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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,083
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,083 |
Heat treat is not a problem with 03-A3s. Indeed so, which is another reason I'm regretting even mentioning a low number rifle, except it was in context of examples for potential conversion. The 03A3 is one of the top handful of hellaciously strong bolt guns of the mid-20th century, just not as refined/smooth as some others.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 16,382
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 16,382 |
Thanks. I was kinda reluctant to even bring it up for fear of a low number v. high number debate. Everyone has an opinion, and frankly I don't know where the truth lies anymore. Bottom line, I have plenty of other guns to shoot and don't need to incur unnecessary risk shooting a low number '03 no matter how slight the risk may be. Gary,wouldn't a re-bore to 8mm-06 lower pressures?
I've always been a curmudgeon - now I'm an old curmudgeon. ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,083
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,083 |
Thanks. I was kinda reluctant to even bring it up for fear of a low number v. high number debate. Everyone has an opinion, and frankly I don't know where the truth lies anymore. Bottom line, I have plenty of other guns to shoot and don't need to incur unnecessary risk shooting a low number '03 no matter how slight the risk may be. Gary,wouldn't a re-bore to 8mm-06 lower pressures? On the face of it, yeah, maybe. But that's a subjective thing, not knowing what somebody is dumping into the cases, both '06 and 8mm-06, and not taking a whole lot of other variables into consideration. I'll bow to JB on this one, for sure.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 11/09/22.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 353
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 353 |
I got a couple old 03's I thought about sporterizing, but with the crop of custom actions and prefit barrels just couldn't do it. SD
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 15,651
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 15,651 |
One of my 03-A3s came from the CMP with a two groove barrel. When I first looked through it, there was a moment of WTH? I thought I was cross-eyed or something….it looked really odd. 😊
NRA Life,Endowment,Patron or Benefactor since '72.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,170
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,170 |
If I were using a 1903 action to build a custom rifle it would probably be done in .270 (yes, I hear the howls) Although, the .358 Whelen has some merit. an aquantience had a 1903 action for sale a couple of years ago and I passed it up. I wish I hadn't of done that.
kwg
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
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Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 65
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 65 |
270 is too close to 3006 for me, might as well leave the 06 barrel on it. I'd like to either fill a gap in calibers, like the 35 whelen, or build a light recoiling deer hammer for one of my kids, like the 257 or 7x57. I'm just not that into the 270, I don't know of anything it can do that a 3006 can't do equally or better.
Speed is fine, accuracy is final.
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Joined: Jun 2012
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 740 |
35 or 375 Whelen. Both have bullet options meant for slower cartridges, so you could easily load light recoil stuff or heavy hammers in the same gun. Either one is an easy rebore so you don't have to worry about dealing with contour changes in the stock, or sights if they have them, or bluing. If you'd rather rebarrel just keep in mind it'll cost a little more than most other actions with the coned breech and extractor cut.
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 12,329
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2005
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I would in this order. .35 Whelen first, 7x57 a very close second and the .257 Robt. in spot #3.
One thing I would not consider is going with a magnum cartridge. Back in the mid 70s I had an 03A3 that someone had Bubba'd, so I had my gunsmith rebarrel it to .458 Win. Mag. and put it in a stock i had. It was very accurate and recoil was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. The big problem was we could never get get it to feed. Guess it was doomed to forever be a single shot rifles. I gave it to a friend who wanted to play with a .458 in. and didn't care that it was a single shot. It shot very well with the older Lee 500 gr. Cast bullet.
I think I'll repeat myself. "I would in this order. .35 Whelen first, 7x57 a very close second and the .257 Robt. in spot #3." PJ
Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them. MOLON LABE
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 8,877 |
Jak just wear that 308 barrel out. Play with the 125, 130, 150, 165, 180 and 200-220 gr range bullets with it. Satisfy your curiosity with the PERFORMANCE of the 30-06 . Then rebore it...mb
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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Joined: Mar 2022
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Mar 2022
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It'll be tough to wear that barrel out with my current supply of primers, but I really like this idea.
Speed is fine, accuracy is final.
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Joined: Jan 2017
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Jak you will find out why the 30-06 is still the standard everything else is compared to for a dang good reason...mb
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,381
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,381 |
.25-06; 6.5-06; .280; .35 Whalen would be my preferences in that order. Mine as well but moving the 25-05 to last. It’s one of my favorite cartridges except for the barrel life as I shot two barrels out and went 6.5-06 this go round.
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Joined: Mar 2022
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 65 |
I mean, I've already got two other 30-06s, one of which kills deer every year. I'm well aware of how great of a cartridge it is.
Speed is fine, accuracy is final.
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 238
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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6.5X57, soft shooting KILLER
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Joined: Feb 2021
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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1. 35 Whelen 2. 270 Win 3. 6.5x55 Swede
Adventure is the only thing you buy that makes you richer
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 25,858 |
Yes, I have one 03 in the safe. It belonged to my FIL and my Son has laid claim to it.
The inside of the barrel looks like forty miles of bad road. But hell it is probably near 100 years old, and burned corrosive ammo for the first third of its life.
The stock has been chopped up, and miltary hardware removed.
I intend to have a barrel fitted, set up for scope mounts, and a trigger before I hand it over. Probably will be a 24 inch in 25-06, with a duplicate taper. Maybe keep the old stock just for nostalgia, so it still looks like PaPa's rifle. And finally ceracote the barreled action to match the present finish.
There is an extra VX-2 3-9x40 sitting here that would work well.
That is about #4 on my to do list.
People who choose to brew up their own storms bitch loudest about the rain.
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Joined: Feb 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 15,651 |
35 Whelen for bigger, 6.5/06 for smaller
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