I'm planning to rebarrel a M 70 new made action (5 years ago) pre 64style, (originally a 375 H&H) with a 404 Jeffery. I want to install a drop magazine box. What are the most adequate for this project?

Thank you in advance for your advices

My advice...
sell teh desirable 375 and get an undesirable 300 RUM, and start from there. The feeding will be easier.

dropbox bottom metal? you have one real choice, sunnyhill.

for a single round gained AND a custom stock required (about 1500-2000 USD for metal and wood and stockwork and checkering)

well, it is hardly worth it...

Anyway, this is a rebarrel and go, from a RUM action, and the 375 as-is retains far more value than the 300rum action does as-is

whoever is your favorite barrel maker for a barrel, and any COMPETENT gunsmith can put this together on a rebarrel rum (which gets you shooting while the other work and $$$ are being spent)
jeffe

I ditto the "don't mess up your 375" that Jeffe mentioned.

My question is why is the 300 RUM undesireable? I think they are limited in production -- if you guys keep converting them the value will go up.

bc the 300 rum is undesireable round.. and no matter how good an action, the round will still not be anyone's fav... for 40 more years

6_5x57-

I would use a Blackburn bottom metal if I were doing the project you have in mind. Here is a link Blackburn Machine

As for the barrel, there are a lot of good ones to choose from. Lilja, Krieger, Shilen, and a lot of others. I would be happy with any of these 3.

Good luck on the project!

jeffe,
not trying to be smart here -- but "because" is not a reason of why the 300 RUM is undesireable. Specifically-- what is wrong with the round? Seems like a 300 weatherby or 30-378 equivalent to me. Please educate the new guy!

6_5x57,

Don't do the conversion to 404J! The only thing that will happen is that it will become your favorite rifle!

quote:

but "because" is not a reason of why the 300 RUM is undesireable. Specifically-- what is wrong with the round? Seems like a 300 weatherby or 30-378 equivalent to me. Please educate the new guy!

I can (and have) pick(ed) up a used 300 RUM for $500.00. A used 375 H&H in comparable condition would cost $300.00 - $500.00 more. There is nothing wrong, or not wrong with the 300 RUM. People much prefer the 375 H&H, at least for the present. Perhaps that will change. The price tags pretty well tell the story. It doesn't matter why; it just is.

LD

Thanls lawndart, I wondered if there was something "bad" about the chambering itself. seems like an ok round if you are using premium bullets and shooting at distance.

failings of the rum
1: it's BARELY more than a 300 weatherby
2:it IS high pressure
3: any round is okay if you roll your own and are satisfied with the results
4: it's a 300 super barrel burner... more powder to just match the 300 weatherby
5: other than making cases for the AR cartridges, I just don't have any use for it
6: there's THOUSANDS if not tens of thousands of them made.... adn it's not hard to find one that's used (rather than a 375)
7: who ever complained that the 300 win wasn't enough?

in short, like the 270, there's nothing wrong with a rum. I bought one when they can out, hard trouble matching factory speeds with reloads as I WON'T load that high of pressure, and it kicked too much for what it was.

generally, a failure to me

jeffe

6X57, I've got a 404J on a model 70 action and it works quite well. I bought it from another AR member awhile back. Since it has a laminated stock it doesn't have classic good looks but, the Model 70 action properly prepared, with good bottom metal (Blackburn), feeds well with all the bullet types I have tried as of yet, and it is very accurate with a Kreiger barrel. This was done with an action originally manufactured for a RUM cartridge.

Thank you for your advices, but the main problem is I cannot find any action in 300 RUM or other RUM cartridge in a M 70. The unic M70 actions I have available are standard calibers (30-06,270, 7 mm RM) or 375H&H or 416 RM.
Can I use these actions for rebarrelling to 404 J? Most of you say the main problem of this cartridge in this action, is the correct feeding, What type of triggerguard assembly and follower must I use in the project. The money is not the main problem for this project.

Thank you in advance for your advices

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
failings of the rum

6: there's THOUSANDS if not tens of thousands of them made.... adn it's not hard to find one that's used (rather than a 375)
jeffe

Were any ever made in left hand? I have never seen one offerrred for sale

Wink,

Your 404 still looks good.

It was originally a 7mm Remington Magnum.

Garrett

quote:

Originally posted by N. Garrett:
Wink,

Your 404 still looks good.

It was originally a 7mm Remington Magnum.

Garrett

Garrett, as Johnny Carson used to say "I did not know that". REM, RUM, I still think the rifle is more than OK. It also solves 6X57s dilemma as here is proof that the conversion can successfully be done on other than a RUM action. I'll be trying out some new loads this Sunday with Rhino 400 grain Solid Shanks as well as Swift A-frames. With, OH MY GOD, French powders! TU 7000 for those who are keeping score. Worse things have happened to better people.

I'll update with a more recent photo. I changed the scope mounts to Talleys.

Wink,

I assume the rear receiver bridge on your 404j is unaltered(still as per original 7mmRemmag action)... or has it been cut back some, like a 375hh receiver? It looks to still beoriginal 7mmRmag, but best to ask.

The reason I ask???
am looking at putting 376s into 308win/M70sa receiver, and was wondering whether I needed to cut the bridge back for the longer round. But if your 404j works fine out of an unalterd bridge for std.length cartridges, then surely there will be no problem with 376s & 308win bridge.

Woodjack, NGarrett may be able to answer that since he owned the rifle when it was converted. Otherwise, I could always take a photograph for you. Just let me know what exactly you want a picture of. I know nothing about gunsmithing, unlike the thousands of other posters and members of the AR family.

Woodjack,

The rifle action was minimally altered. The rear bridge and ejection ports are pure factory.

Ward Dobler opened the feed rails just a hair, and of course altered the bolt face for the 404 cartridge.

The bottom metal came from Blackburn, but I found that the factory (Winchester) magazine box worked better than his did.

I can't tell you the number of gunsmiths who told me it would never work, and who tried to talk me out of it.

As Wink will tell you, it feeds very, very smoothly.

Garrett

Wink & Mr.Garret,
thanks for your replies,all sounds good to me

I'm only speaking from personal experience here, but DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT CONVERTING A .375 H&H INTO A .404 JEFFERY!!!!!

I did this with a Ruger RSM and four years and four grand later I still don't have a rifle that feeds. AND THIS IS AFTER DENNIS OLSON (The world's best gunsmith at correcting feeding problems) HAD IT FOR A YEAR!!!!!

Go with a rifle set up by the factory to feed rounds based on the 404 cartridge (like the RUMs in all their configurations).