Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Keep as 7mm-08 or rebarrel to 284 Winchester?

I have a USRAC M70 Featherweight chambered for 7mm-08. I'm not entirely happy with the way the rifle groups, though it is certainly plenty good enough for deer hunting in the woods here in Mississippi.

I am considering getting it rebarreled with a better barrel, action trued up, etc. to improve accuracy

While thinking about that, I'm wondering if there would be any merit to changing cartridges to 284 Winchester?

Anyone here have experience with this conversion and if so, what was your experience? Given the choice, would you do it again?

I load all my own hunting ammunition, so availability of ammo is not really a consideration for me.

I'm specifically looking for comments from those who have switched from 7mm-08 to 284 Winchester.

Thanks in advance.

Keep it 7mm-08Rem, that is unless your bored & need something to play with.

I really like the idea of a 284 Win. on a M70. But, if I was frugal, which I'm not, I stay at 7mm-08 too.

My ultimate goal someday will be to own a .284...
A .280 on a SA...
What the heck is not to like?

Do IT!!!!

The 7mm-08 will take any North American game animal short of the big bears... and it would take them in an emergency.

Why burden yourself with the added recoil of the .284 in order to gain maybe 150 feet-per-second of muzzle velocity? The game animals you shoot with either caliber will never "know" the difference... and you'll spend a lot of extra money finding out the 7mm-08 is a great hunting round for 'most all N. American game animals the vast majority of us hunt.

Jus' my 2�...


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

7-08 is had to beat but I too have have the hots to turn my 7-08 into a 284, but don't think I will do that til the barrel takes a dump.

Lots of folks have reported good functioning in push feeds going from a 7-08 to a .284, but I'd wonder about that in a CRF (assume that your USRAC M70 is CRF).

IIRC the 7mm-08 Featherweights had a 1-10 twist instead of the 1-9 or 1-9 1/4 like most other 7mm's. Could be that groups would be okay with shorter bullets.

This is just theoretical speculation, but something to think about before going to a .284.

A new barrel at 1-9 and staying with the 7mm-08 wouldn't hurt.

I rechambered my brand new 7mm/08 Remington Ti to a .284 Win. It cost $130. My 120 gr TSX deliver 3222 fps through my Chrony and I could push them a little faster. Would I do it again? - Yes If I were to rebarrel I would go with the 6.5/.284.

Why re-barrel?

Just punch out the 708, you'll love it!

SU35 - I doubt he would be happy with punching out the current barrel since he stated "...I'm not entirely happy with the way it groups...". Rechambering won't likely improve accuracy. On the other hand a new Pac-Nor barrel (or other premier brand) should put a smile on his face.

There are lot's of other things that you could do to work on the accuracy before you re-barrel / re-chamber it. Have you tried, or are you interested in trying, any of them?

A surefire way for a good azz kickin while bear hunting.Don't think I like that.

Worst rifle I ever had was a M70 featherweight in 7-08. Best it would do was 2 inch groups at 100 yards, no matter what was tried. Winchester must have had some bad 7mm barrels.

I'd rebarrel to 7-08. I don't think you'll miss that extra 100fps.

Gotcha Boise, need to read it all...

Going to the 284 case was the best thing I ever did. Wish I had done it sooner. Good grief you get 06 capacity in a short action.
I gained another 150 to 200 fps when I went from 260 to 6.5x284.

Why would anyone want to shoot a 708 when they can shoot a 284?

What I don't understand is why aren't new rifles more commonly chambered in the .284 or in a .284 based case like the 6.5/.284, .30/.284, 8/.284, etc.? The most bang for a short action without all the added weight of a short magnum.

Well, I guess I never felt handicapped with a 260 vs a 6.5 x 284... and I wouldn't feel handicapped with a 7/08 vs a 284...

I have a 7 x 57 in a Featherweight, and it will shoot anything I feed it like it is a varmint rifle...

I think I'd look into solving my accuracy problems first... a little bedding here or there, might work wonders for its accuracy, or it might just be a loose screw or the stock is binding some spot on the barrel...

from what you described so far, without checking out for accuracy problems cause, is kind of like buying a new tire because one of the lug nuts was loose..

if it was a problem with the stock or bedding, guess what results you are going to get with a new barrel? or a rebore??
same thing...

Look at my location...

I don't hunt bears and don't have near future plans too...

Guess I better look out for those charging deer, pigs, or elk....

That's a good question...

And Mexicans

grin....