Rechamber .308 Norma Mag. to .300 Win?

[Lawyerman]

I stole one this morning again. Walked into a pawn shop and found a Sako L61 chambered in .308 Norma Magnum. It has a 4-12 Weaver on it. It has a little rust, mostly just film, not pits, on the barrel and on the bottom of the bolt handle. The bore looks pretty good with maybe one spot that is rough. I paid $299.95 for it.

I am thinking that I will rechamber it to .300 Winchester for simple availability of ammo. From what I understand the shoulder is slightly different and so I will have to set the barrel back a turn- does that sound right? The Winchester is longer and larger in every dimension but that one so it should work.

If I cannot do the rechamber I will probably ship it off for a rebarrel to .338 Winchester magnum. Can't get hurt on the deal due to the low buy in either way. Stock is gorgeous. It's really a nice rifle.

[wiljen]

why not keep it a Norma and have it bored .358?

[Hickory]

Why do anything with it? I'd keep it as is.
You can Kill everything imaginable in
North America with it.

[Lawyerman]

My rule on firearms-with one exception- is that if you can't buy ammo for it at Walmart- I don't want to own it.

The one exception is my beloved .35's- .35 Remington, .358 Winchester and .35 Whelen. Even these are pretty "tame" offbeat calibers. They share a common diameter and two of the three share cases with the most popular of rounds- the.308 and .30-06 respectively. They are all currently factory loaded by more than one company too.

Otherwise, my "standard" hunting guns, my defensive guns etc.....If I can't find it at Walmart, I'll rechamber, rebarrel or sell. I don't have the time to mess with all kinds of goofy, expensive, wildcats etc.... (more dies, more brass, more loading data, different bullets......) that provide little to no advantage over commonly available rounds. I've seen more than one hunt saved when someone forgot ammo or ran out when they could easily borrow what they needed or run to the "Country Store" and buy a box.

Even my "surplus" guns are all commonly available rounds. I've bought 1917 Enfields, 03's and Garands. No Nagants, no Mausers, no Arisakas.....No thanks. This does bring up one other exception- I do run something of an Enfield hospital saving Bubba guns and restoring them to some semblance of pride.....but that's it. Those old guns I don't shoot a whole lot honestly.

Maybe some day when I retire and all I have to do is fiddle fart around, mess with rounds and spend my whole day at the range etc... but I just don't have the time to keep up with it all. Nah, it'll be a .300 or a .338 in pretty short order.

[runfiverun]

iirc the 308 norma is pretty easily made from the 338 win brass.
you'll have to have a thread or two cut off to rechamber in 300 win mag.
but i think re-cutting the belt portion will be the problem a re-bbl might be the better option.

[Lawyerman]

I've had something of a change of heart on this. I already own a .338 Win. and a couple on .300 Win. Mags..... Decided that I will load up some ammo for the rifle and see what it is capable of before I re-chamber it. Even though it never had any commercial success it is a very potent round and it addresses one of the shortcomings of the .300 Win. in it's longer neck...I know a friend of mine will have dies for it (he has over 200 sets of dies....) and the bullets are standard .30 cal., I have plenty of .338 brass to reform. Can't hurt to give it a try....

[Mallard57]

I've had something of a change of heart on this. I already own a .338 Win. and a couple on .300 Win. Mags..... Decided that I will load up some ammo for the rifle and see what it is capable of before I re-chamber it. Even though it never had any commercial success it is a very potent round and it addresses one of the shortcomings of the .300 Win. in it's longer neck...I know a friend of mine will have dies for it (he has over 200 sets of dies....) and the bullets are standard .30 cal., I have plenty of .338 brass to reform. Can't hurt to give it a try....
I like your choice. I've always heard good stuff about the .308 Norma.
Jeff