Rechambering to 300 Win Mag
I have a Mauser action with a Douglas barrel in 308 Norma Mag and want to rechamber to 300 win mag so I can get ammo for it easier. I was talking to a guy at the gunshow this weekend who said the Norma Mag chamber could just be finish reamed to 300 win mag without even taking the barrel off the action because the win mag case is longer. It is longer but not by much so I thought I would see if anyone out here had done this and is it really as easy as just finish reaming the chamber?
0
-
This sound correct to me, but I'm not a rechamber expert. I do know the bolt face is the same. I've owned both, and the 300 Win does have move powder capacity. There are several old time elk hunters here in the Cascade mountains that still shoot the 308 Norma. If you have any brass you want to get rid of, please let me know.
W.D.0 -
The diameter of the case at the beginning of the neck of the Norma is .489 in., about .014 in. larger than the case of the Win. At the same spot on the Win. which is about .100 in. longer the diameter is only about .477, so it looks like it won't work.
There are a couple moderators here that are a little smarter than I am, so we'll probably hear from them.
Added: mrbruce -
To re-chamber, all the measurements of the 300 Win need to be the same or larger.
In this case the body would be larger near the neck and when fire formed these rounds wouldn't fit in another 300 Win.0 -
I see no reason it won't work the majority of the dimensions are larger with the 300 Win Mag..
Seems like in the long run it would be cheaper to reload for the Norma, unless you don't do any of it..0 -
I would be somewhat disinclined to make this switch, even if the dimensions permit it to be done. Perhaps you have already considered all this, but I would be more inclined to either reload it, find a friend who would reload it, find a custom ammo maker who loads it (such as Conley, who presently offers it), or find ammo at gunshows, etc.
We have frequent gunshows here in Boise, Idaho, and I have seen .308 Norma Magnum ammo for sale by a number of sellers.
The .308 Norma is a superb cartridge, and I am not sure that I can make a compelling case that the .300 Winchester is superior, in hardly any way, except availability of ammo, even though it is exceedingly more popular.0 -
It is because of the win mags popularity that I am considering the switch. Mostly because if I ever want to sell the gun I think it would be easier to sell. I see Norma Mag ammo all the time for $60 a box.I really like my Enfield in 308 Norma mag but only want to feed one beast. As for the Mauser it is really a selling proposition. I even had the action on here for a couple of weeks with no takers. I can get the reamer on loan for free so I thought I might go for it. 0 -
Are you now going to "go for it" now that you know that the chamber won't be a perfect 300 Win Mag chamber?
You said that you wanted to sell it. Will it be worth more money than a 308 Norma, even if it has a goofed-up chamber?0 -
Probably not I think I may just end up shooting it then selling it as is or I may part it out after the holidays when I start listing stuff again. Shipping during the holidays is just no fun at all. 0 -
The 308 norma mag is really nothing but the 30-338 mag, so if you reload, it is asimple matter of running the 338 case through the sizer die and voila, you have the 308 norma. Check the case length before proceeding. I [personal opinion] would rather have the 308 norma due to the longer neck. 0 -
rigelb79,
"I was talking to a guy at the gunshow this weekend.."
Potential mistake #1:
It is an unfortunate occurrence that wannabe experts gather at local gunshows. Rarely do they possess the necessary information and commensurate experience to trust their answers.
"...who said the Norma Mag chamber could just be finish reamed to 300 win mag without even taking the barrel off the action..."
Absolute proof that this is a wannabe expert giving advice on how to cobble a good chamber into an worthless chamber.
"...because the win mag case is longer."
More proof that he really doesn't know what he's talking about.
.308 Norma Mag - .300 Win Mag
NO PROPER GUNSMITH will try to ream a chamber with the barrel and action intact. The exception is the 'pull-through' reamers used in a couple semi-auto rifle set ups.
The .300 Win Mag is indeed longer than the Norma Mag chamber but that doesn't mean that the reamer will clean up the chamber 100%. That's why real gunsmiths remove the barrel from the action and set it up in a lathe so they can set the barrel back at least one thread so they get a complete new cut on the chamber. They also dial in the barrel in relationship with the reamer in order to produce concentricity for the new chamber.
If you'd like some opinions on the best way to sell this rifle, I suggest posting some sharp, properly lit photographs for us to look at for details. There are dozens of different types of Mauser actions and the Douglas barrels, while decent quality are not known to be that desirable. The rest of the rifle may help or hurt depending on the quality of the stock and attention to detail when the parts were assembled. It never hurts to post pictures here for a discussion if you plan to start an auction on Gunbroker.
Best.0 -
Nononsense:
Your advice sounds very much on target, as usual.
My knowledge here is not very exacting, but I was under the impression that the 30-338 and the 308 Norma, which are very similar I am told, were designed to be used in standard length actions, and are sometimes considered "short magnums", while the 300 Winchester requires a longer, magnum action. The dimensions above would indicate that there is very little difference in the lengths of the cartridges.
Would you please elaborate?0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
10 comments