Decided to turn my Savage 300 WM into a 30/06

[masterblaster1]

Really just culling the calibers I am shooting and cleaning out some guns in the closet, I want a longish range rifle, have a 300WSM, a 300 WM, a 270, and a 30/06 hunter. Selling all but the 300 wsm, and converting the 300 WM into a 30/06. Numerous things guiding my decision, component availability, closet space, ammo availability etc etc. I read Germans articles on the long range capabilities of the 06, which I always knew but seemed to have forgotten, so I am going back in time to old faithful. Will keep the WSM which is about 95% of a WM. I guess I am going to finish out life shooting the same Caliber I started with. Now I have to locate a barrel, am thinking prefit but also looking at Larry Racine up in NH possibly doing a whole Kreiger 28" bull with a Serengeti chamber. I am not planning to compete, just target shoot with this rifle, I have my LRI built 260 for the competing when I can find a event down here in S Florida. Any advice from the seemingly hidden 06 shooters appreciated. I know you guys are out there even though you don't talk about shooting this ancient round in public.

 

[jonbearman]

If you convert the 300 win mag to 06 you will have to change bolts unless it has a removable bolt head like a savage or bighorn.Why not just keep your 30-06 and add a new custom barrel? The 30-06 is a great round but it isnt in style do to trends in the industry.I love the 06 for hunting and such myself .I quite prefer it over the famed .270 due to the bullet selection and the fact if you forget your ammo on a trip you can go to some drug stoe's and get the ammo.

 

[masterblaster1]

I thought about keeping the 06 I have but it is a featherweight, smith lead times are long plus I hate to mess with it, I will sell it as the hunting rifle it is. The 300 WM is a Savage I can do all the work myself as I already have all the tools from my 308/223 barrel changes.

 

[mattri]

Will be watching this thread/project with great interest. I have been thinking of building an intermediate-range hunter myself. Not a walking around gun but not a 1400 yard edge either. Have not settled on a caliber yet but have been looking long and hard at the 300 Win Mag, the 300WSM and the 30-06. Barrel length will be 26-28. What kind of ranges do you expect the 06 to reach out to effectively?

 

[masterblaster1]

I am interested in a 100 or less, the 308s have the 800 and less range covered, also have the 300 wsm to push the 30 cal heavies faster and further if needed (this is just a hunting gun that shoots 5/8ths groups), so I am really interested in pushing the old faithful 06 to the edge. It is a good old cartridge that can handle anything really.

 

[SierraCJ5]

A few years ago I put together a 30-06 on a Savage action with a 26", 10 twist, light varmint profile Criterion barrel. To say I'm satisfied with the outcome is an understatement. I wanted something that satisfied the following criteria:

• accurate
• long barrel life
• good for informal targets
• good for hunting
• reasonable recoil
• relatively economical

The rifle weighs 11.3# ready to go including a 5.5-22x50 Nightforce. It has a Rifle Basix Sav2 trigger adjusted to about a pound, a Bell & Carlson Duramaxx stock, a steel Warne 20 moa rail, and the entire thing was Cerakoted Magpul OD green by Sawtooth rifles.

I regularly use it for shooting targets where it works fabulously out to 1000+ yards; the furthest I've shot it so far is 1470 yards. I hunted with it this fall in Wyoming. I've shot 1000 yard F Class with it just for fun; back in March on a day so windy target centers were being torn from the boards, it turned in the high score at our little club. Does it shoot as easily or as accurately as my 6BR? No, but that isn't the point. It's a well balanced, all around rifle that isn't plagued by some of the problems other chamberings come with.

Suitable brass and bullets are as common as they come. I've had veteran shooters give me sacks of once fired LC brass because no one wants it. It doesn't seem to be particularly picky in regard to bullets although I usually load the 208g and 178g A Max and 178g Hornady BTHP in a Winchester case with a reasonable charge of H4350. The lighter bullets being preferred for medium ranges out to about 850 yards with the heavier A Max being used for anything longer. Recoil is stout with the heavier bullets but not unmanageable.

I really enjoy the times when others ask what I'm shooting and I get to reply: 30-06. Many of the veteran guys say "really" and kind of smile. Lots of the younger guys scoff and ask why. I respond by saying I like it and wouldn't be without it.

Go build an '06. You'll love it.

 

[masterblaster1]

Great story Sierra, right in my line of thinking too.

 

[Deton8tor]

I was at my club Saturday on the 200 yd line when a group of older gentlemen showed up. All had various calibers. One in particular had a 30-06 30" heavy barrel. It was too heavy for what you want MB, he only punches paper. However, I saw him put five shots in two holes for over an hour. He just grinned and said "It's just an old 30-06". I beleive he said he was shooting a 165, but I did not hear the what bullet or anything else. I went home and broke out my '06 just to see what I can make it do.

 

[masterblaster1]

Well I sent off the 28" Criterion Bull barrel I had on my Savage to get rechambered in 30/06, Larry Racine will be doing the rechambering and barrel mounting, he is also doing some trigger work on my short action accutrigger at the same time. Seems I will lose about 2 1/2 inches off the barrel, should end up with a 25 1/2 inch bull 30/06 barrel. Have never used Larry's services before but he seems like a dammed nice guy, plus he has some great shooting on his resume'. I have to decide on chamber spec, he has 06 Springfield and match reamers, can someone tell me what the big difference is between the two and advise on what I should get? I m hoping going 25 1/2 inch wont hurt me too bad vs 28, will be looking to shoot it max 1k meters/yards.

 

[Grizz2150]

A few years ago I put together a 30-06 on a Savage action with a 26", 10 twist, light varmint profile Criterion barrel. To say I'm satisfied with the outcome is an understatement. I wanted something that satisfied the following criteria:

• accurate
• long barrel life
• good for informal targets
• good for hunting
• reasonable recoil
• relatively economical

The rifle weighs 11.3# ready to go including a 5.5-22x50 Nightforce. It has a Rifle Basix Sav2 trigger adjusted to about a pound, a Bell & Carlson Duramaxx stock, a steel Warne 20 moa rail, and the entire thing was Cerakoted Magpul OD green by Sawtooth rifles.

I regularly use it for shooting targets where it works fabulously out to 1000+ yards; the furthest I've shot it so far is 1470 yards. I hunted with it this fall in Wyoming. I've shot 1000 yard F Class with it just for fun; back in March on a day so windy target centers were being torn from the boards, it turned in the high score at our little club. Does it shoot as easily or as accurately as my 6BR? No, but that isn't the point. It's a well balanced, all around rifle that isn't plagued by some of the problems other chamberings come with.

Suitable brass and bullets are as common as they come. I've had veteran shooters give me sacks of once fired LC brass because no one wants it. It doesn't seem to be particularly picky in regard to bullets although I usually load the 208g and 178g A Max and 178g Hornady BTHP in a Winchester case with a reasonable charge of H4350. The lighter bullets being preferred for medium ranges out to about 850 yards with the heavier A Max being used for anything longer. Recoil is stout with the heavier bullets but not unmanageable.

I really enjoy the times when others ask what I'm shooting and I get to reply: 30-06. Many of the veteran guys say "really" and kind of smile. Lots of the younger guys scoff and ask why. I respond by saying I like it and wouldn't be without it.

Go build an '06. You'll love it.

Had a 06 when I was reading Jack O'Connor. I started to read Colonel Charles Askins. The Magnums Magnum man. I never looked back. I had found my realm and destiny.
I've been hunting with a 300 Weatherby and other Magnums for 40 years. I have the disorder called Magnumitis. It is not curable. I will be this way the rest of my life. If it doesn't say Magnum, Ultra Mag or Nitro Express it's no good.

 

[S3silver]

Super old thread... but a few months ago I bought a 24" Savage varmint barrel in 30-06 for $50. It was bubba painted half way and was ugly so the guy sold it for cheap. Figured what can I lose. Screwed it on and with little load development using H4350 and 178 bthp, it easily puts 5 shots into the same hole at 100 and will shoot 1" or less at 200 if I do my part. This is my first 30-06 barrel and I am impressed. Just for kicks, loaded some 130 ttsx and the best load will put 3 in 1" at 200 running 3300 fps. Needless to say this 30-06 barrel is staying with me a long time.