should I rebuild or sell off?

shocker998md · Jun 14, 2017

So Ive got some time to do some thinking and I keep coming back to wanting a nice bolt gun. I currently have a Remington 700 in 300 WSM that is like new. I'm at a crossroads on what to do with it and would like some peoples opinions.

Heres my goals, have a rifle that I can shoot 0-1000 yards on steel, paper, varmint, and have as a back up deer rifle for shooting fields 0-500 yards.

I do reload so that's a big part of it.

One option is to buy the stuff to reload 300 wsm and just play with it and see what it does.

Option two would be to rebarrel the 300 wsm into 6.5 creedmore. This would get me into the custom rifle game pretty cheap since I got a steal of a deal on the 300 a few years ago so I would chalk it up as an almost free rifle. So id be into it for a barrel and gunsmith charges. Everything else, stock, trigger, glass, I can do on my own and do it a piece at a time.

Option three would be pop an ok scope on it out of my collection of sellable stuff, round up the ammo I have and sell it to a deer hunter. Then look into buying a ruger, savage, or tika ctr in 6.5 creedmore.

So if you where in that position what would you do? I tend to go back and forth on it each year and it just sits and collects dust.

John from MD · Jun 14, 2017

If you know how to accurize it, the Remington 700 platform can be made into a great shooter. Remember the M40 is based on that action. IMHO, the 6.5 gives some of the best long range ballistics. That said, there are more bullet choices for .30 caliber. You may want to look into changing it into a .308 which is probably the most versatile caliber out there for going from deer hunting, varmint hunting and precision long range shooting.

erwos · Jun 14, 2017

I'm a bit confused - why would you want to swap calibers? 300 WSM is already a thousand yard cartridge, and I'm pretty sure it'll take deer at 0-500.

Unless I was trying to take 300 WSM out of my collection entirely, I'd just leave well enough alone. So, option #1.

Biggfoot44 · Jun 14, 2017

Fess up, do you really want a 6.5 on purpose ? If so, that's cool, and sell/ swap .

If not jonesing for a 6.5 on purpose, your .300 fits your stated criteria .

GUNSnROTORS · Jun 14, 2017

^^ Agree with Bigfoot and erwos.

"back up deer rifle for shooting fields 0-500 yards" is your toughest requirement to achieve (IMO), and your 300 WSM definitely satisfies it. It retains adequate terminal velocity to achieve reliable expansion of most (if not all) available hunting bullets to cleanly/repeatably kill game out to 500y.

I'll probably get flamed for this - but ringing steel out to 1000y and dropping a deer at 500y are completely different requirements. Many would argue that the 6.5 creedmore can achieve both - All would agree that the 300 WSM can.

Still, my advice would be to go ahead and add that 6.5 to your collection!

Mike3888 · Jun 14, 2017

Remington just released the 700 in 6.5. Have both.

shocker998md · Jun 14, 2017

I'm not totally sold on 300 wsm for my purposes. Way more recoil, more expensive to reload, projectiles for 6.5 have a higher BC. I'm not going to want to shoot and train on a rifle that's going to beat me up pretty good shooting in the prone for 40-60 shots every weekend to get proficient at shooting those ranges with that rifle.

And when I say back up deer rifle in all honestly its about 5 down on the list, its just an option.

So far what I've read about 308 vs 6.5 is if your not stocked up on 308 tooling, components, and other 308 rifles the 6.5 seems to be a bit better across the board on it.

I'm not sold on giving up on the 300 wsm, I just don't know if it will do what I want it to do effectively. There's not much 300wsm data out there for people shooting them out to distances consistently either that I've seen.

Biggfoot44 · Jun 14, 2017

Since .300WSM is substantially similar to performance of .300 Win Mag , and in turn very similar to performance of .300H&H, which made major splash if not quite dominated 1,000yd shooting in '50s and early '60s , it is indeed a very known quanity, and more than adaquate .

But Post #7 changes the parameters by placing. Emphasis on minimum recoil, and downgrading a requirements for power delivered on target.

The revised Parameters are tailored for 6.5Creed ( or similar ctg ).

You want a 6.5 . That's cool, accept your desire and make the swap .

Doco Overboard · Jun 14, 2017

Rebarrel it and save what comes of it for the next 700 that comes down the line. When you fit the new barrel have your smith make the necessary changes to the action and bolt then select a barrel to wring the most out of your handloading hobby. Or because if you got it for a song, keep it.

Yoshi · Jun 14, 2017

Or, install a brake and go from there. Try the PVA Mad Scientist or APA Little Bastard. (Could be the Big Bastard...)

clandestine · Jun 14, 2017

I say part with the WSM and get the 6.5CM

Speed3 · Jun 14, 2017

clandestine said:
I say part with the WSM and get the 6.5CM

I vote this way as well.... the general rule for an ethical deer kill is 1000 ft lbs of energy. If I remember right that is 800-900 yards with the 6.5CM depending on bullet type/weight.

Cheaper and easier on the shoulder to shoot.

trickg · Jun 14, 2017

If I wanted a 1000 yard gun, I'd probably go with a standard 300 Win Mag on a 700 action and call it a day, but the 300 WSM is a close second.

Is it possible you're just getting a new gun itch and working on a justification?

Jerry M · Jun 14, 2017

If it is a Remington or Winchester rifle I do not believe that rebarreling a .300 WSM to a 6.5 Creedmoore would be economical. You would need to replace the bolt and bottom metal with a detachable magazine for any chance of the rifle feeding; in addition to the barrel. You can swap bolt parts on the Savage rifles to make that switch, I don't know about feeding from the magazine.

Buying or trading for a new receiver or rifle in the desired caliber would be my suggestion.

Good luck

Jerry

OrbitalEllipses · Jun 14, 2017

6.5 will do what you want. Sounds like you want a 6.5 gun.

byf43 · Jun 14, 2017

Biggfoot44 said:
Since .300WSM is substantially similar to performance of .300 Win Mag , and in turn very similar to performance of .300H&H, which made major splash if not quite dominated 1,000yd shooting in '50s and early '60s , it is indeed a very known quanity, and more than adaquate .

But Post #7 changes the parameters by placing. Emphasis on minimum recoil, and downgrading a requirements for power delivered on target.

The revised Parameters are tailored for 6.5Creed ( or similar ctg ).

You want a 6.5 . That's cool, accept your desire and make the swap .

^^^^^GREAT post!!!!!!!!

trickg said:
If I wanted a 1000 yard gun, I'd probably go with a standard 300 Win Mag on a 700 action and call it a day, but the 300 WSM is a close second.

Is it possible you're just getting a new gun itch and working on a justification?

^^^This, too!!!

OP, not too long ago, I bought a Remington 700 in .300 SAUM which is basically Remington's version of the .300 WSM. The cartridges are VERY similar, and both are at/about .300 WinMag performance. (Or, a 'hot-rodded' .30-'06!) Think .300 SAUM as "Betamax" and .300 WSM as "VHS". Same/same. Advertising put the .300 WSM as top dog.

I have thought about having the chamber reamed out to .300 WSM, just because "SAUM" ammo is like hen's teeth, now. (Although I got a LOT of virgin brass for the .300 SAUM and dies, etc.)

I have also thought about re-barreling to .308 Win.

IF you make the change to your .300 WSM, you'll not only have to replace the barrel (and the associated 'smith work), but, the bolt will also need to be replaced.

I call it, "the price you pay, to play poker".

Personally, I'm no fan of the "Six(es)".

If you change and go to the .300 WinMag, that SA 700 ain't gonna cut it. Action's too short for it.

dist1646 · Jun 14, 2017

Just buy a 6.5mm, you know you want to.

steves1911 · Jun 14, 2017

Do you handload. If so rebarrell to 6.5wsm and leave the creedmoore in the dust.

shocker998md · Jun 16, 2017

I do handload, I'm just worried about spending the money into getting set up for 300 wsm and not be happy with the rifle. Then spend the money and thread it and install a brake and still not be totally happy with it.

I'm not trying to just jump on to a 6.5 bandwagon but when reading 308 vs 6.5 it seems if you have nothing else that ties you to 308 its worth starting out with 6.5

I guess worst case is if I fool the the 300WSM I have now the only possible wasted money would be on dies that I could resell. I may put the rifle on paper at 400 yards plus this fall and see what the factory barrel can do with some factory ammo I have already.

OrbitalEllipses · Jun 16, 2017

shocker998md said:
it seems if you have nothing else that ties you to 308 its worth starting out with 6.5

Because it's true!

should I rebuild or sell off?

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