Can I turn this .30-06 into a 300 H&H?

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Tuffcity

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I have a 1968 winchester M70 in .30-06 but I also have all the "fixings" to reload 300 H&H including a bunch of brass. As I have 3 "ought-sixes" anyway I was thinking about turning this one into a .300 H&H. The inside length of the mag box is about 3.5". Could the original barrel be used?

Good idea, dumb idea, what do you think? The rifle is in very good condition.

RC
 
Tuffcity said:
I have a 1968 winchester M70 in .30-06 but I also have all the "fixings" to reload 300 H&H including a bunch of brass. As I have 3 "ought-sixes" anyway I was thinking about turning this one into a .300 H&H. The inside length of the mag box is about 3.5". Could the original barrel be used?

Good idea, dumb idea, what do you think? The rifle is in very good condition.

RC
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The bolt face and extractor will have to be altered. Possibly the rails and magazine will require altering as well. Any collectible value of the rifle will be lost in doing this... and to what gain...

Just so you can shoot an obsolete cartridge. (Sorry for saying that guys, but it's true)

If you are going to make a magnum out of it using that -06 barrel, you would be better off converting to a .300 Win Mag.
 
In my opinion it's more work than it's worth if you have to pay a gunsmith to do it. It's more than a simple rechamber, and your factory barrel could work but if it's not at least 24" I wouldn't bother with it. I'm guessing your 30-06 barrel is 22"...The bolt face has to be opened up, the mag box needs stretched or replaced and the bolt stop altered to get more rearward bolt travel. A factory M70 in 300 H&H will have a 3.6" mag box...and then there are the feed rails...they may or may not feed a 300 H&H.......sell it and find a M70 that left the factory chambered for a cartridge based on a full length H&H case...like a 7mmSTW or a 300 Wby, or the Safari Express model in 416 Remington or 375 H&H........when you get tired of looking for one of these...buy a Rem 700 in a magnum cartridge(not a SAUM or a WSM), then it's a straight forward rebarrel....they all have 3.7" mag boxes....
 
'68 M70's don't have any collector value. If you don't want another '06, go with something based on the '06 case like the .30-06 Ackley Improved(nearly 3,000fps with a 150 grain bullet). Or rebarrel to .270, .25-06, etc.
Converting that one to .300 H&H, while doable, isn't economically a good idea. As mentioned, there'd be a lot of work to get it to feed properly. You would be able to sell the '06 barrel to recover some of the costs though.
 
sunray said:
If you don't want another '06, go with something based on the '06 case like the .30-06 Ackley Improved(nearly 3,000fps with a 150 grain bullet).
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Er .................. there are several published loads that will take a 150 to over 3000 fps with the boring old 30-06 in it's standard version.
 
It is not difficult to rebarrel that rifle to 300 H&H. Open the bolt face and replace the extractor and it,s there. One might want to get a mag box and follower for a 375 H&H. The original barrel could be used but a 22" 300H&H just isn't right! I would rebarrel with a 26 if it was me. Regards, Bill.
 
Thanks to all for the advice/suggestions.

Just so you can shoot an obsolete cartridge
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I like obscure cartidges! Otherwise I wouldn't have a .22 HP and (previously) a 6.5X54 :)

RC
 
Sell a couple of 30-06's and but the Sako 300 H & H listed on Elwood Epp's site.

I converted a later model M-70 classic to 300 from a 30-06 by re-chambering and getting the bolt face opened up--I purchased a new 375 mag box, follower and spring from western gunparts--when the dust settled it cost me around $225 (plus the cost of the rifle of course). Feeds, ejects flawlessly and will do moa with remington and winchester 180 factory loads.

Worked for me as I wanted a controlled feed M-70 in this chambering. Yes Bill, it is "obsolete", but waaaay cool.

44Bore.
 
Why not? said:
It wasn't Bill that said it was obsolete. It was Dennis.

Bill knows better! ;)

Ted
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Dennis also said: (Sorry for saying that guys, but it's true).


obsolete

Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Latin obsoletus, from past participle of obsolescere to grow old, become disused...

sort of like old gunsmiths...;)
 
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guntech said:
Dennis also said: (Sorry for saying that guys, but it's true).
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Yep, was just funnin', Dennis!

You really do believe that using the 300 H&H to get 180 or 200 gr partitions at 3000 or 2850 is obselete! I realize that the same can be achieved from standard actions with the 308 Norma or 300 Win, but there is just something cool about the old girl. :)

Best,
Ted
 
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44Bore,

How long ago did you do the conversion? If I can get it done for a couple or three hundred I might just try it. I'm only into the rifle for $200. It's a nice looking rifle for a dreaded post-64 Winny. Nice wood with a roll over cheek piece, hand checkered, bluing is +95% and a jeweled bolt, previous owner had it glass bedded.

I'm in the process of redoing the stock as I hate that plastic look finish, and the old TV-style weaver is making way for a Leupold.

So it just a matter of if it stays an ought-six or goes obsolete. :)

Question: Is a longer barrel a matter of greater velocity or accurracy, or both?

RC
 
Hi,

sorry on the mix up about "obsolete". I had this done about 3 years ago-- Cary stricker at M & S Stocking did the work. I did the re-working of the bolt stop myself. 24" barrel is for velocity and moves the muzzle blast a bit further out. I was quite happy with the balance also with the 24".

44Bore.
 
The Whelen is the way to go but I have seen per64 Wins. in 300H&h wth 22 inch barrels,they sure do go BANG nice.
 
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