What does changing a guns caliber entail?

[parlaan]

What do you have to do, step by step to change a .270 to a higher caliber (I don't know if it can go very high but my hope is around .308 or 30.06 if possible). If a gunsmith is needed how much on average would it cost? And what parts of the gun must be traded for said calibers parts? Thanks.

 

[James Jones]

Well if your talking about rebarreling the action thats all that would be needed , in the Remington 700 action botht he 308 and 30-06 will work fine in that action without any further work needing to be done. Now if you want to step up to the Magnum cases then you'll need to open the bolt face and replace the mag box and follower.

If your wanting to take your 270 and make it a 30-06 then the barrel will have to be rebored and re rifled , that can be done but I personaly don't think that its cost effective

 

[Coyboy]

parlaan, Going from a 270 to a 308 or 30-06 is actually pretty simple. Those three cartiges all share the same rim diameter, .473".

A smith would remove the 270 barrel, and then thread and fit a new barrel, chambering it to the cartrige you desire. Basically no other alterations would be required as long as the new cartriges fed out of the magazine properly.

The .473" bolt face is sharred by many cartriges here are a few; 22-250 243 260 7-08 308 338 federal 358 win. 6mm rem 257 roberts 7x57 6.5-284 284 25-06 270 280 30-06 338-06 35 whelen.

 

[blackco]

Because you are asking the question I can "assume" you are in the same knowledge boat as most of us and you will NEED a gunsmith to do the work for you. He will either re-bore and re-rifle your barrel (not a good choice) or you will buy a barrel in the caliber you want, the smith with cut the threads, crown it, cut the chamber you want and install it in your reciever. I "THINK" you are looking in the $100-$200 range for the work (I might be way off, there are others here who would give you an exact quote) plus the cost of the barrel. While he's got it apart you might as well have the action blueprinted also. The cost of the barrel could range quite a bit depending on exactly what you want and what you want out of it.

Another thought; as long as you are doing this you might also think about a different(wildcat) cartridge that will fit into your action. 30 Gibbs, any of the Akley Improved, one of the short mags.....

Good luck on your project. There are lots of people here who will be able to offer lots of help if you need it.

 

[BountyHunter]

Paarlan

If you simply want to go from a 270 to a 3006, then couple options.

buy a used barrel from a smith or ebay. Cost $50-75 max.

Have your smith pin the recoil lug and put index marks on both barrels when properly headspaced. he can either permanently install or setup for you to change back and forth (ie pinned recoil lug) and index marks.

an action wrench, anti-seize and barrel vise and you can change yourself.

A new barrel will cost min of $200-300 for the blank, then chambering (another $150-175. You can buy "short chambered" barrels that require final headspacing but still will end up being in the $400 when you get the gun back.

Now for the easy question.

There is nothing in the lower 48 that a 270 with a quality bullet cannot kill. so what exactly are you going to gain by rebarreling to a 3006 much less a 308 which is even less versatil than the 3006.

270 is flatter and less recoil than 3006 and way flatter than a 308.

BH

 

[parlaan]

I want a gun I will be able to shoot deer at ranges past 400 easily. Thats just a goal but I would like to get the gun ready. But what do I need to change? Just the barrel and action?

 

[cdog]

Of course if you get a savage you can swap barrels and boltheads at home and pretty much choose your cartridge/caliber combination for a very versatile(and great shooting) outfit.
Cdog.

 

[grit]

[ QUOTE ]
I want a gun I will be able to shoot deer at ranges past 400 easily. Thats just a goal but I would like to get the gun ready. But what do I need to change? Just the barrel and action?

[/ QUOTE ]

You already have one. 400 yards is a chip shot for any reasonably accurate 270. The 270 will easily take deer twice that far. Wether the rifle and you can is another story. I don't think you need another caliber. Just more education.

Lots of folks, myself included, regularly shoot the 270 out to 1000. You need a good scope, with repeatable tracking. You need field varified drop/windage charts, and/or a ballistic program. There are some web based ones in the bullets barrels and ballistics section. You need to gain an understanding of exterior ballistics. You need a rangefinder. You need your rifle, load, and you to be accurate. You need a field rest. Most folks use bipods and beanbags.

You've got plenty of bullet to take deer at 400 and further. Just need to learn how to do it. If you're happy with four hundred yards, a rangefinder and one of the ballistic plex scopes would be a good way to go. They too require education to use.

If you just want a 308 caliber of some sort, I'd buy another gun. Rebarreling is likely to cost a minnimum of half the price of a new rifle. Then, you'll have two. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Pesonally, the 270 is one of my favorite calibers. With good bullets, (accubonds, tsx...) there isn't any north American game it won't work for.

Hope this is helpful. Feel free to ask about anything you don't understand.