Got a smoking deal on a .300 RUM Classic today. I want a 404. Who do I send it do and what needs to be done?

.423 barrel and a guy to put sights on it, blue it, and drop it back in the stock

What do I do about new bottom metal? I would like a drop box.

and there begins the big spend... because you'll need the bottom metal -- 400 bucks.. and THEN a CUSTOM stock ... unless you do your own work, this can be spendy ...

if you are into doing your own work .. call mike kakolus and ask him what patterns he would have for which drop bottom metal ...

otherwise you are looking at 2-3k+wood for the stock

I'm not opposed to that at all. Actually I'm hoping to find something that fits in a McMillan stock because I will need a bear rifle next year in Alaska and I already have a Rigby in walnut by Wayne Jacobsen. But this Winchester may someday end up in a nice piece of walnut.

Which drop box would work with the Jeffery and how many rounds am I looking at?

quote:

Originally posted by RyanB:
Got a smoking deal on a .300 RUM Classic today. I want a 404. Who do I send it do and what needs to be done?

Send it to Redneck over on 24 Hour Campfire! He has done a lot of them.

Look for my previous post on this question you'll get a lot of good info.

Brad

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
and there begins the big spend... because you'll need the bottom metal -- 400 bucks.. and THEN a CUSTOM stock ... unless you do your own work, this can be spendy ...

if you are into doing your own work .. call mike kakolus and ask him what patterns he would have for which drop bottom metal ...

otherwise you are looking at 2-3k+wood for the stock

Agreed, adding a new stock would up the cost signifcantly, depending on who does it & how elaborate the checkering, as little as $1000 to the sky is the limit. I shortened my factory stock, added bbl, 1/4 rib & sights. A new follower helped feeding. I think I have about $1200 into it w/o the scope, mounts & donor 300RUM (sorry for posting the pic again guys).

The McMillan Safari stock for Winchesters was designed to use the #740 SunnyHill drop box bottom metal. Originally it was for 375H&H or 416 Rem.

SunnyHill claims it will work just as well with your RUM box and follower as a 404. I haven't tried it yet but that is their claim.

From what I understand, most conversions work best with a 375 H&H follower, rather than the RUM version. I know mine does.

quote:

Originally posted by McCray:
The McMillan Safari stock for Winchesters was designed to use the #740 SunnyHill drop box bottom metal. Originally it was for 375H&H or 416 Rem.

SunnyHill claims it will work just as well with your RUM box and follower as a 404. I haven't tried it yet but that is their claim.

From what I understand, most conversions work best with a 375 H&H follower, rather than the RUM version. I know mine does.

That is what I changed my RUM follower to was the 375h&h. Still, pretty simple/economical conversion if you already have a donor rifle. I think I paid $400 for one NIB 4yrs ago.

Damn, I hate to see a perfectly good Winchester M70 RUM gun wasted on a small bore!

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
Damn, I hate to see a perfectly good Winchester M70 RUM gun wasted on a small bore!

Michael

Lol! I know that as it stands the little Jeffery is inside my recoil tolerance and the big one is not.

Here are two .404's that I have. The first is a military 1909 Obendorf with a "home-made" drop box added, a semi-inletted stock, Lothar-Walthar barrel, etc.... and the second is a Super Grade Model 70, pac-nor barrel, NEGC sights, etc., neither cost more than $2K even after the "improvements".... but perhaps that was before the gunsmiths discovered how good they were.

The only modification to the feeding of the Model 70 was changing the follower and polishing off the little clips that hold the magazine to the wood so that un-crimped rounds would feed easily.

There are dead buffalo (and one elephant) due to the "wasted" small bore.

Obviously, I love the caliber. Mike at Bijou Creek is now building me another on a Model 70 RUM to include double square bridges, one of his really nice stocks in an English pattern with all the other goodies. I hope to take an elephant with it next spring.

quote:

Originally posted by RyanB:

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
Damn, I hate to see a perfectly good Winchester M70 RUM gun wasted on a small bore!

Michael

Lol! I know that as it stands the little Jeffery is inside my recoil tolerance and the big one is not.

Ryan

I understand, still makes me cry, , another lost 500 MDM!

LOL

Good luck!
Michael

FYI, you don't need a M70 in RUM to do a 404 Jeffery. Mine is on a 300WM and, other than getting a new windowed RUM magazine box, functions just fine. No rail work was necessary. You do have to lengthen the loading port to 375 H&H configuration, drill a new rear scope hole to get the .330" hole spacing,new follower and re-work the ejector. Don't let the scarcity of M70 RUM's put you off of a 404 Jeffery conversion. It's a little more involved but doable.

quote:

Originally posted by Head Trauma:
FYI, you don't need a M70 in RUM to do a 404 Jeffery. Mine is on a 300WM and, other than getting a new windowed RUM magazine box, functions just fine. No rail work was necessary. You do have to lengthen the loading port to 375 H&H configuration, drill a new rear scope hole to get the .330" hole spacing,new follower and re-work the ejector. Don't let the scarcity of M70 RUM's put you off of a 404 Jeffery conversion. It's a little more involved but doable.

Exactly...I built mine on a 7mm Mag action. Worked great!

Then I got bored and re-barreled it to 416 Dakota.

quote:

Originally posted by McCray:

quote:

Originally posted by Head Trauma:
FYI, you don't need a M70 in RUM to do a 404 Jeffery. Mine is on a 300WM and, other than getting a new windowed RUM magazine box, functions just fine. No rail work was necessary. You do have to lengthen the loading port to 375 H&H configuration, drill a new rear scope hole to get the .330" hole spacing,new follower and re-work the ejector. Don't let the scarcity of M70 RUM's put you off of a 404 Jeffery conversion. It's a little more involved but doable.

Exactly...I built mine on a 7mm Mag action. Worked great!

Then I got bored and re-barreled it to 416 Dakota.

Joe, did you at least draw some blood with that .404 before you rebarreled it?

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
Send it to Redneck over on 24 Hour Campfire! He has done a lot of them.

I spoke with Redneck today. He says that he has never done a .404 conversion and has reservations about getting it to feed properly.

quote:

Joe, did you at least draw some blood with that .404 before you rebarreled it? Big Grin

Unfortunately, the 404 barrel fouled worse than any other barrel I've ever had...so I didn't fool with it for too long.

But I maintain that the idea was sound!

I somehow ended up with two 300 Weatherby Winchesters this April...so maybe one of those will grow up to be a Jeffery.