Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Rebore a .308 to .358?

Hey folks,

I've been carrying my 99H in .303 a lot the last 2 seasons and for me seem to be the ideal combination of easy carrying, quick handling and light weight that I'm looking for in a still hunting rifle. That said, I've got the hankering for a Savage 99 in .358 (in case I ever forget what work feels like and I decide to moose hunt again) and while I know they made them in the factory, they seem to be rare and pricey.

I'm wondering if I could find a "donor" rifle in .308 and have it rebored to .358? I prefer the rotary magazine to the removable clip and as I understand it the rotary magazines are cartridge specific, but since the .358 is just a necked up .308 I figure it should be a simple conversion? Is barrel wall thickness an issue? Is there anything obvious I'm missing with my thoughts?

I tried doing a search, but was having problems getting results. If I was in the States I could just send it to JES, but that's not an option in the Great White North.

Thanks,

Cory

What you're suggesting is eminently do-able. Just be sure to start out with one that's already a .308, not a .300. It wouldn't be a huge trick to modify a .308 rotor either.

There's no accounting for loonyism- that's all the reason one needs to such a conversion. But you do realize, of course, that a .308 will kill a moose just as dead as a .358 will.

I think for an economy Lever 35 caliber. Handloaded 35 Remington in a marlin 336 SC might be the trick.

I'd find a good 50s vintage 99F in 308. Second choice would be a later E in 308, not pretty but they have rotary magazines. Then I'd start playing around with heavy loads to suit your needs. 99Hs seem to be gathering a small following on this forum - I'm jealous.

Factory 358's do bring a premium, but probably not a lot more than what you'll spend on converting a 308 to one. And the resale will be better on a factory 358.

So might be worth biting the bullet?

tsk tsk tsk. Another corrupted file needing to be deleted.

I wholeheartedly recommend a .358 for you. You never know what you'll find. JES occasionally sells one on Gunbroker for $600 or so. I found a carbine for $500 and promptly restocked it and swapped to a curved lever. Sweet little gun. Don't know about getting it across the border, mule for hire??

i take medical treatments in BC. they are so accustomed to me they just wave me through.
forgot a brand new 1895 marlin after elk hunt once and the guys on our side found it. who says drunks, Indians, and the Irish don't have luck?

not that i am offering to mule a firearm but it can be done.

Probably easier to cross when you don't know that you have something that should be declared.

Cory I thought I remembered where there was a factory 358 for $650 but it had DL wood on it, went back to where it was and it dissappeared.

I understand, but it's the best possible excuse I could come up with to try to justify it to myself



Thinking like that is the opposite of fun



That's not any fun either





The last one I saw was over $1,000, I'd think I could convert one for under that. But if I could find one like MD's for that price, obviously it wouldn't make sense.



Buying from the States is pretty much a no go from a financial point. $250 for the import + shipping to me + 13% HST + duty, that's in addition to getting the rifle to the importer in Montana.

Thanks everyone for the input

Cory

Whats a Marlin?

Some sort of bill fish I believe.

John Marlin...........

THE MAN who owned the factory who had enough confidence in his own patents, and was full of kindness and good feeling in his heart to help old Mr. Savage manufacture hisown patent of firearms. ( which are now highly coveted)

The Marlin Lever firearm is still in manufacture.

You seen the latest 2017 savage Lever action?

Me thinks not.

Thought they stopped making them and they are now making Remlins😉

You've got a mean streak.

Ain't nothing wrong with John.

I don't know man, he sure eats lots of sushi.

[img]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GRJaZdodEgI[/img]

A few members, myself included, have had JES rebore post-mil .308W 99Es to .358W so the conversion is doable.

The factory rotor in my E would feed the top .358 cartridge from the rotary magazine. However, loading a second round in the magazine would jam the rotor. Fortunately, included in the rebore service, at no additional charge, JES modified the rotor to load, feed and function correctly with a full magazine. Looking at the modified rotor, it appears the fix was only a couple of strokes with a file where the rotor cradles the cartridge necks . It should be mentioned that some factory .308 rotors will load and feed .358 just fine too.

My E as a .308W was not particularly accurate even though the chamber, bore and crown looked as perfect as Savage 99 barrels can be. After JES rebored it to a 3 groove, 1/12 twist, .358, it now shoots very close to MOA. Many groups start with two touching and the third opening the group to 1-1/4". The most amusing acquired feature is that squib loads with .38 special pistol bullets will shoot into a single .40 caliber ragged hole at 25 yds. That is better than a lot of .22 LRs can do.

IIRC, there was a post in another forum thread where John Barsness explained that often rebores improves poor accuracy in some barrels because the rebore process relieves detrimental stresses in the barrel metal.

I have replaced the inelegant, heavy Beech wood furniture with more graceful and lighter Walnut F buttstock and EG fore arm. The .358W E weights only 2 oz more than my .308W F. After hunting with both rifles for a couple of years, I find that I prefer to carry the E with the 20" barrel than the F with it's 22" barrel.

I realize that JES is not an option for you but Is there not a rebore specialist gunsmith in Canada? If so, I see nothing obvious missing in your thinking.