I'm considering building a rifle on a Rem. 1903A3 receiver: your thoughts on caliber?

[henschman]

I would probably go with a .308 sporter weight barrel somewhere in the range of 18"-20". Fit it with an original rear sight assembly and put a ramp front sight on the barrel. Add an XS scout mount and put it in a synthetic stock. Leupold or Burris scout scope.

 

[MauserJoe]

I am ignorant about the strength of the 03 receivers. But this is a great topic. I have never seen a magnum built on a 03, but I am really curious to find out if it will work. Seems like a fun project. What caliber did you build the K98 in?

I kept the Mauser in the original 8mm caliber. I'd thought about changing it to .308 at first, until I looked at the ballistics and found that I really wouldn't be gaining anything by making that change. I handload and have worked up some great loads for the Mauser sporter.

 

[MauserJoe]

.35 Whelen if you need factory ammo

If you want a wildcat
6.5-06
.280 AI

But then I tend to go for stuff that's a little different.

Now there's food for thought. Both of these calibers would make for a nice longer-range rifle. Thanks for the input.

 

[henschman]

.260 Rem or 6.5 Creedmoor would be some to consider as well, both being compatible with the existing .30-06 bolt face. Both can be found on store shelves as well, if that's a concern.

 

[T.R.]

An 03A3 receiver can handle standard length magnums such as the 300 Winchester Magnum and 308 Norma Magnum with no problems pressure-wise. The bolt face will have to be opened up and the feed rails adjusted. Magazine capacity will go from five rounds to three rounds. Lots of these conversions have been done.

 

[ASP785]

I have never done a project like this before. Can you save any money going this route or is this more of a "fun project" than cost savings measure?

 

[T.R.]

I have never done a project like this before. Can you save any money going this route or is this more of a "fun project" than cost savings measure?

I don't think there would be any money to be saved unless a person has the skills and equipment to do his/her own work. The final cost would just depend on the quality of materials used and the amount of customization desired.

 

[MauserJoe]

I have never done a project like this before. Can you save any money going this route or is this more of a "fun project" than cost savings measure?

I've never saved money by building a custom rifle. But I've ended up with a rifle that is exactly what I wanted, so it was worth it.

 

[carleb]

If you do it right, you won't likely save any money unless you can fit and chamber the barrel yourself. Which generally calls for a good gunsmith that will need to be paid for his knowledge and time. As far as caliber, of course the 30-06 is classic and very versatile, but a 35 Whelen would be rather classic also if you think you need the extra bullet weight for something big. I have a rather nice 35 Whelen, but it's truly a bit much unless you have Alaska, or African non-dangerous game on the menu. It is near perfect for elk and moose within reasonable ranges and although I've never shot a brown or grizzly bear, I think that it would be very suitable with the proper bullet.