On a Win M70, would this be a simple job? Feeding issues? Would it be less trouble to put the barrel on a 6.5x55?
They all seem so awefully close, it seems it would feed from the '08 setup, but if not, anything an hour with a good smith couldn't fix?

I'd be worried that the magazine length would prevent longer bullets for the 7 X 57 in the short action and it's possible that a new barrel would be needed because of the difference in body taper.....without actually drawing the cartridges and overlaying them on top of each other it's conceivable that you would need to shorten the barrel as much as an inch to cleanup the former chamber of the 7-08.

In short.....if you want a 7 X 57 just find one already to go or build one from a '98 action.

No, it would not be a simple rechambering job for the simple reason that the 7mm08 case has a larger shoulder diameter than the 7X57mm, and would not clean up. However, your present chamber might clean up to a 7X57mm AI, which has a lot less taper and a larger diameter shoulder than the standard 7X57mm. You'd need to examine and compare case diagrams to see if this would work.



I don't think feeding or the magazine would be a problem IF your current action is not made exclusively for 2.8" cartridges. It probably would NOT work in a REM. Model 7, but it probably would in a Model 70 Win.

BB,
I think this is "wrong" direction, as loaded to SPEC, the 708 outperforms the 7x57, though not an inssue for a handloader.

the chamber will have to be set back, as the other poster said, as the 7x57 has loads more taper, unless you did a 7x57 ackley.

which model 70? doesn't REALLY matter, as if it's too short, you'll swap out the sheatmetal mag box

jeffe

Take a look at the 284 Winchester. It holds more powder, if thats what your after, than the others and is the same length as the 7/08. I tried a 284 in my Kimbers 7/08 magazine and it fed fine.

A 7mm Mauser works best in a longer action.

If you swap out the mag. box and rechamber it as is to 7X57 you'll be one of the few Wildcatters with a two stage shouldered cartridge. Why with any luck you can send RCBS a fired case and they will make you dies. 20 yrs from now this forum will be discussing the advantages of the Bwana-B Improved over the Ackley Improved. A cartridge designers life can't get any better than that. roger

Savage99, Roger that 284.Don't leave home without it.

If your looking for performance gains I dont think youll get enough to justify the job. When you take into consideration the minimal taper of the 7-08 and the fact that it runs @ a higher pressure theres really not much difference in the two. I would second Savage 99's suggestion. That would give you some appreciable gain.

You cannot rechamber a 7-08 to a 7x57 without setting the barrel back a good deal as the shoulder is large, then that brings up the question of barrel inletting that will be gappy..

In a handload the 7x57 will leave the 7-08 in the dust...

My suggestion would be to leave it as is, or have a new barrel traced and replaced with a 7x57, and just add a new 06 length box...Have the chamber cut with a long throat, so that you can seat the bullets way out yonder.....

I could be wrong, but isn't the Winchester M70 in 7mm-08 built on the short action? I don't think you could use a 30-06 length magazine box in that action. I have a Win. M70 with the short action in .308. The Winchester 145 gr. 7x57 factory load is almost too long for the magazine. If the use of a heavier bullet were required, it would probably be too long for the magazine box. The few 175 gr. factory loads I have on hand were way too long to fit in the magazine.
If I were looking for a rifle in 7x57, I think I'd look around for a Winchester M70 Featherweight in that cartridge. The one I have is certainly a tack driver, is light to carrey and pleasant to shoot, even with the hot handloads I run through it.
Paul B.