Rebore 308 Winchester to 338 Federal

OldSavage

OldSavage

Regular
EE Expired
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Location
Southern Ontario
I have an old Savage 99E with the lightweight Barrel and I would like to have it rebored to 338 Federal. Does anyone know of any smiths that would do this work? I live in the Lesser Toronto Area but have no problem shipping this little girl out.

Thanks,

Also, would anyone know if the 338 Federal will cycle through the rotory mag without issue?
 
OldSavage said:
I have an old Savage 99E with the lightweight Barrel and I would like to have it rebored to 338 Federal.

Also, would anyone know if the 338 Federal will cycle through the rotory mag without issue?
Click to expand...

Try it and see... there may be alterations needed for the larger neck... but the easiest way is to buy some shells and see if it works...
 
PM Mad Dog. He has looked at this and for some reason I think he was told that an E barrel was too thin of wall, but like I said PM him and he can give you the goods!
 
I doubt your Savage will handle the .338 Fed. chamber pressure. Max is 62,000 lbs. In any case, with a thin barrel there likely isn't enough steel to bore it out. Never mind the cost.
 
You can call Corlane Sports in Dawson Creek (250 782 2111), and the guys there should be abe to tell you whether it's do-able or not. Ron Smith (403 631 2405) does their barrel work for them, so may want to call him directly. He did a 99 in .308 to .358W for me a few years ago...very reputable, though I hear the older Savages are not his favorites. I think the phone numbers are accurate and current, but no guarantee on that!
 
I've seen one re-done in a 338 federal. No problems with the one I've handled. Gunsmith who owned it said it shot well enough.
 
OldSavage said:
I have an old Savage 99E with the lightweight Barrel and I would like to have it rebored to 338 Federal. Does anyone know of any smiths that would do this work? I live in the Lesser Toronto Area but have no problem shipping this little girl out.

Thanks,

Also, would anyone know if the 338 Federal will cycle through the rotory mag without issue?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a great project. I've always wondered about that myself. I believe that some 99 variants have thicker barrels and are more suited to a bore out, but my biggest concern would be the rotary mag. I think Guntech has the right idea, invest in a box of 338 Federal and see if the mag can handle them.

I saw some pictures on the web a while ago where various 99 rotary mags were compared. The 358 Win was noticeably wider at the mouth, so you may have an issue there. It might be cheaper and easier (though not as elegant or satisfying) to start with a 99C. The clip should give you more wiggle room.
 
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