Hi guys I have a semi custom win model 70 in 280 converted to a 280AI, and I would like to be able to seat my Berger 168 vld's to touch the lands. My mag box has a rear false wall that limits me to a COL of 3.380" and and if I remouve that false wal I gain an extra .200" of space. Now I know it is spot welded on there and I am sure it can be remouved but would the outcome be If i do this? Will my rounds feed properly? They do now.Will I have to do any other machining work to the the bolt stop? And would my mag follower need to be adjusted?
Thanks
Elme

elmerdeer,

You will have to shorten the ejector and bolt stop also to get it to feed. If you want to purchase new parts to the correct dimensions, call Winchester and get the ejector and bolt stop used in the longer calibers such as the 375H&H etc.

Headache

Thank you sir.
Elmer

Its likely you will run into feeding problems if you do this.

It is most unlikely he will have any feeding problems.

Headache

A couple of question, will the 375H&H mag box fit my stock? Or is there another mag box that does not have the spacer that would fit the 280?
Thanks
Elmer

ditto...I have a Model 70 with a 3.4" mag box and a short follower from a 308...it feeds 257 Wtb rounds like it was made for it.

It'll fit just fine.. However, it won't work just by itself.. You'll need a new follower and the bolt stop either needs to be modified or replaced..

Contact Wyatt Outdoor..

Kevin Wyatt over in Medford makes stuff like that...for those situations..

I just purchased a M70 and found the same damn thing. The spacer they put in there really limits the OAL and I can't even come close to touching the lands with it there. About how much does it cost to get the new parts from Winchester?

Call 1-800-322-4626, XT 2863 and ask..

One quick question: Why do you feel the need to 'touch' the lands??

For starters the H&H mag box does not have the tapered top part that the -06 based rounds mag box do. I have the parts on hand and have tried it.
Model 70 classics LA feed rails are all set up for magnum based rounds and use a mag box with tapered sides to get -06 based rounds to feed well. This works so so and many wont feed the last round.
Also keep in mind that if you use the follower for a -06 based box in an H&H length box it wont work worth a damn because of the followers length. Been there done that. That means you will have to use a H&H based follower which may or may not work.

IN regards to the wyatts boxs for model 70's. They are an abortion. Ask Redneck as he attemtped to straighten one out on a 300 win mag for me that another smith installed. Never could fix the thing and I ended up going back to a H&H box and 7mm stw follower.

It's not so much of a need to touch the lands, but the spacer in the mag limits the seating dept to a VERY strict 3.340.

The Hornady 180 SP sits at 3.462 OAL when just touching the lands, but the box length limits me to 3.340. That places the jump at .122 difference. Yea I know touching the rifling doesn't necessarily mean better accuracy, but it'd be nice to have the option to adjust the seating depth to figure out what the rifle likes rather than what the box will accept. It would also be nice to move the bullet out some so that the longer (180+gr Barnes) aren't jammed so far into the case reducing the powder capacity.

I'd probably single feed some long rounds and check the accuracy before converting it.

BTW I just tried a H&H length mag box in my model 70 classic in 270 and it wasn't even remotely workable. I also tried a 270 mag box with the spacer removed and it worked slightly better, but was not reliable enough that I would use it in the field.

Hi guys this what I did, I remouved the spacer in the box trimmed it down epoxied the wall of the spacer back so now I have a solid mag box, Then I loaded it up to see how it feeds and I cycled the [bleep] out of it in as many positions and as fast and as slow as possible and I did find out what poster Headache said it would do. It had some probelms feeding because the extractor blade is to long.
It would get caught up under the extractor blade on the left side and start a double feed with the shell on the right. So I ordered the the extractor blade and bolt stop for the 375H&H and I think that will solve the probelem!
Thanks
Elmer

Good to hear elmer. How'd to remove the spacer box in the first place? I haven't had time to even take my rifle apart yet alone figure out how to remove it.

Oh yea, how much did the replacement parts cost?

Ok thats the fun part, I pop them off with a sharp flat blade as they are spot welded, or you can drill them off which might be cleaner. As far as the parts the bolt stop in canada cost me 25$ and the etractor blade was like 10$. So if your handy and have the tools its pretty simple you can have it done in an hour flat and put back together.
Elmer

Sweet deal! I'm glad to hear that you're in Canada. I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to get the parts because that's where I am too. Please let me know how the new parts work out for you. I'm gonna let you be the Guinea pig on this one . I've got my fingers crossed that there aren't any problems. Especially since it's actually pretty cheap.

NP, the place you can call for all types of parts in canada is western gun parts, but make sure you what you want to order with a parts number.
Elmer

Sooner or later you will have problems. If your willing to except that have at it.

Most guys are not aware, but except for one exception all the Winchester mag boxes are the same basic dimension and that dimension is taylored for a 375 length round. The feed rails are also all identical to my knowledge. To make the dimension work with a -06 based round Winchester pinched in the top of the box slightly, then added a spacer to compensate for the box being to wide at the rear. When you remove this spacer on a -06 mag box, the box is too wide at the rear.
If your rifle is chambered in 300 win mag, 338 win mag, or 7mm rem mag the spacer can be removed and a 7mm stw follower used with good results. Of course these rounds have the same head diameter as the H&H.

I wouldn't use a .375 box with any 06 based case as the stack is wrong..

If you want a longer magazine that will work then send the gun to Dennis Olson, Plains, Mt. and tell him what you want and he will weld up your magazine to fit your cases and throat and you want to seat bullets out..You might gain about 100 FPS or more with the long throat as you can seat bullets out enough to gain about 4 or more grs. of powder at the same pressure..I do this with all my 7x57s but I don't use the IMP case.

Most factory guns have longer throats than magazines and that is problematic to some folks that are into that sort of thing..

Another option is the 7mm magnum rechamber if your looking for more juice.

Yep and once you remove the spacer form a -06 based round you end up with a 375 H&H mag box with the rails the top part of the box pinched in slightly.

Just cut the spacer out of the back, and spot weld the box together; it is no trick. Try the cartridges with the OAL you want, and see if the will function. If so, great-you are done. If not, then you start by shortening the bolt stop. That is an easy amateur-level repair as well.

So what you are saying BWalker is that if you are using a magnum cartridge (in my case a .300 win) you can remove the spacer and put in a 7mm STW follower to avoid any problems. Correct?

If so, do you also need to change the extractor blade and bolt stop as well to compensate for the extra length available? If so will the 375H&H parts work, or did you go with 7STW specific parts?

I assume this is the place your talking about Western Gun Parts

You wouldn't happen to have the numbers on hand would you? I'll be getting the same parts (extractor blade and bolt stop for the 375 h&h). I'll have to look into the STW follower though

I put the spacer wall back on my box for added support, so what the shells rest on is the same width of wall that they were on originally. The thickness of the spacer is about .060" without the extensions that i cut off, so I was'nt giveing up to much lenght on my box.
Elmer