I've been thinking about building a .338 win mag from a pre 64 30-06 action. What other modifications, besides enlarging the bolt face, are needed? Would I need a new follower.
Thanks,
Terry

This is not as easy as many think it is, I speak from considerable experience. It is a task for a knowledgable 'smith as it requires magazine mods, feed rail work and sometimes a bevel under the receiver bridge; you must remove metal that you cannot put back on. A good 'smith can do a fantastic job, otherwise, I would make your action into a .338-06 or a Whelen.

The best thing is to do a .280 Rem. on that action and find either a "short magnum" or "long magnum" (best) P-64 action for your .338. They are not easy to find, but, they are out there.

Kutenay pretty much nailed it.....and here's the rub.....you've altered a collectors item.....
The .338-06 will require only a new barrel and anytime you want you can reinstall the .30-06 barrel to restore the original rifle.

The .338-06 is nearly the equal to the .338 Magnum actually, generating over 3,700 Ft-Lb of energy at normal pressures from a 24" barrel.

I have another post going on this very subject in medium bores.

I have a 1950 Model 70 30-06, that is in the beginning stages of this conversion. I made a decision before I bought it I wasn't going to build a mag caliber. Right now its either a 338-06 or a 9.3x62, benefits are no bolt face work, no follower and feedrail alterations, I expect some minor cleanup maybe but this is an easy conversion.

Vapodog no I am not buggering up a collectors piece, somebody did that way before I got it, if I was being real fussy I could restore it but its not collectable unless I chase down all original parts. I just went through this with 1911 Colt manufactured in 1914, on that is was worth the effort ( considerable ). But my 70 is going to be a quality custom when I get done, and the value will be in the custom, not the original. I don't sell my built up treasures anyway, at least I haven't yet, but lifes full of twists and turns and anything is possible I suppose.

Your recommendation for a 280 Rem is spot on, and initially it was in consideration for this action. But a couple of events changed my mind, one was all my really long custom pistol projects finally got completed, which free'd up resources. And the second is I hunted down a ZKK 600, which I am going to build into a 275 Rigby and this predated my Winchester purchase and I figured that I didn't need two 7mm's being made and they were to close to redundant.

THe 275 Rigby was set in stone I have wanted one for years and an original isn't ever going to happen, so the Model 70 needed another caliber.

In real terms I bet the WInchester is completed before the 275 Rigby and I have a year scheduled for engraving and stock work on it. But the 275 Rigby I am going to be paying a lot of attention to very little details and period correct rifles even good reproductions are tricky and the samllest parts seem to be big delays sometimes.

Which is yet another great thing about the Model 70 Winchester, there a parts all over for these.

Thanks for the info. It's just that the standard actions in pre 64 are fairly easy to find and it's my favorite (pre 64). I also used a 338 for plains game in Africa a few years back with great results.....but...I think I can hear a 9.3 calling my name.
Schromf, I'm reading your post in medium bores....interesting.
Thanks again,
Terry

I just so happen to have a 338 win mag on a pre-'64 action. I built this one about 1 1/2yrs ago and my son took it along on his first (and Succesful) elk hunt in Montana. I just got sore knees. It started out as a standard 30-06 and I opened up the bolt face, modified the extractor, opened up the bottom of the action (not the rails) modified the follower and then opened up the feed rails. It wears a Borden Rimrock stock in Black and a Leupold 2.5 x 8 with a 1 min dot. It feeds like the proverbial rat through a sewer pipe and will shoot 225 gr Nosler Partitions with 72 grs of RL19 into 3/4" at 100 yds. It is for sale and I would take your action in trade if interested.

Well...this is interesting. In the near future I will take posession of a Pre64 M70 action that was originally a 30-06. Previous owner had plans for a 416 Taylor and had the bolt face opened up for the .532 case. I had planned to build some kind of a short magnum on it but after reading all this I'm not sure I want to go into the other mods required. I'd rather build something on the '06 case. Anyone want to trade bolts? Anyone have a lead on a standard bolt?

This can be done, my warning was simply to assist someone before they made a mistake I had made and seen others make. If, you want a belted mag., you simply have to have the right guy build it; the only one I would suggest here is Bill Leeper of Baynes Lake, B.C., who can adjust your action for you and then, you can barrel it. No problem, but, they have not made P-64s for 40 yrs. and it is a shame to see one ruined by a "gunsmith"....I've been there.

I just stopped into the local store the other day, and they had a pre-64 in 338 in the rack. It has been altered (new buttpad and the sights have been removed-think the barrel may have been shortened also). Price was kinda high, I thought, but considering you don't see them everyday.....

Phone # is 218-233-2751. Ask for the gun dept.

Cooter

You can do the conversion alright, but besides the bolt face, extractor, feed ramp, and feed rail modifications, you will need a new magazine box that is of the correct dimension to create a proper stack-angle for short, belted magnums, plus a new follower to fit same. These can be had from Ted Blackburn. The original .30-06 box and follower are NOT the correct parts to employ unless you're building a .30-06, .270, .280, or .338-06. This is not a simple and cheap conversion, especially if you want to do it right rather than 'sorta right'. The correct-size magazine box will hold four .338 Win. Mag. cartridges down, plus one in the chamber.

www.blackburnmachine.com

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I concur. If you want a 338 mag go buy a rifle that is already a 338mag. Save yourself the hassle, bubba engineering.

338-06 would be the most reasonable option. If I saw 2 pre 64s. One a 30-06 converted to a 338 mag or a 30-06 converted to a 338-06. Id choice the 338-06. I think it would have more value also.

Allen,

You don't need the new mag box. It is the same one on the standard as the magnum, except of course, the H&H

Jim, you are not correct on the magazine box. The short magnum box is different from the '06 box on a pre-64 model 70, same length but different configuration of the ribs.

Sendero,

Hey dont feel to bad I just went through this same deal, I thought it would be fairly easy to, and I like the old action as well it is like Hoppes an old friend. I about got dizzy before the smith finished the list of must do things and maybe it wouldn't be cost effective.

If you are still looking into it Wisner's is another place for the box, the orginal box for the 338 and other short magnums is 3 3/8" long with 1 vertical crimp on each side 1 1/2" fom the front. And it held 3 rounds. the standard box is the same length but 3 vertical crimps ( that is not to say it cant be made to work, that I dont know).

As one smith who I have great respect for said "it is done everyday" it just comes down to how much you want to spend verses what you end up with, I picked up a new 70 in 338Win. and will save the old one for something else.

HBH