Biggest caliber you can fit in a Remington 700 safely

S

Shooter2675

New member
Hello,

I really want to buy a new gun but I already have guns for most of the purposes I need. I want to buy a super large caliber gun (like a .458 Lott, etc) just to say I own one and to have fun at the range every once in a while. I did not make this thread to be dissuaded from getting a large caliber gun; I made this thread to help me decide on caliber.

I am planning on using a Remington 700 Ultra Magnum action in stainless steel for my build. I know I should use a CZ-550 action, but the barrels are harder to find and much more expensive, and the stocks for the CZ-550 cost almost as much as the action (which sells for $640 online). As I said before, I am set on my choices.

My question is, what is the largest (or most powerful in terms of KE) caliber I can SAFELY fit in the Remington 700 action I mentioned above? I think a .458 Lott would work, which would give me the option to under load the rounds to .45-70 kick and use a common bullet diameter. Do you think a .458 Lott will work in a Remington 700 action?

Thanks,

John
 
375 H&H is offered by Remington, as is 416 Remington. Any cartridge based on the H&H case is a go. Also, Remington offers the full-length UltraMags. 3.86" is the longest magazine box from Remington. How much bigger did you want to go? The 458 Lott is shorter than the H&H.
 
I don't have the ft lbs handy,but I suspect you would not have many that exceed the 416 Rem Ultra Mag.
It will likely kick as hard as you want.
You will also have a trajectory good for 300 yds plus.
A bonus,it at least was offered by Rem as a factory chambering.
You may have to contact the Custom Shop for one to be built.
Note,for a while there was the 416 Rem.That is a different cartridge based on the .375 H+H case.Approx a 400 gr bullet at 2400 fps.
The .416 Rem Ultra Mag is a different beast.Beltless,with a larger dia body and rebated rim.

Correction!.The biggest RUM I can find is .375.Maybe they do not make a 416 RUM.
HMMM.
 
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I really like the .458 lott. From what you have said, I think it will work. Since it is not a precision rifle, I think I am going to look at E.R. Shaw barrels, as they are pretty low cost, I like the quality in my AR-15, and they are local.

I think I am going to go with the .458 Lott. I like the diameter, because it will be easy to find bullets and moulds for it.

Now for the stock, do you think a Boyd's stock would work? I like one of their solid wood stocks, or maybe a laminate? I am hesitant to use a composite because I like the way wood looks.

Thank you.
 
If you go googling for Weatherby cartridges in Rem 700 actions you quickly find a lot of "not a good idea" posts, the amount of metal between belt and threads gets marginal, same around the bolt face. That puts pretty much an upper limit on what you can do. People have made 416/375 RUM that should fit, but that's means custom dies and fireforming your own brass.
 
mapsjanhere,

I was not really considering the .460 Weatherby Magnum. I was talking about the .458 Lott. But I get what your saying, the weatherbys are a no-go. The .458 lott will be safe though, right?

Thanks,

John
 
Now for the stock, do you think a Boyd's stock would work?
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Depends on what you mean by "work". Will a Rem 700 fit in a Boyds stock? Absolutely. Would you be happy with a large-caliber, hard recoiling rifle in a Boyds stock? Not for long. While Boyds sells a solid wood stock, they use lower density walnut, a recipe for disaster in a heavy recoiling rifle. The stock would probably eventually split or splinter under recoil. Weatherby, Winchester, and Remington all have had the same issues, and they use better walnut than Boyds.
 
Remington built/builds rifles in .375 RUM, and that's a shoulder bruiser for sure. The .458 Lott operates at 62K psi and the .375 RUM 65K PSI, so I'd say you're safe.
 
Now for the stock, do you think a Boyd's stock would work? I like one of their solid wood stocks, or maybe a laminate? I am hesitant to use a composite because I like the way wood looks.
Click to expand...

A heavy recoiling rifle requires a strong stock. A laminate would work well in this application and they are heavy, which is a plus for a rifle of this type.

Be that stock is designed to pass recoil on to the shooter in the least distruptive way possible. You want a straight stock with a wide butt and a top notch pad.
 
Remington made a 700 in .458 Win from 1962–1970 as a regular offering. Sold only through their Custom Shop now. Ditto for the .416 RUM(A necked up 8mm Rem Mag. Belted.)since 1989. So a .458 Lott, on the right magnum action, wouldn't be an issue.
Their 'Ultra Mag' was in .375 RUM. Isn't a belted magnum and the Lott's case is 50 thou shorter. Case heads are very close(RUM is 2 thou bigger) so it should be fine.
Boyd's doesn't mention magnum actions at all. Just long or short and box mag or not. Contact 'em.
 
Scorch, a good example of what you say, can be seen in the old doubles with side locks, and even some box locks. Though some had decent tight grained wood, they were weakened over their design, and would eventually split. A cheaper grade of Walnut for a rifle stock, not having a tight grain, will eventually split over the same reason, it being weak, even though it's design would be different and looks more solid.
 
No argument on the value of quality wood.

Once you find wood of proper quality,even more rare is having the wood AND having someone lay it out so the grain runs through the stock properly.

In an old John T Amber Gun Digest was an article of "Stocks for the Stopping Rifle" or something like that.
A few lessons I remember.
As the recoil is absorbed by the wood behind the recoil lug,the sides of the stock covering the mag well tend to bow outward.This is the force that splits the center of the wood behind the recoil lug and a vertical split at the rear guard screw.
That is why cross bolts.They limit the outward flex.
Less obvious is the role of the mag box .Properly fitted,it supports the wood at the recoil lug,Recoil is transferred via the mag box to the wood shoulders at the rear of the mag box.This is equally important in limiting the sides of the stock from bowing out

The lower tang behind the trigger guard is also a place that has well supported wood behind it.

Of course,it is well known the upper tang should have relief behind it.

A nitpick fine point.The Remington 416 Magnum cartridge that is belted and based on the 8mm Remington /375 H+H is named the 416 Remington Magnum.There is no "U" ,for Ultra,involved.

The RUM s are based on an entirely different case.I may be wrong,but I think it is the 404 Jeffreys.Fatter body OD,No belt,rebated rim.Iknow there was a factory .375 RUM.I cannot find any Remington reference to a 416 RUM.
All moot,as our OP has chosen the 458 Lott
 
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