can a 308 be reamed to 300wsm only thing i found with the diagrams of the to only thing smaller is the throught deminsion. any comments would help thanks jason

The truth is, there's much more to converting a .308 Win. to a .300 WSM than you might think. Rechambering is one thing, but you'll also need a new extractor, magazine box, magazine follower, plus you'll need to have the bolt face opened up, etc. All of these parts and steps cost money - more than the end result will be worth.

The best and most cost-effective plan in my estimate is to trade in your .308 on a factory-new .300 WSM and pay the difference in cash......

AD

let's look at what allen said...

a brand new winchester featherweight in 300 wsm is 580 bucks...

a barrel is 200
the reamer is 50
gunsmithing work at least 150
rebluing 100

so, for 500 bucks, you have a modified 308...

or, sell the 308 for 350...
spend 580 for the winchester
and you are 230 bucks out of your pocket for the winchester, WITH a factory to fix it, and you can pick it up at wallyworld tomorrow

230 for a new one, vs 500 for a 308 to wsm

unless you've got a great stock, or it fits you perfectly, there's no choice

jeffe

I've converted two of them. It's not a big deal. You can rework the standard 308 extractor with a Dremel, but buying a better one is easier and you have something better than the stock M70 extractors. You'd probably replace it anyway. You can get the spring steel extractors from Williams Co. in Oregon for $29 if you don't want to rework the 308 extractor. You DO need the follower but the magazine box can also be reworked. Merely flatten the lips at the top of the box to be parallel to the sides and you've got it. Opening the bolt face is a quick machine job on a lathe. A local gunsmith charged me $15 to do that. I got the follower directly from USRAC.

Bob, it might not be a big deal, but you'll still end up with a cobbled up factory rifle with a factory barrel that won't be worth as much in terms of resale value or marketability as an original gun in .300 WSM, and likely won't shoot any better.

In my experience, there's no acceptable middle ground in this area that makes practical or financial sense. If you want to scrimp, you end up with a cut & paste effort that usually disappoints or forces you into a position in which you'll have invested money in order to ultimately lose a greater amount of money at a later date. In this case, you're better off with a stock factory rifle that's already in the caliber of your choosing.

But if you are willing to invest just a little more, and since you're willing to alter the rifle anyway, why not invest in a custom barrel, a blueprinting job, trigger job, and a pillar-bedding job. Why not take it to just that next level?

AD

Allen, of course you are correct. In my case I was changing barrels anyway and making a 338WSM, which I did. I had to put on new barrels anyway as there are no short action factory 338's. The action work was fine as I described and it DID work out well. I don't have either one any more but I'm waiting for an MRC action my gunsmith has barreled for that same cartridge. The point was, it can be done. The rest is a financial and investment consideration of the questioner. I answered his question directly and you gave him the financial consideration. In my case it's a wildcat and the are worth soooooo much at resale!