I own a Winchester model 70 in .308 built in 1977. This gun was my Grandfather's therefore I wish to hang onto it. However, I dont need a .308 as I have a 30-06 that fills my hunting needs. If I was to get my .308 rechambered what calliber options would be open to me? Any advice or information would be appreciated.

By rechambered do you mean cutting a new chamber in the original barrel or rebarreling? If you want to just cut a new chamber it would have to be 30 caliber, of course. There are a few gunsmiths that can rebore a barrel, so your .308 could become a .338 Federal or a .358 Winchester. The earlier model 70's were all long actions regardless of cartridge chambered. If you are rebarreling the rifle any .308 based cartridge would work, such as .243, .260, 7mm-08, .338 Fed, .358 Win. It is a long action, with a suitable magazine box you should be able to rebarrel to 6mm remington, .25-06, .270, 7mm muaser .280, .30-06, 8mm Mauser, .35 Whelen. You would have rather limited options in simply rechambering your barrel. You already have a 30-06 which is your reasoning for not needing the .308, so I am not sure you would want any more 30 calibers. To go to a magnum .30 the bolt face would have to be opened up and feed rails altered along with the rechambering and would get rather spendy. Of course, for even more money, it could be rebarreled as well as bolt face and feed rails altered and chambered for almost any magnum caliber. I guess it boils down to this, if you wish to keep the original barrel, it would have to be a .30 caliber, or with reboring, it could be a .338 or .358 caliber. If you don't mind putting a new barrel on the rifle, it could be almost any caliber you wish it to be that is normally chambered in a Bolt action rifle, depending on how much money you want to spend.

Thanks mate, very helpful.

Seeing as how the rifle is an heirloom of sorts...well it was handed down from GrandDad...personally I would be a little loathe to do anything to it.

However, if you are happy to rechamber it, then I would be looking at the .338 as suggested by our good mate roklok. This calibre is now the "bees knees" as far as sniping in the military goes, and it is a damn fine calibre. Also, if you ever decide to head up north to NT then it will "deal" with anything, in a most authoritative manner, you are likely to encounter.

You know your GrandDad better than any of us mate...what would he have done? You could build a rifle in his memory mate. Being a bit of a sentimental type of bloke, that thought really appeals to me.

Cheers, Vince

I think I've decided on the .338 Fed. I am in the process of booking a buff hunt and I reckon with the right placment it should handle them.

P.S. The old boy's still very much alive and still shooting he just doesn't need his .308.

If you decide to rebore instead of rebarrel here are a couple links:

www.z-hat.com/Rebore.htm

www.cutrifle.com/reboring.html

home.earthlink.net/~or...g/id9.html

I would personally lean toward going with a new barrel, unless you really want to keep the original.

wanndog wrote:

I think I've decided on the .338 Fed. I am in the process of booking a buff hunt and I reckon with the right placment it should handle them. P.S. The old boy's still very much alive and still shooting he just doesn't need his .308.

Still alive...awesome, that's even better mate. Get his input...give him a project to get his teeth into...even if they are plastic ones like mine.

Do you plan on taking him on the buff hunt mate? I never met any of my Grandfathers...wish I had...would have had a ball with them. In fact I wish my Dad was still with us...I had planned on taking him on a hunt last year, but he got crook and passed away about a month before the hunt.
BUGGER !!

Cheers, Vince

I have of course .30-06 Spr 10" twist for bullets 155gr-220gr. I have .308 Win 12" twist too for 123gr-150gr.
Before there was thre .308 Win rifles in my gun locker. Now there is only one and rebarred 22-250Rem and 9,3x57Mauser.
It is very difficult to find .358 rifle bullets here in Finland. Therefore 9,3 and not .358Win.

Rebarrel it to 338 Fed. as there are lots of exellent bullents in .338 avaialble....although, everyone I've ever met that had a .358 would never sell it!

how about hanging on to it as is and using it with redused loads to teach the 'next' generation??? I would guess the 08 is shorter and lighter than the 06 so will be better for younguns and will be easier to make mild loads for.

Elvis, Thanks for that. You make a bloody good point. If it aint broken, don't fix it.My wife gave birth to our first last night, I don't think I'll start her on the .308 but hey, who knows?

Congratulations wanndog!! A daughter?

Congratulations!

My 120 pound soaking wet cousin (a girl, about 5 foot 3 inches) can handle a 12ga Shotgun with turkey loads just fine. No need to protect them too much. In time she'll be ready for that 308Win

Dimitri

Hey wanndog...congratulations to your wife and you on the birth of your first daughter mate. Is both Mum and bub doing well mate?

A daughter eh mate, well done....anybody can fit a spout, but it takes a real "tradesman" to countersink them. We have four daughters.

Cheers, Vince

Thanks boys. The girls are doing fine. I reckon I should be allowed to go for a hunt by the start of the rut next year!