Concerning my Remington model 700

W

Wyldman

New member
I have an old Rem. 700 .243 that my father gave me and I absolutely LOVE that rifle! I have shot that rifle since I was 13 and I am 45 now so I know it very well. The problem is, he literally shot the barrel out of it shooting prairie dogs. It looks like a very nice, clean mirror down towards the breach, lol. I need to replace the barrel and was wondering if I could kick it up to a higher caliber since I have to replace the barrel anyway. .243 is alright for varmints and deer I guess but I would really like it to shoot a larger caliber.
 
Yes, as long as you choose a caliber that matches your boltface and action length, or you could rebarrel the .243 and purchase a second in another caliber. ;)
 
Is it a short action or long action?
If it is a long action, 30-06 is capable.
If it is a short action, 308 and its like are possible.

The 30-06 started this family of cartridges.
270, 25-06, 6mmRem, to name a few popular ones.
They are just the 30-06 necked down to diff calibers.

Then Winchester had a different idea. They took a 30-06 and cut it shorter. The 308Win. (aka 7.62 NATO)
So, its still a child of the 30-06 but it has its own children.
243 and 7mm-08 are the popular ones necked off the 308.

If you have a short action, you are limited to the 308 family with a barrel replacement.
If you have a long action, you can use any of the 30-06 family with only a barrel replacement.

Other calibers are possible, but you will probably have to purchase a new bolt as well.
Again, limited by the action length.
 
Surely a short action with standard bolt face.

For something larger than .243 on the same case you could go:
.260 Rem
7mm 08 Rem
.308 Win
.338 Federal
.358 Win.
 
Since you like shooting the little hole diggers, I would recommend either .260 or 7mm-08. Both are excellent deer cartridges and you can get fairly light bullets that are acceptable for prairie dogs.
 
I would go with the 7mm-08; the recoil will still be moderate yet accuracy is good and it will serve for both varmint and medium size game. Remington replacement barrels are available from Brownells already threaded and chambered, but I don't know if 7mm-08 is listed.

Jim
 
Any problem with making it another .243?

Making it a .308 or 7-08 will increase recoil (heavier bullets)....... and both will be more expensive to shoot at prairie dogs. Unless you are getting another rifle strictly for prairie doggin' (various .22 centerfire rounds are cheaper to feed, .223 in particular), why change? I shoot prairie dogs with my .270 Win, just to practice for deer season- if you can cut grassrats in half from field positions with 100 grain bullets all day in June, putting a 150grainer through a deer's boiler room with the same rifle in November is not all that difficult.
 
Any problem with making it another .243?

Making it a .308 or 7-08 will increase recoil (heavier bullets)....... and both will be more expensive to shoot at prairie dogs. Unless you are getting another rifle strictly for prairie doggin' (various .22 centerfire rounds are cheaper to feed, .223 in particular), why change? I shoot prairie dogs with my .270 Win, just to practice for deer season- if you can cut grassrats in half from field positions with 100 grain bullets all day in June, putting a 150grainer through a deer's boiler room with the same rifle in November is not all that difficult.
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A couple of you asked me this same question but I will respond to this post since it was the last.

I really have no use for a .243 to be quite honest. That .243 was a GREAT rifle for me to learn with as a kid but I don't have any real use for it now. I will never sell or trade is because it was a gift from my father. He was the Prairie Dog hunter ... not me, lol. I found it to be great news when several of you told me that it is compatable with the .308 family because that is exactly what I want to convert it to. Sure, I could just buy a .308 however that still won't solve my dilemma with the .243. I want to preserve and use that rifle and converting it to a caliber I want rather than just replacing the barrel makes more sense to me. I plan on moving to Alaska in the not so distant future and a .308 will do me a LOT more good there than a .243. Who knows ... I might even decide to convert it to a .358!

My uncle who was an absolute gun-guru told me years ago that I could convert it but I couldn't remember exactly what he told me and since has since passed-away, I couldn't ask him again.

You guys have been a great help ... thanks! ;)
 
I know Brownells has those pre-threaded barrels for .308 and I think they have fully chambered ones also. Check www.brownells.com or your local gunsmith. You shouldn't even have to touch the stock if you want the same barrel contour and weight.

Jim
 
I know Brownells has those pre-threaded barrels for .308 and I think they have fully chambered ones also. Check www.brownells.com or your local gunsmith. You shouldn't even have to touch the stock if you want the same barrel contour and weight.

Jim
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Jim Keenan
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Thanks, I'll look into that. *Phoenix* here on the forum is my brother and a better than average gunsmith and he is going to do the conversion for me. I am sure he will appreciate anything that will make it easier for him.
 
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