Old f-class .30-06 conversion to ?

[Alex.Carrillo]

Hey guys, I have been looking online for some information but not really finding a clear answer. I have an old Whitworth Mauser Action F-Class rifle in .30-06 that I would like to re-barrel to something a little more modern like .284, 300 PRC or 6.5. I don't want to replace the bolt so I'm trying to find what would work with my current setup. Any information would be great. Thanks!

 

[wbm]

284 Winchester definitely worth a look.



https://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek053.html

https://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek088.html

 

[Alex.Carrillo]

Yeah, that's what I'm leaning towards but will it work with just a barrel/chamber swap?

 

[savage110nut]

Bolt head is the same between 284 and 30-06. Not the same as PRC.

Rebarrel to 284 and start shooting

 

[Field_2_Fork]

Following. One day I plan to re-barrel on of my Tikka M65 rifles, currently original .30-06. I'm a hunter at this point, but working on my reloading and shooting skills, slowly.

Some very good reading for me in the links above. Thanks!

 

[dthomas]

Yeah, that's what I'm leaning towards but will it work with just a barrel/chamber swap?

Yes it will. 284 is a good cartridge for f class and you can find a lot of info on it since so many people have been using it for so long.

 

[Scott Harris]

284 WIN, you already know the answer

 

[Bc'z]

Leave it alone, throat it out to shoot heavy 30's and enjoy the nostalgia.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

Going from 30-06 to a .284 will use the same boltface. The 30-06 was copied from the 7mm Mauser which had a 12mm boltface, 0.473 inch. The .308 followed in the footsteps of the 30-06 and used the same bolt face. There's a whole slew of calibers that have that 12mm boltface. The 6.5 PRC is based on the beltless 300 Ruger Compact Magnum with a boltface of 13.5mm 0.532 inch.

So you can select from any of countless excellent calibers with that old 7mm Mauser boltface of 12mm 0.473inch.

 

[Zero333]

284w would be the most logical for f-open.

There are other options,.280 AI, 6creedmoo, 6.5 creedmoo, 6.5x47Lap., among others... but the 284w is the safest choice.

 

[Falfan2017]

With modern powders and bullets the 30-06 could be very competitive. Not giving up much to the 300 wsm.

 

[SBS]

If your barrel is still in good condition, just shoot it till it quits and then change. If it's got a lot of life, you could rechamber to .30-06 AI which gets even closer to .300 WSM.

 

[watercam]

If the barrel you have is not shot out, I too would use it up as is.
Try some Berger 200s!

 

[XTR]

The F-Open guys seem to love them some 284s. Shoot out the barrel on your -06 while you collect the stuff to make it a 284W

 

[Ramblerman]

Hey guys, I have been looking online for some information but not really finding a clear answer. I have an old Whitworth Mauser Action F-Class rifle in .30-06 that I would like to re-barrel to something a little more modern like .284, 300 PRC or 6.5. I don't want to replace the bolt so I'm trying to find what would work with my current setup. Any information would be great. Thanks!

Man, Id just shoot it as is...if you want to spend money on something more modern, upgrade the whole package and don't throw money at that action...it's probably about as good as it's gonna get as is. Just my two centavos.

 

[Mike Conroy]

I would lend you me Serengeti reamer if you decided to keep it in 30-06

 

[PAC3006]

I went with a 28" barrel on my 30-06 I had rebarreled from Pacnor.This is what it does with 168gr Nosler Ballistic Tips

 

[koger]

You could put a 6.5x55 swede barrel on it, and shoot for a long time and a long way, with a lot less recoil. I am on the fence myself, on a new build on a Savage long action, I have narrowed it down to the .284, .280AI, or the 6.5x55 Swede. I am leaning towards the 6.5 though.

 

[Kurz]

The 30-06 was copied from the 7mm Mauser

No it wasn't. The 7x57 Mauser provided the U.S. with the impetus to design a new cartridge, there was no copying at all.

The 30-06 was copied from the 7mm Mauser which had a 12mm boltface, 0.473 inch.

Actually, the 7x57 Mauser has a 0.476" rim diameter according to both SAAMI and CIP. Very little difference I'll admit but a difference none the less.

There's a whole slew of calibers

countless excellent calibers

The correct term you're looking for is cartridge.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

The 1903 rifle, which also introduced the 30-03 and then 30-06 cartridge to the US military was such a close copy of the Mauser 98 that the US government paid $400,000 in royalties (patent infringement?) to Mauser until the start of WW1.

https://gundigest.com/more/classic-guns/mauser-the-most-important-rifle

Here is a quote from the article:
"The Mauser originals — 7.92×57, 7×57, 7.65×53 (sometimes called 7.65×54) — and the Brenneke cartridges developed in direct consultation with the Mauser firm do not resemble the 308, 30/06, 270 and others by accident; from case heads to bottlenecks, modern cartridge configurations are virtually all derived from original Mauser ideas."

I meant calibers: 243 Win, 25-06, 260 Rem, 270 Win, 284 Winchester, 308, 338 Federal, 358 Winchester (and others) are on the same bolt face.

Did you know the 50 Caliber BMG is a scaled-up 30-06? It is ultimately based on the 7mm Mauser.