300 RUM to 300 H&H

dpmule

Being a lefty limits my choices, rechambered a Ruger #1 to 300 H&H and it got taken over by wife and granddaughter, now looking to find a bolt gun to work over.
Missed out on a couple 375 H&H 3000L Mauser that would have been easy changes.

How much trouble is changing a bolt face on a Remington bolt?

My current line of thought is purchasing a Left hand Remington 700 in 300, or 338 RUMs since magazine lengths are the same, only thing I can see that won't work after a barrel change is the bolt face.
Anything else I am overlooking, or any suggestions?

Mule

Ray B

Opening the Rem 700/721/722 boltface is not practical, however you are in luck because the RUM cartridges and belted magnums use the same bolt face. While the magazines my be the same length the followers are quite different and would need to be replaced. In addition the RUM chamber is larger than the 300 H&H, so the barrel would need to be replaced. To get a 300 H&H in a Rem 700 the least modification would be to get any standard/long magnum and have it rebarrelled.

Tailgunner1954

Umm the bolt face is the same/close enough on the RUM and the H&H @ .527-.530" (taken from actual cartridges, not chamber drawings)

You would need to change the barrel, and feed rail / mag / follower work or replacement will probably be needed

nononsense

dpmule,

quote:How much trouble is changing a bolt face on a Remington bolt?

quote:Opening the Rem 700/721/722 boltface is not practical...

Nothing could be further from the truth. When you use a skilled gunsmith familiar with the process this can be accomplished quickly and easily. Only the unprepared and the unskilled folks should be avoided. Thousands of these are done every year in the U.S.

quote:My current line of thought is purchasing a Left hand Remington 700 in 300, or 338 RUMs since magazine lengths are the same

Here your problem is going the the rails not the length. There are two action lengths for Remington:

Long and Short.

Within these two lengths, all cartridges including the H&H are accommodated. But it's the rails that actually guide the cartridge into the chamber along with the feed ramp. The RUM cartridge family has a base diameter of 0.545" (actual case measurement) and a shoulder diameter of 0.523" which prevents them from feeding up between the rails of the standard belted magnum action rails. For comparison, the H&H measures 0.529" on the rim and belt with 0.448" at the shoulder. Your problem will be controlling the cartridge with the rails when the H&H case is smaller in diameter.

There are other ways to skin this cat.

You can take a standard belted magnum action and work on the rails then replace the follower and box. Or...

Being a 'lefty' no longer limits your choices. The custom action makers all provide a left hand version of their typical right hand actions. Today's CNC machining techniques allow for mirror imaging of the process. You can order a left hand action as simply and easily as you can order one in right hand without any up charge.

You can also buy a left hand complete rifle then remove all the parts unnecessary to the build and sell them online to recoup some of your out-of-pocket costs. Normally you can save the bottom metal, trigger and action but get rid of the stock and barrel. Then it's a simple matter of choosing a gunsmith to re-barrel and stock your rifle.

Cost will of course depend upon the components and the maker.

I can walk you through the entire process if you need to.

Please check your e-mail for some additional information.

Best.

Cheechako

Have the Rem 700 series changed in the last few years? The old ones didn't have feed rails such as found in the Mausers, etc. The "rails" were part of the magazine box. For a different cartridge you simply replaced the box.

Altering bolt faces is not very cost effective now-a-days. I've done several of my own but would not do it again. Buying a new, custom fit bolt, such as sold by Dave Kiff is the only way. The old bolt can be sold to re-coup most of the cost of a new one. I've had guys waiting in line to buy old Rem 700 bolts.

JMHO

Ray

tsr1965

dpmule,

Stick with the information, that was given to you by nononsense. It is by far the most comprehensive, and correct.

There are some folks on here that build the best rifles in the world every day, for a living, and there are some that blow a lot of smoke from their good intentions.

I have been where you are with the Remington Sendero II in 300 RUM. The problem is the magazine box is not long enough to let one match the throat, unless you use it as a single shot. You can change the box for a longer, aftermarket one, and be somewhat happy. However, as long as you are this far, you might as well have the action squared, and put a really good barrel on it.

I chose a Remington TYPE action(Surgeon 1086, to be exact), with the round bottom, with a 28 inch Bartlein barrel, and have a detachable magazine set up from Badger, that uses the Accuracy International CIP, 338 Lapua length magazine. Then I added a Manner's stock, and Jewel trigger. This rifle shoots well within 1/2 MOA, out to at least 800 yards. I say 800, as that is the furthest I have had a chance to shoot it, since acquiring it in February.

If you wish, e-mail me for a good chat.

Best