Hi Guys
I'm looking at buying a lefty 264 Win Mag with the intention of turning it into a 300 H&H. Unfortunatly I'm buying pretty much blind and I cannot measure the action. I'm not sure if Dakota fit calibres into family groups for action lengths. If so, do you think the action length would be long enough to take the extra .25 inch in the Holland COL?
Thanks for the advice.

The magazine length for that family of cartridges is 3.4". The 264 WM, the 7mm Remington, 300 WM, etc are in that family. The magnum action for cartridges like the 300 H&H have a 3.68" magazine length. So I think the 300 H&H cartridges would be too long to fit in the magazine you are looking to buy.

The standard Dakota 76, mine is a .338WM, will simply require a new mag. box. and ejector cutback and perhaps a tweaking of the feed ramp and bolt stop and it will be fine.

I have both .264WM and .300H&H minty P-64 Mod. 70s and like both these rounds, with handloads, VERY much. I find the .300H&Hs, this is my fourth in 20 years will let me shoot offhand better than any other rifle I have or have tried and that is a few!

Your Dakota should be a VERY choice .300H&H and I like the P-64-26" contour in this and suggest it.

Question I don't have the answer for " is the action too short or only the magazine box"?. As an example the M70 action is the same length for both the 264 and H&H. Remove the spacer and alter the ejector and bolt stop and you can easily convert a 264 to H&H. Hard for me to believe Dakota built two sperate action lengths. But hey I've been wrong before and will be again I'm sure.

Thanks Dewey you were answering my question as I asked it.

The 375 length M76 is the same overall length as the short magnum. However, for the 375 the front guard screw was moved forward and flange that locates the mag box was moved froward as well. On a pre64 M70 they milled out the front of flange and the freed ramp moved forward. This could be done on the Dakota but you would need a longer mag box and lots of feeding work. The short mag is wider at the front than the 375 box because the 338Mag etc have less taper in the case than the 300H&H. The 300 Win Mag would be a drop in without much if any modification, but it's not as historically classic as the H&H. You would need a new mag box, and a new floormetal. The problem with the floormetal is that a 375 Dakota floormetal would not fit on the short mag action due to the different screw spacing.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
As an example the M70 action is the same length for both the 264 and H&H. Remove the spacer and alter the ejector and bolt stop and you can easily convert a 264 to H&H.

Maybe on a new M70. The Dakota Short mag is basically the same as an 06 pre64m70. Converting one of these to magnum length can't be explained in a single sentence.

Thanks guys I appreciate the advice. I was succesful at the auction and a picture of my new Dakota donor is right here...

Lefty Dakota

IF it's too short, just build a 308 Norma Mag or 30-338. Same (or better) performance.