After toying with the idea of of making my FN mauser into a 6.5x55 or a 7x55 or even making a 700SA into a 6.5x284, I have made the decision!! I going to rebarrel it into the exotic, TaDa...30-06. This will be used for stand hunting with shots up to 300yds+. Ive never even shot at a game animal beyond 225yds but they are avaliable at places I hunt. I'm going to use a #4 26" Pac-nor or Schillen barrel. At this time I have some barrel questions and a stock question. The stock on it now is a JRS, inletted to fit the step barrel. Pac-Nor will cut the barrel with a step. What are the pros/cons of having a step. Secondly I have considered a stainless barrel, but wonder how that would look with a blued action. Any opinions? I will use 150-200gn bullets. How many grooves and what twist would you recomend? I would like to find a stock similar to the ones on English made Mausers before WWII. I would like one with a shorter/slimmer forearm and a rounded pistol grip. Anybody know where I might get one of these relatively inexpensively? Sorry I took up so much of your time and thanks in advance for your responses. thanks again, capt david

I think your decision to go with the .30-06 is excellent. It'll do all that your other two candidate cartridges will do and then some.

I don't see any need to resort to an ungainly 26" barrel for a .30-06. You can get full velocity even out of a 22" barrel with this cartridge, and I've even had 22"-barrel .30-06s that would produce MORE velocity with the exact-same ammunition than .30-06s with 24" barrels. Interior barrel and chamber characteristics can effect velocity just about as much as barrel length.

There's nothing wrong with a stainless barrel and a blued action if you don't mind that look. These days, I go with blued metalwork entirely.......

AD

Allen,

What length barrel do you go with on your .300WM? Barrel length does make some difference there, right? Is it worth the difference in handling to you? Just curious.

Steve

I have 24" barrels on my .300 Win. Mag. rifles, and I've also owned .300s with 26" barrels. On average, I've never found a dime's worth of difference between the two in terms of velocity with the same ammunition, either. The 24" barrel is a lot handier, and I will never again order one with a 26" tube. But just in case you're curious, I once had a .300 Win. Mag. with a 22" barrel (H&R Ultra) and -- believe me -- velocity takes a real dive and muzzle blast becomes truly obnoxious if you go that short. The .300 Win. Mag. is at its best with a 24" tube, which is the same length Winchester saw fit to offer it with in the first place.

And no, the .30-06 is NOT the equal or even near-equal of the .300 Win. Mag. in terms of velocity, wishful thinking not withstanding.

AD

captdavid,

As mentioned a 26 barreled sporter is kind of long. The rifle's weight might go over 10 lbs with a scope. Not sure what the "stand" is that your going to shoot from? If it's elevated and large with a good ladder and not far from the road then fine.

If the primary way your going to use the rifle is from such a stand then ok. You can always make the barrel shorter but you can't make it longer.

Will you be using a rangefinder?

As to the SS barrel and blued action the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Actions with a matte blue and bead blasted SS barrel look ok to me. If you want a SS barrel then get one.

The 30-06 got to the top and stayed there with a 1-10 twist.

True enough it will be heavy. My .338-06 with a 26" Douglas #4 bbl weighs in at close 9.5 lbs Scoped. With the smaller .308 bore yours may well weigh more.

I'd opt for a 24" #3 contour 1 in 10 twist. That would give you all the velocity you can squeeze out of the round and still maintain a "reasonable" weight. I realize "reasonable" is determined by the shooter and this is just MHO. I wouldn't worry about number of grooves.

My own .30-06 is being built on a vz24 with a 24" Shilen #1.

I run a 25" Shilen #5 on my -06 (would have been a 26, but the hack that installed it the first time realy botched the chamber, which cost me a inch off the breach end), and find the extra front weight realy helps. Your talking a stand rifle so the extra length and weight won't bother you a bit (at those ranges you have time to finish your sandwich and put down your coffee before picking up the rifle).
Chrono results between my origional 22" Shillen and the new Shillen at 26" showed a 75fps gain with the longer tube (2920avg to 2998avg). I'll get the 25" figgures once my smith finishes.

Dang,

I missed the part about stand hunting. If you don't mind lugging it to the stand then have at it. But in all honesty a lighter weight barrel is just as capable of making 300 yd shots.

Could this be what you're seeking, seems like alot less headaches, just a thought.



http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=5801571

I have a 7-08 VLS that has a 26" barrel and it is fine out of the stands that I hunt. I have a 308 Whitworth That I use if I need to carry. The gun is already a 30-06 and shoots 165gn BTs and Sierra GKs well. I load 56gn of 4350.@ 2775fps. I'll probably go with this for deer/hogs. I'll also probably load 200 partitions for anything bigger. I decided on the #4 because I wanted a heaver than "stock" 700 size barrel but lighter than my Rem 700VL 7-08. The gun on auction arms is simular to the one I'm rebarreling. thanks, capt david

Awww . . . I am too late to help. You should try the 6.5 WSM, the latest wildcat on the WSM line of stubby, fat, unbelted, useless magnums.

Just kidding. You have made a choice that only a faddist could quibble with, and I ain't one of those.

Bang away in good health and good cheer! If it was good enough for Sgt. York, TR, Hemingway, etc., etc., etc., it'll be good enough for you, me and all to come.

Allen,

Thanks.

I like shorter barrels on my long guns, also. But I like them to be a little heavy. I believe velocity contributes to killing power, though, too, so I was interested in your experience with 24" barrels.

Steve

I considered a 6.5 short mag, but because of expense of a donor action, and that its not significantly more than the 6.5x284, I decided against it. I had almost decided for the 6.5x284, but decided on the 30-06. The two main reasons; I already own the action and cheaper milsurp ammo than I can reload!! thanks capt david