Rem. 788 convert to .44 AutoMag?

[lgm270]

Remington's "budget" Model 788 bolt action rifle was made in a variety of calibers including. 223, .308, 7-08, .243  and such odd balls as .44 Mag and .30-30 Win.

I thought a .44 Mag Model 788 would be kind of cool because I could shoot it in an indoor pistol range that allows rifles chambered for pistol calibers.    The problem in 788's in .44 mag are scarce and expensive.

So....why not re-barrel a .308 or .243 to .44 automag, a 44 magnum case based on shortened .308/30-06 cases.  It would fit in the .308 magazine and would fit the .308 sized bolt face of the Model 788.  I could shoot .44 Auto mags at the local indoor range.

Another possibility would be the .357 Automag, a .44 Auto mag necked down to .357".  Kind of like a short .358 Win. 

Anybody ever seen this done?   Comments?   

[Qaz]

 Why not just buy the Ruger bolt action 357mag and shoot both 357 and 38's in it. It would be less expensive that doing what you said.

[mannyrock]

 
    Or, why don't you just buy the Ruger bolt action carbine in .44 mag?   They have temporarily stopped making them, but they are not at all hard to find.  They have a rotary magazine.   Shooting a carbine at an indoor range seems more logical than shooting a full size rifle anyway.
 
    Your suggestion of buying a 788, and them paying even more money to convert it to an off-beat cartridge, just to be able to shoot .44 mags in a rifle at a pistol range makes zero sense to me.  And, you will never be able to sell it for even half what you have in it.
 
   Take two aspirin and go to bed, until this "flu" passes away!  :-)
 
Mannyrock

[lgm270]

Why not just buy the Ruger bolt action 357mag and shoot both 357 and 38's in it. It would be less expensive that doing what you said.

I never heard of a Ruger .357 mag.  bolt action.  Are you sure they make one?

[lgm270]

    Or, why don't you just buy the Ruger bolt action carbine in .44 mag?   They have temporarily stopped making them, but they are not at all hard to find.  They have a rotary magazine.   Shooting a carbine at an indoor range seems more logical than shooting a full size rifle anyway.
 
    Your suggestion of buying a 788, and them paying even more money to convert it to an off-beat cartridge, just to be able to shoot .44 mags in a rifle at a pistol range makes zero sense to me.  And, you will never be able to sell it for even half what you have in it.
 
   Take two aspirin and go to bed, until this "flu" passes away!  :-)
 
Mannyrock

You might have something there.   I think I will walk away from this idea for a while and go back to working on my new wildcat...a .22-250 necked up to .257".   I think it has potential. 

[mannyrock]

 
LGM,
 
   Ruger just starting making this year the .357 mag bolt action carbine.  It has a 5 shot rotary magazine. You will find plenty of discussions of it on the Ruger topic board.
 
   Unfortunately, gun reviews so far, using factory ammo, are reporting only 3 to 4 inch groups at 100 yards.  Way too inaccurate for me, when you consider that it is a bolt action, especially considering its $650 price tag.  But, since you had load, you may be able to get it to shoot alot better than that.
 
   By the way, you may want to check the accuracy reports for the .44 mag carbine as well.  I have never shot one or seen a review on them.
 
Best Regards,
 
Mannyrock
 
 

[243dave]

LGM, Let us know how that wildcat goes based on that 22-250 case, it sounds like a winner.   

[Drilling Man]

  If the flu doesn't go away, i do believe i still have all the RCBS dies to make automags from .308.  If you want/need them, PM me...
 
  DM

[lgm270]

LGM, Let us know how that wildcat goes based on that 22-250 case, it sounds like a winner.   

Well I certainly hope so, considering all the money I'm spending on having a technical  draftsman produce   blueprint drafted for the machinest to make a reamer for me.  Real wildcatting is not cheap but when you break new ground, I guess that's the way it goes.

[Qaz]

 I am actually surprised that they allow you to shoot a pistol round through a rifle at a indoor range. Our local range said no way! The increased velocity will be harmful to our back stops.

[parkergunshop]

LGM,
You wrote: 

"You might have something there.   I think I will walk away from this idea for a while and go back to working on my new wildcat...a .22-250 necked up to .257".   I think it has potential."
 
LGM, What you wind up with  is no wildcat, but a factory round the  parent case for the 22/250, the 250/3000 Savage.
Always trying to do things the hard way aren't you.

[Drilling Man]

 
LGM, What you wind up with  is no wildcat, but a factory round the  parent case for the 22/250, the 250/3000 Savage.
Always trying to do things the hard way aren't you.

  I thought HE was just being sarcastic with his answer...  Surely he already knew that???
 
  DM

[lgm270]

LGM,
You wrote: 

"You might have something there.   I think I will walk away from this idea for a while and go back to working on my new wildcat...a .22-250 necked up to .257".   I think it has potential."
 
LGM, What you wind up with  is no wildcat, but a factory round the  parent case for the 22/250, the 250/3000 Savage.
Always trying to do things the hard way aren't you.

I did some research and you're absolutely right.  History does repeat itself, doesn't  it

[hillbill]

have their been any new rifle cartridges invented in the last 50 yrs that have not been invented before?

[243dave]

LGM,
You wrote: 

"You might have something there.   I think I will walk away from this idea for a while and go back to working on my new wildcat...a .22-250 necked up to .257".   I think it has potential."
 
LGM, What you wind up with  is no wildcat, but a factory round the  parent case for the 22/250, the 250/3000 Savage.
Always trying to do things the hard way aren't you.

I did some research and you're absolutely right.  History does repeat itself, doesn't  it

LGM, don't be discouraged and give up, perhaps you can take the 250/3000 Savage and ream it and fireform a cartridge with a 35 degree shoulder and less body taper, I doubt that has been done.  You can call it the 250 LGM Improved !!  Or here is one you could do, take a 270 Win and neck it down to a .25 caliber, I bet it would be the perfect antelope/deer round.  Wow, the possibilities are endless !! 

[hillbill]

well you could do that to the savage and it would get yu what? 100 to 200 fps increase in velocity, if yu ended up with a increase in pwder capacity?and you could to that to the 270 and it would get yu a 25-06?

[243dave]

Since it seems all of those have been done maybe neck down the 7x57 to a 25 caliber, I bet it would be a great round !!  Maybe I'll have a reamer made up for it and try my hand at wildcatting too.
Dave

[Steve E]

243daveSorry that one has been done already also, but I tell you one that would be a real barn burner, it would have speed galore. Try necking down the 30-06 case to 25 cal since you like the 25 caliber so much, now that thing would sling a 117 grain bullet.

Steve E........

[Drilling Man]

243daveSorry that one has been done already also, but I tell you one that would be a real barn burner, it would have speed galore. Try necking down the 30-06 case to 25 cal since you like the 25 caliber so much, now that thing would sling a 117 grain bullet.

Steve E........

  Have you ever heard of the 25-06???
 
  DM

[GLShooter]

have their been any new rifle cartridges invented in the last 50 yrs that have not been invented before?

The WSSM series, The WSM's, the 6.5 Grendel, the 17 Remington, 204 Ruger, 460 LOTT, 40 S&W, FN 5.7, 300 OSSM, the Ultra Mags, all the Lazeroni cartridges. 338 Lapua, 308 Norma Mag, 7 MM Remington Magnum, 480 Bushmaster.
 
Just a few I can think of that I think are newer than 50 years.  Some may be derivatives but I believe all the WSSM and WSM's were built on the 404 Jeffreys IIRC and setting the shoulders back and necking them down was all new.
 
Nothing the Old School cartridges couldn't do but you know how shooters like something new and shiny!!
 
Greg