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Re-barreling a Model 88
Oakie
Member Posts: 40,521 ✭✭✭✭
I have an old model 88 in 243. I want to re chamber it for a 257 Roberts. The gun has no collector value and is beyond that point. I posted this in ATE. I know I can re barrel the gun, but what about the round fitting into the action and a mag for it????? The round should have no problem with working in the action, if I am correct, But what to do for a DM. That was the only way they made the 88. I have a couple of the 243 in an 88, so This gun would only make me happier to get it back into the field, where it belongs, hunting. I also thought the cool factor on an 88 in 257, would be great. Any opinions or help on where to start with going about this project.???I know Browning makes a lever action 257, But I want it in the model 88, for obvious resons. Oakie
Comments
The cartridges based on the x57 cases use either 3.071" or 3.228" as an overall length. As I stated on AtE, it was Remington that squashed the .257 Roberts into a short action and they've done the same thing with 7x57 when it was available along with the 6mm Remington. In the case of the .257 Roberts, when you load the Nosler Accubonds, Berger VLDs and the Barnes TSX in hunting weights into these cases, you basically are seating the bullets 0.500" deep approximately into those cases when the OAL is 2.775". This really eats up powder space but you can accommodate by using lighter or shorter bullets.
Best.
If you want a 25 cal look at the 25 souper wildcat. Its a 243 necked up to 25. Its a very efficient cartridge and IMO better than the 257R. Another cool choice would be to re-barrel it to 260 Remington.
As a great fan of the M88 I think this is a very cool project. I have a 2nd year made M88 in 308 that with handloads will shoot Sub MOA even with the grungy trigger. They are great shooting guns and very fast follow up shots.
The adjusted and currently accepted OAL is 2.775", however, this has been adjusted by the shooting manufacturing industry which has refused to make an intermediate length action, instead standardizing on the short and long actions.
The cartridges based on the x57 cases use either 3.071" or 3.228" as an overall length. As I stated on AtE, it was Remington that squashed the .257 Roberts into a short action and they've done the same thing with 7x57 when it was available along with the 6mm Remington. In the case of the .257 Roberts, when you load the Nosler Accubonds, Berger VLDs and the Barnes TSX in hunting weights into these cases, you basically are seating the bullets 0.500" deep approximately into those cases when the OAL is 2.775". This really eats up powder space but you can accommodate by using lighter or shorter bullets.
Best.
Tat was the plan. I was looking at reloading 75 to 80 grain bullets in it. Thank you.
Oakie, I think you are going to run into OAL problems especially when loading 115-120 gr bullets. If you are handloading you can correct this but you will eat up powder space as NN said above.
If you want a 25 cal look at the 25 souper wildcat. Its a 243 necked up to 25. Its a very efficient cartridge and IMO better than the 257R. Another cool choice would be to re-barrel it to 260 Remington.
As a great fan of the M88 I think this is a very cool project. I have a 2nd year made M88 in 308 that with handloads will shoot Sub MOA even with the grungy trigger. They are great shooting guns and very fast follow up shots.
Sam, those triggers are one of the worse, that Winchester ever made. I have about 7 M88's and not one has a decent trigger. I like the idea of the wildcat round. Hmmmm, not you got me thinking about that. Lots of possibilities. I was always a fan of the 257 bob, that is how I came up with the idea. Going to make some measurements today. Oakie
quote:Originally posted by Sam06
Oakie, I think you are going to run into OAL problems especially when loading 115-120 gr bullets. If you are handloading you can correct this but you will eat up powder space as NN said above.
If you want a 25 cal look at the 25 souper wildcat. Its a 243 necked up to 25. Its a very efficient cartridge and IMO better than the 257R. Another cool choice would be to re-barrel it to 260 Remington.
As a great fan of the M88 I think this is a very cool project. I have a 2nd year made M88 in 308 that with handloads will shoot Sub MOA even with the grungy trigger. They are great shooting guns and very fast follow up shots.
Sam, those triggers are one of the worse, that Winchester ever made. I have about 7 M88's and not one has a decent trigger. I like the idea of the wildcat round. Hmmmm, not you got me thinking about that. Lots of possibilities. I was always a fan of the 257 bob, that is how I came up with the idea. Going to make some measurements today. Oakie
The 257R is a great caliber, My Dad has a Winchester M70 in it and it was his goto gun for 50 years and took a bunch of deer and ground hogs. The downside to it is its a medium action cartridge, too long for a short action and too short for a long action. It will work in either but not great. The 257R feels its best in a Mauser action.
The 25 Souper was very popular in the 50's and on paper it looks like a real winner. If you have a 243 you have the brass. Its always better to neck up so I would use 243 over 308 brass if you can. Same goes to the 260 Rem.
Good luck with it and please post a range report when it gets done.