Help me decide which caliber to barrel a #5 Rolling block actionin, 1901 model.

[koger]

Well folks the title says it all. I have a pristine, in the white 1901 patent Smokeless Rolling block action. I am having fits trying to decide which caliber to barrel it in. Here is my short list, and I want to stay with a caliber I already have, dont want to start loading for another caliber.
.38-55, I have one, a hi wall, brass and molds already
.40-65 I have a 40/82, and dies, and I have 3 boxes of factory .40/65 ammo
.50/70, I have a trapdoor and a sharps carbine, thought about making a long barrel sporting rifle, but really dont need another one in this caliber
.30/30, a long barrel slim sporter would be neat,keep it slim and a classic caliber
7x57, I already have a #5 in 7x57 in about mint condition, military model. But a nice sporter would be the cats meow.
All you guys chime in here and give me feeback. I am leaning towards the 7x57 the most.



.

[dk17hmr]

I don't see how you could go wrong with a 30-30.....I'd love to play with a rolling block 30-30

[country gent]

I would opt for a 38-55 with a 1-14 or 1 -12 barrel for the longer bullets. Next would be the 40-65 with 1 16 or 1-18 twist barrel. Last while not mentioned in your list is the 45-70. What are you planning on for this rifle?

[GhostHawk]

I lean towards the .30-30 myself.

[brass410]

38-55 would be my choice 2reasons 1 its a classic in a roller 2 accuracy What ever you choose it will still be a neat old action to have and shoot.

[koger]

Country Gent, my plans for this rifle, is informal target shooting, steel clangers mostly, and hunting. I have a very heavy 40/82, that is a tack driver, a Win Hi Wall 38/55 that shoots 265 or 338 gr slugs better than I could ever hope to shoot them. I also have 45/70 Roller with a heavy half octagon/round Badger barrel 30". I also have 2 8x58Rs that have been arsenal sporterized, with a 30 and 32" barrels, which would better anything a 30/30 could do.

[Texas by God]

But those 8x58s won’t shoot most every .30 caliber bullet known to man like the 30-30 will.....
I was going to say 30-40 Krag but you said that you don’t want to stray out. A lightweight 7x57 sounds appealing for a hunter, too.

[sharps4590]

Country Gent and I agree, 38-55 first, 40-65 next. After that...one is as interesting as the other.

[elk hunter]

For me the choice would be very simple, 7 x 57. Fun to shoot, easy to load for, mild recoil and absolutely deadly on big game. Second choice would be 30-40. Has all the attributes of the 7 x 57 and is a wonderful cast bullet round.

[Drydock]

Another for .30-40 Krag. But as that is off the table, the 7x57.

[wwmartin]

I had JES rebore a Green Mountain #4 profile 33 Caliber barrel to 9.3 and i chambered it in 9.3X74Rmm with 4 gruve rifling. I'm happy with the results.
Bill

[marlinman93]

Since it's a number 5 action I'd probably lean towards the .40-65 choice. It's a great caliber, and if you have a mold to cast for the .40-82 it might also work to cast for the .40-65.
But the .30-40 Krag or .303 British would be a fun caliber to play with too. Especially with cast bullets at lower velocities. Something with a fast enough twist rate to take advantage of a little heavier bullet would be a fun project to shoot.
I've got one original, and another I built up in .40-50 Sharps Straight, and it's becoming one of my favorite calibers for smokeless loads. I use .30-40 or .303 brass to make them, and cast a 350 gr. bullet. Loads are very similar to .38-55 loads, but slightly heavier bullets. So far it's proven to be a very accurate cartridge and rifle out to 650 yds. with smokeless powder loads around 1350-1400 fps.

[John Taylor]

I have a new octagon light sporter barrel in 7X57 that a customer ordered several years back. He got sick so the rifle was never completed. It's threaded for the action , chambered and cut for the block but the extractor cut has not been made. If interested let me know.
I got tired of the heavy recoil of the larger caliber so I made my #5 in 38-55 with a long heavy octagon. Shoots great and does not hurt.

[Texas by God]

^^^ I vote for the above octagon one ^^^

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[wch]

A 38-55 would be my choice.

[sharps4590]

I had JES rebore a Green Mountain #4 profile 33 Caliber barrel to 9.3 and i chambered it in 9.3X74Rmm with 4 gruve rifling. I'm happy with the results.
Bill

If loaded to normal pressures, ain't that a bit much for a rolling block?

[444ttd]

i would luv to have a 50-70 gov. the 30-40 krag would be my next choice, but that is off the table. i really like the 7 mauser, so i'd go with that.

[kaiser]

I would choose the 30/30 for the following reasons:
1.) availability of brass by every company in the U.S., plus overseas 2.) availability of bullets worldwide with no restrictions of shape or design used in a Rolling Block 3. a "rim" that lends itself to easy extraction/ejection of spent rounds over a "rimless" cartridge 4.) pleasant to shoot, recoil wise 5.) notably accurate, even in two piece lever actions with rudimentary sights 6.) a "thrifty" powder consumer in times of limited resources. While not an "exotic" caliber, the 30/30 is a historical one that is over 125 year old. It has taken every game animal from here to Alaska since its inception and is popular. While it may seem to "practical", or "boring", it is "iconic" IMHO.

[Tom Herman]

.50/70, I have a trapdoor and a sharps carbine, thought about making a long barrel sporting rifle, but really dont need another one in this caliber.

You don't need another .50/70? HERESY!!!
One can never have enough .50/70's....

Sound like a fun project: Glad you found a great receiver. Enjoy it in whatever caliber you decide to make it.
Shoot well,

-Tom

[45workhorse]

KOGER,
Just send it to me me! I'll chamber it in 38-55! There, that solves your dilemma!:kidding:

Whatever you chose, just be careful, to much gun porn, makes you buy more guns! I have had too much since about 9years old.:bigsmyl2:

[marlinman93]

I have a Husqvarna Type 33A in their version of the .38-55 which is a 9.5x47R and I use .38-55 brass slightly shortened. But I still plan on building up a .38-55 on a full sized #1 action I have here. I want it to be built like Remington's #1 Sporting Schuetzen rifles were. Always wanted a Rolling Block Schuetzen rifle, and I like the .38-55 too.

[koger]

John Taylor you have a pm.

[Shawlerbrook]

No wrong choice here, but the 7x57 would be my first choice followed by a 30 30.

[wwmartin]

If loaded to normal pressures, ain't that a bit much for a rolling block?

If loaded to normal pressure (49,000 CIP piezo, 44,000 cip crusher) the 9.3X74Rmm is well under the 7X57 at 57,000/49,000. It's pressure rated the same as the 7X57R.
Bill

[Nueces]

I have a mechanically solid #5 in the original 7mm. Bore is cruddy. My plan has been to rebarrel to 30-40, which has a nice long neck and offers a bit more performance than does the 30-30, while still being 'age appropriate.'

[marlinman93]

I often read people's comments about the smokeless Rolling Blocks, and the calibers they were offered in, and justifying how hot they can load their Rolling Blocks based on this data. I personally think the old Rolling Blocks in any year action are not a very strong design. I do love them, and they're my first choice when contemplating a new gun build from a single shot action. But regardless of whether it's a BP or smokeless action, I wont chamber, or load mine beyond loads of about 25,000 psi max. That's good for a BP action, and although a smokeless can take more, it's just not a strong action design, whether it was offered in high pressure originally or not.
Just my opinion, and the way I treat mine.

[TCLouis]

30-30 without a doubt!

[marlinman93]

.30-30 is a 42,000 psi pressure range, and I wouldn't do it. Not that the owner would overload it, but down the road who knows what might be chambered and shot.

[Winger Ed.]

Depending on what extended ranges you shoot at, how much you practice, and how big a critter you'll go after,
the .30-30 has great appeal.

[M-Tecs]

I often read people's comments about the smokeless Rolling Blocks, and the calibers they were offered in, and justifying how hot they can load their Rolling Blocks based on this data. I personally think the old Rolling Blocks in any year action are not a very strong design. I do love them, and they're my first choice when contemplating a new gun build from a single shot action. But regardless of whether it's a BP or smokeless action, I wont chamber, or load mine beyond loads of about 25,000 psi max. That's good for a BP action, and although a smokeless can take more, it's just not a strong action design, whether it was offered in high pressure originally or not.
Just my opinion, and the way I treat mine.

Interesting information and actual testing here
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?61694-Trapdoor-Strength

It mostly deals with Trapdoor Springfield's but it does have some on Rollers. The surprise is the TD were more robust than thought and the Rollers less so. Your advice is excellent on the max chamber pressures. The other area some overlook is some of the Rollers have really large firing pin holes that should be bushed.

[John Taylor]

I have seen many rollers where the breach face is no square to the bore. This does not seem to have a problem with black powder cartridges but when you get into some of the higher pressure rounds it can distort the base of the brass. When the #5 came out the 7X57 was very popular and was used in many countries in the roller. Around 1913 the cartridge was changed to a lighter bullet at higher velocity. I do not have any info about the pressure, if it was changed. I have heard a few say there is a problem using modern 7X57 in their old roller, seems if you pull a fired case out it will not fit back in the chamber. I do not have a personal experience with this problem.

[marlinman93]

I've experienced the same thing John, and some bad enough that after firing the empty case could be extracted, but would not rechamber unless it was indexed exactly the same as before. The block not being perpendicular to the chamber caused bent rims, and those wont change after even full length sizing.
I've replaced pins, and made everything tight, but prior to sending them out for barrel fitting I check to see if the breech block is square to the bore. It's an easy fix to mill the face flat, or to build up the back of the block to get it back to square. But it always needs to be checked prior to rebarreling.

[RustyReel]

If the brass I am using is Starline then the right star is placed at 12 O'clock. If the rifle doesn't use Starline brass then I notch it and the notch is always placed at 12 O'clock. The 12 O'clock doesn't have to be prefect but I try to get it close. Neck size all the brass and so far have not had an issue.

[koger]

Good to know guys. I am in the waiting end of getting a 7mm barrel and getting it put on by John Taylor , already profiled. I have a minty 7mm, and have shot factory ammo, with none of the problems spoke of here. I have a couple of issues of Precision Shooting, who did and in depth study of all the reported problems associated with the 7x57 Rolling block and a few examples of the rifle. Good reading, I wont go into all the details, but the accuracy they got was astounding, using both jacketed and cast boolits. Mine will proabably be shot using cast more than anything, so no wild hot rod rounds. If the 7mm dont pan out, 30/30 it is.

[paul edward]

My vote is for the 7x57. With a new barrel, tight chamber and modest loads, this could be the best of several good choices.

I have a military surplus #5 with the original generous chamber and 30" barrel, but it shoots very well.


If I had such an action, I would re barrel it in 6.5x57.

[marlinman93]

Anymore I've gotten where I don't hotrod anything I shoot. Even my varmint rifle in .22-250 seems to shoot much tighter groups at a modest 3400 fps, than if I load it to max velocities it can safely be loaded to.
And since 95% of what I own was made prior to 1898, I just feel comfortable with loads that cruise along at lower speeds and pressures.