work and Lengthen the magazine..I built two of them before Ruger did? I did the wood and a friend of mine did the metal..both worked great..One was a pre 64 Win. and the other a 98 Mauser..

You might also consider a 9.3x66. A 286 gr bullet at 2550 fps is adequate for anything and your still using a 30-06 bolt face and magazine.

Mark

Yes and don't overlook the 9.3x64 and components are fairly easy to come by, even these days Im told, and don't doubt it as the unknown calibers seem to have survived better than the common calibers like the 270 and 30-06 because of the number of shooters that have those calibers I assume..

yes a 416 taylor or a 458 win mag

Publius,
May I be so bold as to ask the purpose of this change being discussed?

Meaning, going to slay ele, hippos, or repel an attack of lions or blow some Cape Buff into next week?
Will it be a charge stopper for the biggest and baddest critters?

Or would it be intended to perform as a functional replacement for a 450/400?

Some of the suggested conversions vary a good bit.

Maybe it would be best to trade the rifle in on a new one that suits your fancy.

me? today?
sell it, by a 7 rem mag or so, rebarrel to 416 ruger... go hunting

Didn't see this from April.
Personally, I would never carry a factory rifle into the field (except DRs). Anyone can do that. Nor do I use the 30-06 or any common calibers, for the same reason. I want to be the only guy in camp with "that" rifle.
Maybe like the guy who uses the 9.3x62 Mosin to kill Moose with. Unique.
Rebarrel to 400 Whelen, is the easiest, but your Ruger 30-06 can become lots of things.
400 Whelen. Exotic, powerful, easy to make ammo for. Same power as the old 450-400. (it does it with double the pressure)
And no, it doesn't matter what you are hunting. I have used elephant calibers on deer and pigs.

quote:

Personally, I would never carry a factory rifle into the field (except DRs).

dpcd said the above!

I may a little different as both my hunting/big bore double rifles are NOT factory rifles. My other hunting rifles are or were factory before customization made them better for me.
.405 DR on red deer in Texas:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
.400 Whelen

Yep…

If your rifle one of the express models? Rib on the barrel?

Even if it is, it will need a new barrel; not enough meat to rebore.

It would be a shame to mess with it if it is infact an express

I had Kevin Weaver turn a pre-64 '06 action into a .375 Ruger and it is a favorite nasty weather gun having been to Alaska several times and Mozambique for swamp buffalo!

dpcd.
If you hunt the four corners of the earth with with a rifle like no one else has, you may well end up the only hunter in "camp".

But if you had a 30-06, 458, or 375 H&H chances are the outfitter might loan you a round or two!! or if your brass is weird, you may have added to a indigenous custom agents cartridge collection. one never knows in the back county...

If components are readily available would a 10.75x68 be an option? Wouldn't the existing bolt face and mag box work?....just a thought.

Yes the 10.5x68 is a good round, and easy to build, but when I tried to get enough AR members to want one so I could make a group buy of dies, and get a reamer, I got two orders and one was me.
Unique calibers in remote places? Of course losing ammo could happen. Not a reason not to use unique calibers. If that were the rule, then we wouldn't even have this discussion.

Not sure I agree with your reasoning but would give my life to defend your opinnion, well maybe not my life!

I built a 10.75x68 and bought another over the years, its a much overlooked and outstanding caliber and fits in most actions and equals the the 450-400-3" balistically...Hard to find or make brass sooooo?

Wild cats have caused much grief and tears in the wayback outback..

In this case, no problem exists in that his desired conversion is simple and commonplace withh his wishes..The 416 Ruger or 458 Win. being the best choice for his buff.