(I asked this in the medium bore forum and it was suggested a better answer would be had here!)

Not bieng a gunsmith, this might be a silly question;

Can a .30-06 barrel just be reamed out to .338?

I ask because I have a .30-06 double rifle that I will work just fine on African plains game but would be better with a little more punch. If it is just a matter of reaming out the barrels and reloading my own ammo...and, well, bob's your uncle!

(oh, and re-regulating the barrels is a non-issue. Its a baikal and I can regulate it myself!)
TIA,

The answer to your question is yes, with reservations. There should be .100" barrel wall thickness at the muzzle, which means that the muzzle diameter of the barrel should be at least .538". The other question is the caliber. If you are thinking of leaving the chamber virtually unchanged (.338-'06), that should be no problem. Opening the chamber up to .338 Winchester Magnum raises a whole different question. First, the back thrust on a magnum size cartridge will be more than that of a .30-'06 case head. Second, the barrel diameter at the chamber may not be sufficient for the larger magnum cartridge.

I think I would just experiment with heavier .30 caliber bullets (220 grain). They have proved to be quite effective against heavier game over the years.

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:
I think I would just experiment with heavier .30 caliber bullets (220 grain). They have proved to be quite effective against heavier game over the years.

+1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks guys

the 220gr are definitly in my future. They are highly recommended by PHs. I was just trying to understand how it all works. That, and like any other overgrown boy, can never leave well enough alone

Changing the caliber of the rifle would be a colossal PITA (paperwork wise) here in the UK anyway. But, if I did do it, I would leave the chamber completely alone. I was concerned that it might be difficult to drill out the barrels if they were attached to each other (its a sxs). For now, I will leave it alone so I can use all the cheap .30-06 ammo to practice with before I go bag a highland red stag!