Author Topic: 338 Chambering Question  (Read 555 times)

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Offline bigswede

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338 Chambering Question
« on: January 22, 2010, 07:18:26 PM »
I was just wondering if it is possible to have a 338 win mag barrel reamed to 338-06?  Is this doable?
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Offline Rangr44

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Re: 338 Chambering Question
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2010, 02:52:28 AM »
FWIW, "having a barrel reamed" usually means reboring the entire barrel to a larger internal diameter and then rerifling it.

A .338 Win Mag barrel is already .338", so it could only be reamed out to a larger size - the next larger which is .358" (.35 caliber).

If you meant reCHAMBERED, then a barrel's chamber area can only be made larger - in fact large enough to erase all trace of the previous chambering - and sometime bolt face changes get involved also.

Since the .338-06 is based on the .30-06 case necked up to .338", and the .338 Win Mag is a much fatter/longer belted magnum, is you want to make a .338-06 out of a .338 Win Mag, the rifle must either be rebarreled or the barrel set back, rethreaded, rechambered, and the bolt changed to a smaller -06 size.

If all you have is a bare .338 Win Mag barrel, then the entire chamber end must be cut off, shortening the barrel, the end rethreaded for whatever action/application, and then chambered for .338-06.
The resultant reduced barrel diameter in the area of the new chamber reinforce may not be suffucient for safety - if it will even be safely large enough for the action threads. YMMV

The resultant cartridge feeding issues on an installed barrel, due to internal rifle/mag difference for a belted mag case and a smaller non-belted case, would also need work.

The bottom line, since it's not economically viable, the answer to your question is "no".

The other way around, though - .338-06 to .338 Win Mag - is a little more "doable", still needing action/bolt work at the least besides the rechambering.

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Offline bigswede

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Re: 338 Chambering Question
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2010, 06:38:55 AM »
Thanks for the information.  I thought that "no" would be the answer.  I was just sort of hoping.  You see I have a 30-06 that I have been wanting to turn into a 338-06, I also have a 338 win mag barrel that came off of a rem 700.  The 06 is also a rem 700.  I was hoping it would work as to be a more economical method than purchasing a whole new barrel.  Even if there was enough chamber to cut off and start over, the 338 winnie barrel is 19.5" anyways so that would be another problem.  Looks like I had better start saving my nickels for a while to save up for a new barrel.
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Offline Rangr44

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Re: 338 Chambering Question
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2010, 02:42:04 PM »
If I were you, I would sell the .338 Win Mag Rem 700 barrel in the classifieds here and/or elsewhere, and use the funds towards Jes' Reboring in Oregon, to have the .30-06 Rem 700's barrel rebored/rifled out to .338" ($245) - giving you your .338-06 for  less than the $245 rebore cost.

(You can send/mail the barreled M700 receiver to Jess, and receive it back directly & legally under Federal Law covering ship/return of firearms to/from an FFL for repair/customization by a non-FFL)

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Offline yooper77

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Re: 338 Chambering Question
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2010, 06:40:08 AM »
Thanks for the information.  I thought that "no" would be the answer.  I was just sort of hoping.  You see I have a 30-06 that I have been wanting to turn into a 338-06, I also have a 338 win mag barrel that came off of a rem 700.  The 06 is also a rem 700.  I was hoping it would work as to be a more economical method than purchasing a whole new barrel.  Even if there was enough chamber to cut off and start over, the 338 winnie barrel is 19.5" anyways so that would be another problem.  Looks like I had better start saving my nickels for a while to save up for a new barrel.

Sell the 338 Winchester Magnum barrel and rebore.

Here are links for a re-bore.

http://www.35caliber.com/2.html
http://www.redmansrifling.com/reboring_prices.htm

yooper77