Winchester model 70 ranger

[MountainWalk]

Picked this up on the cheap. Its a push feed. But its a 30"06 . But I have enough 30"06"s.  Is the 70 as easy to rebarrel and modify as a Rem700 or a Mauser?   Calibers I had in mind, 7mm or 300 rum, 375 ruger or264wm. Is one of these cals easier to do than the others?  I have about 400-450 bucks to spend.   Thanks.

[AWS]

Sounds perfect for a 9.3x62mm, 35 Whelen or 338-06, just a rebore and leave yourself with a couple hundred for dies, brass powder and  bullets.

I doubt that you will get a new barrel, open the bolt face and have the feed rails openned for $450.

Link to JES reboring

http://www.35caliber.com/8.html

[bobcat]

35 Whelen would be perfect. If you're wanting to go bigger than the 30-06, you might as well go big enough to see a difference. Plus the nice thing is you can buy factory ammo for the Whelen.

[MountainWalk]

I dearly dearly want a 375 ruger. I really dont care bout action truing and lug lapping and blue printing. Just want a big hole at the end of my muzzle with a good set of irons on it. REAL short barrel. A true medium range elk thumper. And eventually i'll be working in AK.     would it make more sense to trade this gun for a rifle already magnum chambered ; ie, not have yo altr bolt faces an such?

[MountainWalk]

Been thinking bout Shaw barrels. Prices seem reasonable. 

[bobcat]

Yes I would say sell it and buy what you want.

[MountainWalk]

Kind of a hard sale!  Rifles missing two action screws and the guy I got it from did a hideous job of trying to refinish the stock.  But it has great sights, weighs little and the action is in awesome shape.

[bobcat]

I think you'd still be money ahead if you sold it rather than trying to convert it to a 375 Ruger.

[AWS]

Sell the barreled action-$250-$350, sell the stock $30-$100(depending on condition) and add just $300 and pick up a nice Howa 1500(same as the Weatherby Vanguard) in 375 Ruger in a Hogue stock for $520 shipped

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_280/products_id/411550650/.375+RUGER+24+BLUE+HOGUE+STOCK

All the work is done and it is guaranteed to work correctly instead of having the cheapest work done butchering up a push feed 30-06 and hoping it turns out.

[AWS]

Shaw barrels are cheap enough(I own two installed by myself) but by the time you have it fitted, finished, bolt face opened and the feed rails done, I still don't think you can get it done for $450 ad then you have to hope the work is right.  To much of a crap shoot for me when for less, what you want already exists with a factory guarantee for less total investment.

[snowpack]

does the original stock have recoil crossbolts?  I'd think that sizing up to .375 might make those necessary.

[MountainWalk]

It does not. Have a line on a good synthetic stock, so had that taken care of.  I have three different sets of rear sights already scrounged. The whole works was going to be Brownells aerosal finish, like alumahyde or cerokote..  Something like that. A tuff, ugly, powerful little carbine.

Howa? Are those Japanese? I understand they are a fine rifle. But call it old fashioned, but I truly want to go AMERICAN with everything(not counting my Swaro"s). If not, Germans ok.

I understand your realistic advice. But understand this. Ive been hunting for quite a while now, did some guiding, learned alot,had lots of fun and  have done well for my self, hunting wise. But ive done all this with second hand guns, and guns that arent quite "me". My chaps I used for packing werent fancy, but they were mine, for me. A cowboy who"ll work at that trade awhile  wants a custom rig, not a circle y.  You dig?
Im not commited to this action. I love to barter. Im a hard worker. It"ll happen soon enough!  I will look at a Howa, for sure, but after years of squirreling parts and pieces,  im ready for my "own" gun.

[snowpack]

For your first post, I think the M70 customs are rarer than the 700s and Mausers due to tougher/trickier machining.  model 70 has recoil lug machined into the action, so it would need a mill.  Guess you could work your way out from the inside if using a lathe and leave enough clearance on the lug for the new barrel.  But 700 receivers are easy--recoil lug comes off when barrel is removed and is a cylinder all the way down.  Mauser has recoil lug set behind the face quite a bit.  The barrel for a model 70 has to be cut differently than the 700 because of the extractor.  put the bolts of the two up to each other and you can see the where it might cause issues.

[MountainWalk]

From what I see, my Savage appears to have the same recool lug set up as the 700...correct?        Anyhow..  Maybe I can learn to live with the whelen, and it would prolly do all what I want it to, but id feel like I was settling.. Guess the 70 will be hitting the trail, if I can be rid of it.   Thanks Snowpack

[AWS]

Reamer and headspace gauge rental for the 375 Whelen Improved 40degree plus a set of dies($83.00) from C&H4D and a rebore will put you under your $450 mark.