Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Rebarrel an Axis to 358 Win question

After reading of Mule Deer's future project of converting a Savage Axis to 250 Savage, I got the possibly crazy idea of converting an Axis to 358 Win to become my new black bear gun. I suspect I'll have to use a Boyd's stock rather than the factory but an concerned about the receiver being able to handle the recoil.

I planned on using my current Model 16 but am having second thoughts as the rifle is very accurate and I don't want to mess up a good thing. If an Axis should handle the added recoil of the 358 I would rather go that route. If not, then I'll continue looking for a reasonably priced Model 16. Thanks. To

SAS has, or recently had, stainless Marlin XS7s in 7mm-08 for $270, plus the shipping cost to your FFL. The Marlin X guns use the same barrel specs as the small-shank Savage 110 series, so any small-shank 110 barrel can be easily installed on a Marlin X action. I doubt that you'll find any other new stainless rifle price as low as SAS' Marlins and, IMO, they are far superior to the Savage Axis.

I don't know why an Axis wouldn't handle the recoil of the .358, since the factory Axis comes in cartridges that kick at least as much.

He might have to remove a few thousandths off the chamber face. The bolt on the Marlin has a slightly deeper face. Otherwise he would be good to go.

If a rifle will handle the 308 Win then the 358 will be no problem

UglyDog. Welcome to the fire! --- Mel

Thanks for the replies and the welcome though I am not totally new. I joined a little earlier as uglydog but for some reason I could not log back and I used my work email address which blocked the reply from this site. So, after exhausting every option I could think of, I registered anew. Before that I lurked around now and then.

I asked this question as I had doubts regarding the Axis action being able to withstand the greater recoil of 250 gr bullets I am using compared to the 180s gr or lighter of the 308 or 30/06 which I think is the "heaviest" chambering in the Axis line. I am more a shotgun nut than rifle looney and equated this with English shotguns which may be quite long lived with an ounce of shot at 1200 fps but quickly wear when subjected to a diet of 1 1/4 oz shot at 1330 fps.

Thanks for the head up on the Marlin, I'll have to check that out. I am also looking at converting an Axis to 250 Savage after reading a post by Mule Deer and my FFL can cut me a deal on the price of a pair of Axis' which can be a real savings as it is one shipping and transfer fee. Even so, I would feel better using the Marlin for the 358.

Again, thanks for the advice!!!

I really don't like the pistol grip ergs of the Axis, so they are a non-starter for me.

UglyDog2,

There's a vast difference in the ways a modern bolt action handles pressure versus a typical English double. In fact there's a vast difference in the way a typical German double handles pressure versus a typical English double.

And heavier bullets/shot charges have nothing to do with it, in either the rifle or shotgun. It's all due to pressure, and the .358 doesn't produce any more pressure than any other modern factory rifle cartridge.

Thanks for the explanation and help. It doesn't help me make a decision but it does let me know there isn't a truly bad one whichever way I go. I would like to go with the 16 action as I have more faith in it but finding a used one at the price I want to pay is difficult. I can get a stainless Axis for $300 and it still qualifies for the rebate which is more my liking.

Maybe I should look at a 110 action, they are more common but the magazine length has me in a quandary as I don't want to mess with spacers. I wish I was more mechanically minded.

I suspect a longer magazine wouldn't be a problem, because I once had a .30-06 length Ruger 77 rebarreled to .358. It fed fine, and allowed me to eaily use longer bullets, like the 225-grain Nosler AccuBond.

I would rather use P.S.I. data but the most convenient source I have ad had shows data in C.U.P. No matter. Your rifle comes in .308 Win. and factory data says 50,500 C.U.P. Days from the same source for the .358 Win. shows 50,500 C.U.P. tops. The base of both cartridges are the same, .473" so bolt thrust from either cartridge will be for all practical purposes the same. I see no problem with the conversion. Where there may be a bit of a problem with 250 gr. bullets is when Winchester designed the cartridge, they went with a 1 in 12" twist rate for the barrel. For some silly reason some compared went with 1 in 16". I have four rifles in .358 Win. The two Ruger M77s have the 1 in 16" twist and the early Browning BLR and Savage M99 have 1 in 12" twist barrels. The two lever actions actually out shoot the two Rugers by a very noticeable margin.
FWIW, I also have three rifles in .35 Whelen. The Ruger M77 and and Remington 700 Classic are 1 in 16" and my custom Mauser I found at an estate sale has a 1 in 14" twist. The Mauser outshoots those other two. Still, the 1 in 16" has worked in the Whelen even with 250 gr. bullets. I'll be quite honest here. I load that Whelen just as hot as it is safe in that Mauser, the load being two paces up into the "dangerous" are as determined by Quickload. After four ,loadings the primer pockets are still nice and tight so I figure the load is OK in that rifle.
Do give barrel twist some consideration. It could have an effect on the quality of your accuracy. JMHO.
Paul B.

Thanks for the info regarding the longer action. I know of one available at close to acceptable price and might be able to talk the seller down a bit. I also have a Boyd's laminated stock for such an action laying around which I could put to good use. If worse came to worse I could ream the barrel to 35 Whelen and then have an excuse to get another set of dies.

This is a Shaw barrel package which I blundered in to. It has a 1:14" twist according to the literature. I currently shoot a BLR and a Savage 99 in 358 Win but am kind of bored with them.

The BLR is very accurate and is very handy when sitting in a tree stand or when walking through the woods but a friend wants it badly and what he wants to trade I think I like better. I'll regret trading it, if I do, but the other toy is interesting to me.

The Savage I have a love/hate relationship with it. It is a nice rifle but I haven't gotten it to shoot well. Factory ammo went over 2" and up to 3" and my handloads weren't much better whether using 250 gr Speer Spire points or round nose bullets. 225 gr Speer flat nose bullets were not any better but I just started playing with them so may still have a learning curve to work through.

Too many projects I would like to do and too little knowledge, expertise, and confidence to do them all. Not to mention too little money..

If SAS still has them, the stainless Marlin XS7s are, in every aspect, a significantly better package than the AXIS any time, any place, bar none.

Or so it seems to me.

PJGunner,

1-16" was been the traditional twist rate in .35 caliber rifles for decades after the development of smokeless powder. It's enough to stabilize 250-grain lead-core spitzers, but nothing much longer, which is why Barnes offers a 225-grain TSX but not a 250-grain. In fact, most .35 caliber jacketed bullets are designed to stabilize in a 1-16 twist because so many .35 caliber rifles have them, especially older rifles.