30-06 rechambering suggestions

[matttyson]

I have a Remington 700 ADL in 30-06 I'm looking to have re-chambered.  Suggestions on caliber? It will be a hunting rifle.   I own a 270 Win and. 338win mag so most interested in a caliber that will bring something new to the table and be "sexier" than a 30-06. Thanks!

[JDHasty]

9.3x62

You can get it rebored in Oregon
http://35caliber.com/8.html

 $225 for 3 groove

 $250 for 4 or 5 groove

includes return shipping on std rebore jobs

It is a real whomper

[Oh Mah]

.300 win mag,arguably the best thing since sliced bread.Or simple 30-06 ackley improved.just a re-ream
similar ballistics to the .300 win mag

[jay.sharkbait]

.308 Norma

This will give you an excuse to say "Norma" all week at hunting camp.

[Biggerhammer]

.300 win mag,arguably the best thing since sliced bread.Or simple 30-06 ackley improved.just a re-ream
similar ballistics to the .300 win mag

I have to agree when it comes to the 300 Win Mag. By far my favorite across the board cartridge. With the .375 H&H following it up as a close second for hunting A-Z.

[Oh Mah]

.300 win mag,arguably the best thing since sliced bread.Or simple 30-06 ackley improved.just a re-ream
similar ballistics to the .300 win mag

I have to agree when it comes to the 300 Win Mag. By far my favorite across the board cartridge. With the .375 H&H following it up as a close second for hunting A-Z.

It's my favorite squirrel gun 

[JDHasty]

Unless you want to deal with the bolt face....  keep it close to standard bolt face dims.  This is a Remington w/extractor location and ejector placement not as easy to deal with as with a Pre 64 Model 70 or any other true claw extractor and although the spring/plunger ejector is going to work it will not be optimally located.   

That is unless you would be better off selling or trading it to get a magnum bolt face action before starting the work unless you happen to have a spare belted magnum bolt laying around.

9.3x62 brass is a dime a dozen and if you want a true varmint rifle instead of another deer/bear/elk rifle there is nothing that is going to be better than a 257 AI for long range varmint, especially coyote & chuck, sniping.   Not the best for long range prairie dogs, gets too hot way too fast. 

You will have great magazine length for a 257 AI with a pretty quick twist barrel that will handle long, Long, LOnger and way LONger bullets and with a laser range finder this can be a rifle that can minimize wind influences if you want to try to shoot WAY out and still hit something with regularity. 

Best part is your gunsmith will likely own the reamer and not have to borrow or rent one.       

[Skillet]

35 whelen or 9.3x 62.  375 Whelen has some panache to it as well...

[Biggerhammer]

My smith will open a standard bolt face on a Remington 700 to accept a Magnum cartridge for $40.00 bucks and I've never had a issue.

[sumpnz]

9.3x62

You can get it rebored in Oregon
http://35caliber.com/8.html

 $225 for 3 groove

 $250 for 4 or 5 groove

includes return shipping on std rebore jobs

It is a real whomper

I have a CZ-550 Medium in that caliber.  I've shot 3 elk with it.  Farthest I had to track one was still under 10 yard.  210-220 yard shot based on Google Earth measurements for that one.  Though that was the one that decided to die in a mud hole barely as big as she was.   

4x4 bull was a 250 yard shot and a true DRT. 

Killed those 2 elk with 286gr Hornady Spire Points.  First one fell to a 286gr Partition.  Can't say the partition did anything the SP's didn't.  Both are accurate, both drop elk like the Hammer of Thor.  But the Partitions are, what?, 4x the price.

I can't say enough good things about the cartridge when it comes to killing elk.  That said, it's not something I look forward to shooting at the range.  I generally shoot only just enough rounds to confirm my zero.  Then it's back to the 6.5x55 or .22lr.

.308 Norma

This will give you an excuse to say "Norma" all week at hunting camp.

[kselkhunter]

Having just gone through this, it depends on how much you want to spend. 

For 30-06 the 338-06 and 35 Whelen are the easiest as they just use the same brass and chamber sizes.  Simple re-bore the barrel to accept the larger bullets, and double check head spacing.  If you reload, go for the Ackley Improved versions for the extra handful of grains of powder.  JES reboring out of Oregon does the best work, JDHasty already posted the link previously in this thread. 

Next up is 9.3x62mm.  Basically a metric "whelen", slightly better ballistics with .006" larger bullet (and a few more grains of powder)  Very popular internationally, and some countries in Africa grandfathered it into their caliber restrictions since it was designed there specifically for that region (well, by a German, but for the African colonies).  A bit more gunsmith work but still do-able.  But the gunsmith will want to verify your barrel thickness to make sure you still have minimum barrel thickness to handle the rebore. Unless you re-barrel, then the sky is the limit (but costs double)

If you re-barrel, and switch to something like a 300 win mag or other that causes bolt and chamber changes, you're going to easily creep up close to the price for just buying a new gun.  Unless as JDHasty suggests you have a spare 300WM magnum bolt lying around.  If I were going to go crazy with a mag changeover I'd go sexy with a 358 Norma mag.  :-)

My gunsmith wasn't comfortable going 9.3x62 with my barrel, so ended up choosing the 35 Whelen as I wanted larger frontal area and ability to shoot bigger bullets without having to step up to 338WM/375H&H recoil.   It was designed by Americans as a poor mans 375 H&H before the Brits released that design to the US. A 250gr bullet at 200 yards is only 160 ft-lbs less retained energy from a 35 Whelen than a 338WM, but uses ~25% less powder to get there.  Due to the higher BC the 338WM is significantly better once you get past 400 yards though.

But you already have a 338WM.  So the 338-06/35Whelen/9.3x62 selections are going to mostly duplicate it, granted with significantly less recoil.  So maybe something smaller as JDHasty suggests.

[sumpnz]

But you already have a 338WM.  So the 338-06/35Whelen/9.3x62 selections are going to mostly duplicate it, granted with significantly less recoil.  So maybe something smaller as JDHasty suggests.

Having shot my buddy's .338WM side by side with my 9.3x62 I'd question the assertion the .338 is significantly higher recoil.  Never having shot a .338-06 or .35 Whelen I can't speak to those cartridges' recoil, but my perception was that the 9.3 was harder recoiling than the .338WM.  My 9.3 is a CZ, so it's no featherweight.  I think the 2 rifles are similar in overall weight, including glass (the .338WM is a Rem 700, prob ADL, but far from positive). 

I'll grant that I was shooting 286gr handloads that are fairly warm in the 9.3, and my buddy's .338WM had 225gr factory Core-lock ammo.  If I stepped down to 250gr in the 9.3 or he had heavier handloads for the .338WM I might have decided differently.  But I still don't think the recoil would have been "significantly" different.  Noticable, perhaps, at least in a side by side comparison, but not different enough to sway a choice.

[JDHasty]

Having just gone through this, it depends on how much you want to spend. 

For 30-06 the 338-06 and 35 Whelen are the easiest as they just use the same brass and chamber sizes.  Simple re-bore the barrel to accept the larger bullets, and double check head spacing.  If you reload, go for the Ackley Improved versions for the extra handful of grains of powder.  JES reboring out of Oregon does the best work, JDHasty already posted the link previously in this thread. 

Next up is 9.3x62mm.  Basically a metric "whelen", slightly better ballistics with .006" larger bullet (and a few more grains of powder)  Very popular internationally, and some countries in Africa grandfathered it into their caliber restrictions since it was designed there specifically for that region (well, by a German, but for the African colonies).  A bit more gunsmith work but still do-able.  But the gunsmith will want to verify your barrel thickness to make sure you still have minimum barrel thickness to handle the rebore. Unless you re-barrel, then the sky is the limit (but costs double)

If you re-barrel, and switch to something like a 300 win mag or other that causes bolt and chamber changes, you're going to easily creep up close to the price for just buying a new gun.  Unless as JDHasty suggests you have a spare 300WM magnum bolt lying around.  If I were going to go crazy with a mag changeover I'd go sexy with a 358 Norma mag.  :-)

My gunsmith wasn't comfortable going 9.3x62 with my barrel, so ended up choosing the 35 Whelen as I wanted larger frontal area and ability to shoot bigger bullets without having to step up to 338WM/375H&H recoil.   It was designed by Americans as a poor mans 375 H&H before the Brits released that design to the US. A 250gr bullet at 200 yards is only 160 ft-lbs less retained energy from a 35 Whelen than a 338WM, but uses ~25% less powder to get there.  Due to the higher BC the 338WM is significantly better once you get past 400 yards though.

But you already have a 338WM.  So the 338-06/35Whelen/9.3x62 selections are going to mostly duplicate it, granted with significantly less recoil.  So maybe something smaller as JDHasty suggests.

And there ya' have it.  I have been around this game a long time and if it were me, and I wanted a 9.3x62 I would send a Remington pump down to Oregon.  Just because they give you all, and then some, of the accuracy needed for big game.  And this reboring WILL be just as accurate as a factory 700, or close to it. 

But I would go 257 AI with a long action if I had a 270 Win and a 338 and be ready to tell the world that I have it covered all the way out from where the hornets fail to deliver up through 600 yards here in north America.  And is will make that 270 a firearm you lend to friends and relatives if you go to Montana or Wyoming for speed goats.  But I was not trying to duplicate what you already have while expanding your fun. 

The 257 AI will take what you have further down than the 9.3 will take you up and both use the same bolt face.  I don't know what is left for a 270 after you have a 257 AI and a 338 Win. here in the Pacific Northwest except a really accurate 223.  And that makes the 270 superfluous so you might as well sell it and buy a 223 and be done with having everything covered out from 22 magnum range to wherever. 

That is unless you are like me and you find out that most of your hunting is rockchucks that are betw 75 and 250 yards and then you will have to decide between a 22 Hornet and a 17 Hornet to buy with the money you got for your 270.

[JDHasty]

But you already have a 338WM.  So the 338-06/35Whelen/9.3x62 selections are going to mostly duplicate it, granted with significantly less recoil.  So maybe something smaller as JDHasty suggests.

Having shot my buddy's .338WM side by side with my 9.3x62 I'd question the assertion the .338 is significantly higher recoil.  Never having shot a .338-06 or .35 Whelen I can't speak to those cartridges' recoil, but my perception was that the 9.3 was harder recoiling than the .338WM.  My 9.3 is a CZ, so it's no featherweight.  I think the 2 rifles are similar in overall weight, including glass (the .338WM is a Rem 700, prob ADL, but far from positive). 

I'll grant that I was shooting 286gr handloads that are fairly warm in the 9.3, and my buddy's .338WM had 225gr factory Core-lock ammo.  If I stepped down to 250gr in the 9.3 or he had heavier handloads for the .338WM I might have decided differently.  But I still don't think the recoil would have been "significantly" different.  Noticable, perhaps, at least in a side by side comparison, but not different enough to sway a choice.

If ya' have a 338, and like it, go down in caliber.  There is nothing to be gained until you are considering a 375 H&H.  Just my opinion. 

[kselkhunter]

Yeah, having a 270 and a 338WM really covers all the bases for north American big game hunting.  For me it made sense as I had a 7mmRM and 30-06, so going up in caliber for my -06 made sense for me (and I didn't want to sell that rifle that I re-bored).