I asked my usual gun plumber to re-barrel a Carl Gustaf .243(kinda long action) to .300WSM. He replied, "no problem" but it will be a single shot as it wouldn't feed the stubby cases reliably. What is the recommened action size/type to re-barrel to a .300 WSM? I thought I could have this done as it is a short action cartridge. Any thoughts or experiances?

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Winchester is putting it into their Model 70 and I'm sure they had to re-fit the magazine, etc to make it feed...ditto for the new Rem Short Mag that is going to go into their Model 7...the internals need to be adjusted for the slightly fatter cases. Redoing an existing action will take some work from someone who knows what he is doing. An alternative is a custom action and bottom metal from someone like Ed Brown or McMillan. Both of them make actions to fit various cartridges...my Lazzeroni Patriot, which is fatter than either the new Win or Rem, was built on a McMillan action and Lazzeroni bottom metal.

There is only one intelligent solution:

Buy a Model 70 in this caliber, but a scope on it, then shoot it. If accuracy is only so-so or poor, take off the stock, send the metalwork to your gunsmith, and have him build a custom .300 WSM on the action.

You'll have the basic foundation already in place if you go this route. The action length, bolt face diameter, magazine follower, and and magazine box are already of the correct size to handle this cartridge, and won't need to be replaced. Hacking-up a .300 WSM out of an action that wasn't designed for this cartridge to begin with is folly - pure and simple. That is, unless you'd be content with a single-shot bolt-gun.....

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Well is that interesting?
Rigby has used standard 98 Mauser's in the war and post-war to chamber the 416's and the case diameter is larger than the 300 Win Mag.
You will however need a smith that is very familiar with opening up the rails and possibly adding a spacer or even redoing the bottom metal.
Nothing is impossible however it is the matter of dollars to value when a new Win 300 is likely under 600.00

Thanks for your thoughts gents....I was hoping to make use of an existing action in my rack. You all make sense, and I think the route to go is buy a new one..and if it dosent shoot..then start to play. Thanks again.

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