Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats llo and question for wildcatters

Hello, gentlemen.
I am a new member who is planning on getting back into shooting/reloading after several years absence, and i would like to try my hand at a wildcat. I'm thinking of getting a 308 and rechambering it to 30-284 for informal range shooting and hunting. I know about the cartridge lenth being limited to the 2.8" mag box. My question is would it be possible to take a mag box from a 30-06 length action and shorten it to 3" or 3.1". Would this fit the rifle without any further work on the action. The rifle will probably be a Marlin X-7 short action. I don't plan on shootng anything longer than a 165 gr Hornady SST or Interbond, but I would like to be able to use the full case capacity of the cartridge case Thanks.

Welcome aboard. you will get lots of opinions, so pick and choose.

In all honesty, you are wasting your money. There are SO many 30 caliber cartridges that have about that case capacity that there is no point. A wildcat is expensive, and the gun will be worth less after you modify it than before.

But if you went 25-284, 338-284 or even regular .284, there is more reason. At least a little.

Use a Rem 700 action rather than the Marlin because there are many many aftermarket parts for the former, but not the latter.

Shortening a mag box does not work well; just use the shorter cartridge in the long box.

308 case blown out straight.

Utah, I agree. I could just buy a 30-06 and be done with it, but I don't want a 30-06. I'm not looking for after market parts, either. From what I've read, a 30-284 finishing reamer by hand and no/no go guages should do the trick. I picked the Marlin because everything I've read about indicates that is one of the most well built and best shooting rifles for the money. NJot looking for a custom rifle, just something different. Like I said, i just want to be able to use the full capacity of the cartridge.

I'D BE BUILDING A 6.5X284 AND LOOKING FOR SOME 160GR BULLETS. powdr

The 30/284 is great!

Wayne,
I think it could be. I've been intrigued by the 284 win cartridge for some time, and I think a 308 "on steroids" could be a great all around cartridge. As for a 6.5x 284, maybe down the road.

With a 700 action you can get a Wyatt's mag box and get about 3" of space. I don't know how long a Marlin box is. With your preferred bullet seated out as far as the mag box will allow, does the bullet engage the rifling?? You will probably need to get the donor rifle in your hands first.
A lot more $$ in the long run but a Yugo Mauser will get you 3" of mag space easily.
I don't like the 284 case when going up - going down seems to work better.
I'd look at a 308 AI or do something like a Gibbs on the 308 case. If using a Yugo, you could go 7.62x57, using the 7x57 or 8x57 case.

Marlin? You lose a bet or something?