I found a pretty decent deal on a winchester extreme weather in 264 win mag and was wondering how easily a 26 nosler would be to rechamber to. I realize that the 1-9 twist isn�t ideal for some of the better BC bullets on the market but that seems like it would be a realy nice rifle.
I don�t really have anything against the 264 win mag but have been intrigued with the 26 nolser since it came out. It seems like it would make for a 500 yard lazerbeam on bears and bou with 140gr accubonds.
thanks, I�ll have to check out the sami specs
New or used?
If used, I would have someone check the throat for erosion before rechambering.
It should make a dandy rifle for the uses you intend.
Josh, why don't you score a couple of 26 Nosler cartridges and just see how much work it will take to convert the magazine over to them? If your Winchester rifle is a CRF, I have grave doubts about this switch. If its a push feed job, you might make it work O.K.
For myself, being left handed, I'd buy an older used L.H. Rem. 700 in one of the R.U.M.'s, and just re-barrel it for the 26 Nosler.
By installing a new premium barrel, and some blueprinting, this would solve many problems. And I'd also be starting out with the Factory's left hand wood.
Ammoguide indicates it can be done, problem lies in the magazine length; almost .100" difference in cartridge length
Jim,
SAAMI for the 26 Nosler shows a COAL of 3.34", reportedly so this round will work in a std. magnum action with 3.4" mag box.
Rem 700 std. length magnum rifles, like the 7RM//300WM, have 3.6" (full magnum length) box mags. With a RUM mag box for the fatter round and with the factory mag. follower, the 26 Nosler should work, even if throated longer than SAAMI 3.34". It will take some tweaking of the rails, opening them enough for the 26 round to pass.
The ones my bud and I are building will be throated for a 3.5" COAL, to give heavier bullets more room. We don't plan on shooting bullets lighter than the 129 LRAB or the 127 LRX. Both of those as well as the 140 VLD and Matrix bullets fit nicely in the case at 3.5" COAL.
DF
Dirtfarmer, this O.P. says he has a good deal cooking on a Winchester rifle in 264 Win. Mag. I think he needs to buy a couple of 26 Nosler cartridges and see how much work it will be to rework his magazine for them. Otherwise, he will have a single shot bolt action, probably with a Brownell's B.R. block riding on his magazine's follower.
This can be done, but it will put a real hitch in his "gitalong", for a small improvement in ballistics. I handled a 26 Nosler cartridge two weeks ago, and it looked like real trouble to make one work out of one of my three test bed, M-98 Mauser actions.
F.W.I.W. I do wildcats off of 375 Rugers and 300 R.C.M.'s. I think he could almost duplicate the 26 Nosler with a wildcat made off of the 375 Ruger cases, and this would be a better fit in his Winchester rifle. But the 264 Win Mag., and or, the 260 Weatherby, are already there, and these are in factory chamberings.
I think it would be a lot more work with a Mauser or any controlled feed gun.
Push feed, like the 700's, seems like a lot easier proposition.
DF
its a new rifle. I was thinking a wyatt extended mag box would be a good idea.
The 26 Nosler round will pass thru the rails on my M-70 .375 H&H. It won't pass thru the rails on my 7mm Rem Magnum 700's as posted earlier, too fat. It would probably work OK in a RUM M-700 action.
M-70 RUM magazines have windows cut to allow more space under the rails for the fatter rounds. The OP could pick up a RUM box mag for his M-70 if he has a 3.6" mag or cut windows himself if he has a 3.4" mag. It may do OK as is with two down instead of three.
Reaming the .264 WM to 26 Nosler should work, looking at the specs on both rounds.
DF
Dirtfarmer, I hope you are correct. But my Rem.700 R.U.M.'s follower had to be replaced when I re-barreled it to a 300 Win. Mag for a speed shooting test. Otherwise the belted cases tried to go down on one side of the R.U.M.'s mag box.
Remington went to considerable trouble here to make their new R.U.M.'s work in their 700 with two cartridges down in their magazines. I didn't pick up on the O.P.'s rifle being a push feed or a CRF. That would complicate matters, if its a CRF.
OP discussed one of the new M-70's, so CRF. I agree that CRF would probably be harder to convert than push feed, going from .264 WM to 26 Nosler.
I've not tried the std. mag M-700 follower with 26 Nosler, not yet at least. Brownells shows the same part number for the 700 RUM and 700 belted mag follower.
Did you change out the RUM mag box with the .300 WM conversion, or continue to use the RUM box with windows?
Edited to add, 2 down may be all we get, just don't know. Although Remington specs call for 3 down with the RUM's. Hopefully with the RUM mag box, the 26 will go three down.
DF