I have a 30-06 with a oversized chamber. From the chamber casting - .4722 at .3 from the end of the case.
It has nice express sights on a featherweight barrel.
Not enough shank on the barrel to shorten and re-chamber in 30-06. I'm pretty sure a 300 Win mag would clean it all up with out cutting back the breach end. Would then need to open up the boltface/extractor and maybe the feed rails. It's a Mark X action, lots of room in the mag box.
My options are
1. Rebarrel to and chamber to an 06 based cartidge. 280 , 280AI, 30-06, 30-06AI
2. Re-chamber to 300 Win mag on the current 22" barrel
3. Rebarrel to one of the belted mags.

Torn between throughing away the barrel or having a 300Win mag with a 22" barrel. Thinking of going with the re-chamber and then if I don't like it replace the barrel with a 24 - 26 inch one.

your thoughts.

Thanks

[ 10-07-2003, 06:57: Message edited by: trigger ]

In my mind a .300 Win Mag is not worth it in a 22" barrel. You hardly gain any velocity over a .30-06 in this barrel length, but you pay the price in terms of recoil, muzzle flash and increased noise. This pretty much goes for other belted magnums (perhaps excluding such exotic calibers as .350 Rem Mag) as well.

Besides, converting the rifle to a magnum also means opening up the bolt face and modifying the extractor. I don't know if there are any modifications to ejector, rails, magazine box etc?? However if my experience in changing from .300 Win Mag to .300 Wthby is anything to go by, then extra modifications should not come as a surprise.

So, what to do?? Re-barrel for whatever caliber takes your fancy that fits the current bolthead and case size. If you like the open sights, have them moved to the new barrel. And if you like the contour of your current barrel, have that replicated.

If cost is an issue, talk to MRC, they offer good quality barrels at pretty decent cost these days.

Just one man's opinion - mike

A .300 Win. Mag. with a 22" barrel is little more than a much louder, harder kicking .30-06.

I'd either rebarrel your .30-06 and keep it as a .30-06, or else I'd trade your current rifle in on a .300 Winchester if you're looking for more power.

Converting a stock factory from a standard chamberings to a magnum chamberings always ends up costing more money than the end result is worth.

AD

Just a thought. What about rechambering to a Ackley improved .30-06? Don't really know the deminsions but I'll bet some one on the forum does.

Rich Elliott

Allen's right... opening the bolt face to accept a magnum and getting the extractor worked out will run into money. A 22" 300 WM will still get near 3,000 fps with a 180 but it'll be overly LOUD!

Did I mention it'll be LOUD?

Ok you convinced me. No 22" barrel on a Win mag.
I don't like loud at all. Can't even stand to be next to a muzzle break at the range.

I have two threads going at the wildcat forum about this same gun.

1. 280 AI worth it?

2. Can I rechamber to use the 9.3 X 62 necked to .308

Looks like I'm going to rebarrel via PAC-NOR

Thanks

Can't the barrel be set back, and the chamber cleaned up?

Chuck

A friend's father here has a Tikka M-65 in 300 Win Mag with a 22" barrel,factory length. It's 30 fps slower on average than our 24" 300's,still getting over 3000 with a 180,and it's not any louder.Although in your case the 30-06 Improved sounds like a better option.

The closest distance between to points is a straight line.......

If I had your problem, my solution would be to upgrade to a rifle that's chambered for a cartridge that I REALLY desired to own and use. It's the cheapest and best solution in the long run, believe me. I wouldn't look for some sort of expedient chambering just to salvage something out of my current rifle. I tried that type of solution many years ago, and while I saved money going in, I still wasn't satisfied with what I had. It was an exercise in false economy.

AD

trigger,

A 22" barrel 300 Winny would work fine. One of the many myths rolling around if you cut a 300 Mag below 24", you just have a noisey 30-06.

My first custom project was a conversion of a Ruger 30-06, to 30-338 (one of the finest 30 caliber magnum wildcats) with the factory 22" barrel. I rechamber, open the bolt face and I added a Bishop stock, and had one of the most accurate rifles I've ever fired.

Got over 3000 FPS with 180's and 2800 + with 200's. Noise, well I didn't Db meter it, but it wasn't any louder than any other magnum I've owned.

However, Allen has a point, in the long run you are better off, selling what you have, and buying what you want, than trying to fit and alter. Unless your attached to this rifle for sentmental reasons, Allen's advice is right on.

Regards,

Bob

Trigger: I have a 300 Winchester Magnum with a 22.5" barrel. This gun is a half incher if I do my part with the following recipe: 72.0 grains of I.M.R. 4350, Federal 215 primers, Federal cases, Hornady 180 SP bullets. Muzzle velocity is 3.093 f.p.s. Of course it sounds loud, but not louder than other firearms I have.
Good luck

FWIW I have a 300 Weatherby in a 23" barrel that was factory Magnaported and it does 3200fps with 180 grain partitions. Yes, it makes a big bang. You might say it's a real "Blast" to shoot. My cousin has a Winchester rifle in 300 Winchester with a 22" factory barrel and it does 3000+ with 180 partitions. It seems no louder than my 7mm Rem Mag.

A gunsmith named sisk has done some tests on barrel length and the results have shown you don't lose nearly as much velocity with shorter barrels, as was commonly believed.

If somebody is getting 2950fps out of a 300wsm with a 22inch tube and an overbore cartridge.Then you sure as hell can get 3000fps out of a 300 win mag thats burning 10 to 15% more powder then the 300wsm.

If owning an extra load 30/06 was an issue,nobody would be buying the waste they call a .300wsm

[ 10-09-2003, 22:24: Message edited by: RMK ]